Avenida Marginal (São Vicente Island)

Avenida Marginal is an important street in Mindelo, São Vicente island, Cape Verde. It runs along the coast of the Porto Grande Bay (hence be marginal to the seas), from the city centre to the northwestern outskirts. The segment from port access to the city center is the EN1-SV01, it goes further from the avenue meeting the EN2-SV02 and EN2-SV03 and the EN1-SV01, the remaining to Baía das Gatas the EN2-SV01.

About the avenue

Roundabout intersecting Rua Libertade da África, further are buildings with colonial architecture named Cory Brothers, a former telegraphy building now occupied by a travel agent office named Agência Nacional de VIagens S.A. and other buildings.

The avenue links with the avenue that connects with the roads to the southeast and southwest (Rua de Morguinho) of the island, further north the one connects the northeast of the island. At the southern terminus, the city's yacht is located, the Port of Mindelo is in the middle and has two roads connecting the port and offers ferry services to other islands especially Santo Antão, Santiago and Fogo and the second busiest in Cape Verde, between 2013 and 2015 the port underwent extension in the northeast edges, a small mountain circles the avenue in the middle, where a Portuguese colonial fort known as Fortim d'El-Rei (also as the Fort of Mindelo) once existed along with its coal yards and mine. The refinery, fishing and cannery factory lies in the northwestern terminus at the gate. Panoramic views includes the island including Monte Cara, the islet and the island of Santo Antão. The southernmost portion is one way southbound starting from Rua Edoardo de Balsemão.

Some of the streets that intersect have been renamed, in the late-2000s, Rua Lisboa became Rua Libertad d'África and Rua Oriental is now likely Rua de Angola.

The avenue was once entirely two-laned, since the 1970s, the avenue has been paved, except for the northern part, much of the avenue has a forested aisle dividing the traffic flow, traffic circles were added, more were added in the middle of the avenue in the 2000s around intersections and recently been added at the expanded part of the port with the new ferry road.

The submarine telegraph station was once located on the north of the hill, the telegraph lines were built on that part, the communication lines now runs around the area and the avenue passes over the lines. Another one named Cory Bros. is located there south of Rua Libertad d'África where the coal shipping business started in 1874, a travel agency is currently located on the building that was once Cory Bros. today. Further south has the headquarters of CS Mindelense located there. The headquarters of ENAPOR are located in Mindelo, the sole national port company of Cape Verde first opened in 1982. North of the first roundabout is an old barracks and the Club Náutico restaurant and the former British consulate, until 1975, it was the consulate for the Portuguese colonies of Cape Verde and Portuguese Guinea (now Guinea-Bissau), later it was the consulate of the Barlavento Islands, it was opened after the British expanded Porto Grande.

Also the Portuguese Cultural Center at São Vicente is located on the avenue along with ten museums.^[1]

Statues are located near the avenue by the Atlantic, one is named after Diogo Afonso, in the area where he first explored the shoreline, located next to Rua Eduardo de Balsemão, further north is the monument to Gago Coutinho and Sacadura Cabral who first tested their flight in April 1922, it is the area where the First aerial crossing of the South Atlantic began, it is located next to the ferry entry. South of it is the Torre de Belém, a copy of a tower in Lisbon built in the 19th century. Mindelo's fish market is adjacent to the tower, next to it is the City Center's Shell gas station.

In the northernpart is Lajinha beach where several bars and clubs are located and Mindelo's Electra power and desalination plant, there serves the primary water supply for Mindelo.

Transportation

The avenue forms a part of the transit bus line run by Transcor that starts from Praça Estrela up to Lajinha. Aluguer and yasis minibus services are also used.

Legacy

An album done by Bana is named after the main street. Also a song by Cesária Évora in her 2006 album Rogamar.

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Avenida Marginal (São Vicente).

Coordinates: 16°53′15″N 24°59′21″W / 16.8874°N 24.9891°W / 16.8874; -24.9891