Your stay — Paúl Mar
Live forecast for your dates · what's on · air quality & pollen📅 Pick your check-in & check-out above to unlock your day-by-day forecast, what's on during your stay, and live air quality & pollen for Pombas.
Faith & Dietary Nearby
- Church: Igreja Santo António das Pombas (280 m · ~4 min walk)
- Church: Racionalismo Christão (530 m · ~7 min walk)
5-Minute Radius Essentials
Nearest — 81 m · ~1 min walk
Pronta Praça — 170 m · ~2 min walk
Emergency Contacts
PombasIn Pombas, dial 132 for police, 130 for ambulance, 131 for fire. For non-urgent help, the local health centre is at +238 262 1120. The nearest hospital is in Mindelo (Hospital Dr. Baptista de Sousa, +238 231 1120). Note that English may not be widely spoken; French or Portuguese phrases (e.g., 'Preciso de ajuda' for 'I need help') are handy. Save the national emergency number 112 as a backup, but it may not always connect locally in rural areas like Pombas.
💡 Save these numbers in your phone. In life-threatening emergencies, call immediately.
Where to Eat
💡 Booking tip: For popular restaurants in Pombas, book at least a week ahead — especially for weekend evenings and during festival season.
Your arrival at Paúl Mar
🕒 Check-in is from . Arriving earlier? Most hotels store luggage free — just ask at reception.
🧭 First things nearby: cash · Nearest — 81 m · ~1 min walk
🚐 Pre-book an airport transfer →Getting Around
Porto Novo minibus stop (next to market) → Pombas town square (5-min walk to Pensão Chez Sandro)
💡 Cheapest option but cramped – you'll share with locals and sacks of produce. Best if you're travelling light. The driver drops you at the main square; walk uphill past the church to the pensão.
Porto Novo ferry terminal, Santo Antão → Pensão Chez Sandro, Pombas
💡 Shared taxis leave once full (4 passengers), cheaper but slower. If you have luggage, go private – the road has tight hairpin turns and a crammed back seat isn't fun. Drivers accept euros but at poor rates.
Cesária Évora Airport (RAI), São Vicente → Pensão Chez Sandro, Pombas, Santo Antão
💡 The journey involves a taxi from RAI to Porto Novo ferry (15 mins), followed by a 1-hour ferry to Santo Antão, then a final taxi climb to Pombas (30 mins). Ask for João by name at the port – he knows the winding roads well and charges fair rates. Book through Pensão Chez Sandro to avoid haggling.
Pombas taxi rank (behind church) → Villages like Paul, Ribeira da Torre or Coculi
💡 If you're heading into the Paul Valley for hiking, catch a morning aluguer before 9am. Sit in the back for views – hold tight, drivers are speedy on gravel. Pay as you leave, exact change in CVE preferred.
Frequently Asked Questions
What time is check-in at Paúl Mar?
Check-in at Paúl Mar is from null. Check-out is by null.
Top Attractions in Pombas
💡 Go at sunrise to watch fishermen haul in their catch — they'll often sell fresh tuna straight off the boat.
💡 Buy a bag of grogue (local sugarcane spirit) from stall 14 — 100 CVE for half a litre and they'll decant it into a plastic bottle.
💡 Sunday mass at 9am includes local choir singing morna — arrive early to get a pew near the front.
💡 Best at dusk when the fishing boats return and the hills go purple — mosquitoes come out fast after dark, so bring repellent.
💡 Start from the cemetery at the north end of town — the path is easiest to follow from there. Take water and a hat; there's zero shade.