Sao Vicente is home to the deep-water port of Mindelo , a lively town with old colonial buildings and a thriving local music scene. Sao Vicente's carnival is the liveliest in Cape Verde, while the traditional Baia das Gatas festival, which usually falls in August, has become internationally renowned for the standard of its music. The other islands in the archipelago are quieter and more appealing to nature lovers. Sao Nicolau has a dramatic landscape of steep rocky peaks in its interior with black sand beaches around its edge. Maio is isolated and quiet with simple fishing villages, white sand beaches and sand dunes.
Sea turtles lay their eggs on the beaches.
Brava , a lush island with more rainfall than most, offers beautiful views of the coast from its plateau and an abundance of unique plant life. There are no facilities for watersports. The mountainous island of Fogo features an active volcano and black sandy beaches. Coffee, grapes and local wine are amongst the island's produce. Santo Antao 's spectaclar scenery and rugged coastline attract mainly walkers and climbers, especially given that there are no beaches.