Casa Minga & Tatol

It’s a good place to stay in the middle of a banana plantation, and the price was reasonable. We found the entrance hard to spot, though, so a few more signs would help.

The employees were always helpful, polite, and friendly, and I appreciate that. My experience at this guesthouse was still negative because of how the manager, Mr. Rufino, treated me. He was cold, rude, and unprofessional, at times outright ill-mannered. I’ve never been treated so badly at any accommodation in my life. Someone running a guesthouse should at least be welcoming and offer guests a smile or a “good morning,” but he showed no friendliness from the moment I arrived. Several other guests felt the same. Of everyone I met on Santo Antão, he was by far the least friendly. The house itself is beautiful and was clean, but getting to it is difficult. From the main road, you have to climb a long, steep flight of stairs, which is hard with heavy luggage. My room was quite small, and there was no internet, another drawback. Breakfast was disappointing too: basically dry bread with cheese and ham, no fruit and nothing typical of the region. It’s a shame that a place with such natural beauty loses some of its charm because of the way the person in charge receives guests. This is my personal experience, and I hope it can help bring improvements in the future.

The owner was the best part of the stay for us. Discreet but very friendly and available, he made a real effort to help. Breakfast was plentiful, with sweet and savory choices and local fruit. Dinner is also available by reservation, and it was delicious, generous, and very reasonably priced. The rooftop terrace is peaceful and pleasant, with lovely scenery and stars to enjoy in the evening. The property is between Xoxo Valley and Ribeira Grande, making it well placed for hikes in both areas, and you can walk to either if you don’t mind a bit of a trek. There are several dozen steps up from the road, so getting there involves a climb. The rooms don’t have the comfort level of a high-end hotel, but they have what you need, including a double bed, bedside tables, wardrobe, power outlets, and a chair, and we slept well. The private bathrooms are small but functional. We’ve seen even smaller ones in a slightly more upscale hotel in Mindelo. We had a wonderful stay and thought it was very good value.

The bathroom was uncomfortable, with no shelves for soap or shower gel, no shower mat, and just one hand towel for everyone to share, though each guest gets two personal towels at check-in. The toilet and shower are together, and there’s only one bathroom per floor for all four or five rooms. Many doors also have locks that work poorly and are constantly hard to open. Everything was clean, though, and the staff were very helpful and attentive.