Why visit Ilhéu das Rolas
Ilhéu das Rolas — “Turtle-dove Islet” — lies a couple of kilometres off the southern point of São Tomé. It is tiny, about three square kilometres of coconut palms and forest, with one fishing village and a ring of pale beaches and black lava shore.
Its claim to fame is geographical: the Equator passes across it. On a hill above the village a monument and a tiled map of the world mark the line, established during the geodetic survey led by the Portuguese naval officer Gago Coutinho in the 1910s. Standing astride it is one of the country’s essential photographs.
The rest is simple pleasure: a walk through the palms, a swim in clear water, the hiss of blowholes on the southern rocks, and the view back to the mountains of São Tomé.
How long to stay
Half a day on the islet is enough for the monument, a walk and a swim. With the drive from the capital it makes a full day; it is far more relaxed from a lodge in the south.
Where to base yourself
The islet’s only resort has been closed in recent years, so plan on visiting by day unless you have confirmed otherwise. The nearest places to stay are the eco-lodges around Porto Alegre on the mainland, opposite the islet.
Ilhéu das Rolas highlights
- Standing on the Equator with a foot in each hemisphere
- The boat crossing from Ponta Baleia
- Swimming and snorkelling off quiet beaches
- Blowholes on the wild southern shore
- Views of São Tomé’s peaks across the channel
- A walk through the fishing village
