São Tomé City
A small, faded-pastel capital on Ana Chaves Bay: a 16th-century fort, a lively market and some of the world’s best chocolate.
Gulf of Guinea · Central Africa
São Tomé and Príncipe: Africa’s chocolate islands on the Equator
Two volcanic islands of rainforest, old cocoa plantations and beaches with nobody on them — and a pace of life the locals call leve-leve.
✓ 10 destination guides✓ Real, bookable tours only✓ Independent & ad-free
What is São Tomé and Príncipe, and why go?
São Tomé and Príncipe is Africa’s second-smallest country: two main islands and a scatter of islets in the Gulf of Guinea, roughly 250 km off the coast of Gabon. They were uninhabited when Portuguese navigators arrived around 1470, and for five centuries they were plantation colonies — first sugar, then coffee and cocoa. By the early 1900s these islands were the world’s largest cocoa producer, built on forced labour. Independence came on 12 July 1975.
What the visitor finds today is the afterlife of that history set in extraordinary nature. Grand plantation estates, the roças, crumble gently into the forest or have been reborn as lodges and chocolate makers. A third of São Tomé island is the protected rainforest of Obô National Park. In the south the volcanic needle of Pico Cão Grande rises sheer from the palms, and the Equator runs across Ilhéu das Rolas. A 35-minute flight north, Príncipe has around 8,000 people, a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve and beaches such as Praia Banana that you may well have to yourself.
This is not a polished resort destination. Roads are slow, card payments are rare and things happen leve-leve — “easy, easy”. That is exactly the appeal. A week covers São Tomé island well; ten days to two weeks lets you add Príncipe.
Destinations
Ten destinations, two islands
Each has its own guide to sights, tours, transport, seasons and where to stay.
North Coast
The dry side of São Tomé: baobabs above the turquoise bay of Lagoa Azul, palm beaches, a grand old roça and the fishing town of Neves.
Monte Café & the Roças
The coffee plantation in the cool hills above the capital, and the best place to understand the roças — their beauty and their brutal history.
Obô & Pico de São Tomé
Primary rainforest covering a third of the island: a botanical garden, a crater bog, waterfalls, endemic birds and the 2,024 m summit.
Pico Cão Grande & the South
The wild, rain-soaked south: a volcanic needle above the palms, roças on the east coast, natural rock pools and beaches where turtles nest.
Ilhéu das Rolas
A small forested islet off the southern tip of São Tomé where a monument marks the Equator — one foot in each hemisphere.
Santo António
Príncipe’s pocket-sized capital: a few pastel streets on a river mouth, often called the smallest city in the world.
Príncipe Beaches
Praia Banana, Praia Boi, Praia Macaco and the lodge beaches of Bom Bom and Sundy: golden sand, jungle to the waterline and hardly a footprint.
Roça Sundy & Belo Monte
Two plantation estates on Príncipe: Sundy, where a 1919 eclipse helped prove Einstein right, and Belo Monte, on the bluff above Praia Banana.
Príncipe Biosphere Reserve
The whole island is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve: rock towers above the Bay of Needles, roadless southern rainforest, mangroves and birds found nowhere else.
Top experiences
Top experiences across the islands
The things people come for — and where to find them.
See Pico Cão GrandeA 370-metre volcanic plug bursting out of the southern forest — the country’s emblem.Stand on the EquatorTake the boat to Ilhéu das Rolas and straddle both hemispheres at the Equator mark.Walk a roçaTour Monte Café’s coffee museum and hear the hard history of the plantation system.Taste chocolate at the sourceSample bean-to-bar chocolate in São Tomé city, where the cocoa is grown an hour away.Hike in Obô National ParkFrom the botanical garden at Bom Sucesso to Lagoa Amélia — or two days to the summit.Swim at Lagoa AzulA turquoise bay ringed by baobabs on the dry north coast, good for snorkelling.Watch turtles nestFrom about November to March, turtles come ashore at Praia Jalé, Morro Peixe and on Príncipe.Have Praia Banana to yourselfPríncipe’s most photographed beach, a golden crescent below Roça Belo Monte.Follow Eddington to Roça SundyWhere the 1919 solar eclipse was observed to test Einstein’s general relativity.
Regions at a glance
The regions at a glance
Which part of the country suits which kind of trip.
| Region | Best for | From São Tomé city | Stay |
|---|---|---|---|
| São Tomé city | History, markets, chocolate, restaurants | — | 1–2 nights |
| North coast | Lagoa Azul, dry-side beaches, baobabs, roças | About 30–60 min by car | Day trip or 1–2 nights |
| Monte Café & the roças | Coffee, cocoa and plantation history | About 40 min by car | Half day |
| Obô & Pico de São Tomé | Rainforest hikes, birds, waterfalls | About 1 hr to the trailheads | Day hike or 2-day trek |
| South & Pico Cão Grande | Wild scenery, turtle beaches, eco-lodges | About 1½–2½ hrs by car | 2–3 nights |
| Ilhéu das Rolas | The Equator mark, snorkelling | About 2½ hrs + 20 min by boat | Day trip |
| Príncipe (4 guides) | Empty beaches, forest, boat trips, birding | About 35 min by plane | 3–5 nights |
GetYourGuide
Tours you can book online
GetYourGuide’s catalogue for the islands is small. These are the real, current products — nothing padded.
#1 · Day tour from €138 São Tomé: Full-Day Guided Tour with Lunch & Hotel Pickup
A full day out from your hotel with a local guide: historic plantations, village communities and tropical forest, with a local lunch and bottled water included.
#2 · Boat trip from €175 São Tomé: Full-Day Boat Excursion to Rolas Island
Cruise along the coast to Ilhéu das Rolas, the islet crossed by the Equator, with time to swim, snorkel and laze on its beaches.
#3 · Private tour from €110 São Tomé: Private Customisable Guided Tour with Local Guide
A private half-day shaped around what you want to see — beaches, forest, waterfalls, plantations or village life — with a guide from the island.
#4 · Diving from €70 São Tomé: Scuba Diving with the Atlantic Diving Center
Dives on São Tomé’s volcanic reefs for beginners and certified divers, from a single try-dive to multi-day packages.
#5 · Food & music from €65 São Tomé: Saturday Night Rodízio with Live Music
A Saturday-evening rodízio dinner by the sea at Club Santana: fire-grilled meats carved at the table, with live music.
#6 · Multi-day from €900 São Tomé: 5-Day Guided Island Tour with Ilhéu das Rolas
Five guided days around the island: history and food, cocoa and coffee plantations, the north and south coasts, and the Equator on Ilhéu das Rolas.
When to Go
When to go
It is warm all year on the Equator; what changes is the rain.
Gravana (Jun–Sep)
The main dry season: cooler, breezy, often overcast, with the calmest roads and trails. Humpback whales pass from about July.
Rains return (Oct–Nov)
Heavy showers come back and the forest is at its greenest. Turtle nesting begins and whale season ends in October.
Gravanito (Dec–Feb)
A shorter, sunnier dry spell with hot beach weather and clear seas — and the peak of turtle nesting.
Wettest months (Mar–May)
The heaviest rain of the year, mostly in intense bursts. Lush and quiet, but tracks get muddy and flights can be disrupted.
Itineraries
Sample itineraries
Realistic routes that respect the roads and the flight schedule.
7 days: São Tomé island in a weekThe whole of São Tomé island without rushing: four nights in or near the capital and two in the south.10 days: two islandsA week’s highlights on São Tomé compressed into six days, plus three nights on Príncipe.14 days: the slow fortnightBoth islands at the pace they deserve, with time to hike, snorkel and do nothing at all.
Where to stay
Where to stay
From seafront hotels in the capital to plantation houses and Príncipe’s beach lodges.
Boutique hotel
Omali São Tomé
8.6 57
A small, polished hotel between the airport and the city, with a pool in palm gardens — the São Tomé sister of the Príncipe lodges.
Live rates on Trip.com See rates
Beach resort
Pestana São Tomé
8.3 64
The capital’s large seafront resort hotel, with pools facing the ocean and a short drive to the fort and cathedral.
Live rates on Trip.com See rates
Eco-lodge
Praia Inhame Eco-Lodge
Wooden cabins under coconut palms on a quiet beach at the island’s southern tip, close to Praia Piscina and the turtle beach of Praia Jalé.
Live rates on Trip.com See rates
Beach resort
Bom Bom – Príncipe Collection
8.8 20
Bungalows across two beaches at the northern tip of Príncipe, linked by a wooden walkway to a tiny islet with the restaurant.
Live rates on Trip.com See rates
Luxury lodge
Sundy Praia – Príncipe Collection
8.9 8
Tented villas hidden in forest behind a wild beach on Príncipe’s north-west coast — the most exclusive stay in the country.
Live rates on Trip.com See rates
Plantation house
Hotel Roça Sundy – Príncipe Collection
Rooms in the restored main houses of the historic Roça Sundy, on the plantation where the 1919 eclipse was observed.
Live rates on Trip.com See rates
São Tomé and Príncipe: quick answers
Where is São Tomé and Príncipe?
In the Gulf of Guinea off Central Africa, about 250 km west of Gabon. São Tomé island sits just north of the Equator, which crosses the islet of Rolas at its southern tip; Príncipe lies about 150 km to the north-east.
Do I need a visa?
Citizens of many countries, including EU states, the UK, the USA and Canada, have been able to enter visa-free for stays of up to 15 days. Rules change, so confirm with the country’s official e-visa service or an embassy before you book.
Is São Tomé and Príncipe safe?
It is widely regarded as one of the safer and more relaxed countries in the region. Normal precautions against petty theft apply; the bigger risks are road conditions, strong sea currents and limited medical facilities.
How many days do I need?
A week is a comfortable minimum for São Tomé island. Allow ten days to two weeks if you want to include Príncipe, because inter-island flights do not run at all hours and can be rescheduled.
Can I pay by card?
Rarely. Outside the top hotels this is a cash economy, and foreign cards have often not worked in local ATMs. Bring enough euros in cash and change some into dobras locally.
What language is spoken?
Portuguese is the official language, alongside local creoles. Some French is understood, and English is spoken mainly in the better hotels and by guides.
Plan your trip
Rainforest, roças and empty beaches on the Equator
Cocoa plantations, the needle of Pico Cão Grande, the Equator line on Ilhéu das Rolas and Príncipe’s wild bays. Compare the tours you can book online and reserve in a couple of taps.