Highlights of Sao Tome and Principe

As you step out of São Tomé International Airport, you are met by people so friendly with such a colourful culture that you will want to stay forever. With the deliciously fresh local cuisine found in the markets and restaurants, trekking through lush rainforests, discovering old plantations and other marvels like the Great Dog Peak, there is always an adventure waiting for you. Here are a few of the many highlights of São Tomé and Príncipe you can experience.

São Tomé

Restaurant Roça de São João

Using fresh local ingredients and recipes, the best restaurant in the country is on São Tomé’s east coast, lovingly presented by celebrity chef Joao Carlos Silva from his open-plan kitchen on a beautiful verandah with relaxing hammocks and local art, books, and produce for sale. Ask for Ivan, the manager who lived in London for ten years, and try Calulu, the comforting, aromatic, national dish which traces back to pre-colonial times.

Great Dog Peak – Pico Cão Grande

Trek through the jungle and find yourself at the base of this spectacular 3-million-year-old volcanic plug, which rises 370 metres vertically from the forest floor. First climbed in 1991, less than a handful of climbers have made it to the top since!

Have yourself a planter style boater hat

Visit Mr Lopez’s workshop in town to be measured for your own bespoke planter style boater. Choose from a range of styles and designs which reflect the islands rich history. Then have your custom-made hat delivered the next day… or maybe later, in true ‘leve leve’ fashion – the country’s motto meaning ‘no stress’.

Visit Bobbo Forro Market

Prepare for an assault of the senses at this 1,000+ stall market that is the largest on the island. Mercado de Bobbo Forro is a fun initiation into a vibrant African market with pyramids of limes, tomatoes, spices, fish, meat, clothing, and household goods. Sample traditional cuisine and browse a wide range of handmade souvenirs. It’s a must to immerse into the culture of São Tomé and Príncipe and capture what makes it so special and unique. Take a pile of small cash and buy things even if not needed and get ready for some fun haggling, as it’s expected (see Life of Brian beard purchasing for reference). Ask permission before taking photos however; the fish women don’t like being photographed.

Chocolate Trail 

Experience the fascinating journey of cacao from ‘tree to bar’ on the islands that were once the world’s largest producers of chocolate. Learn how trees are cultivated and harvested, how beans are extracted, fermented, dried and roasted, and how chocolate is made all within the crumbling legacy of the island’s colonial past. Discover where São Tomé and Príncipe earned its nickname the ‘Chocolate Islands’.

Photo credit Adrien Marsaud

Roça Água Izé Plantation

In its heyday this plantation was one of the biggest on the island, with 2,500 Angolan workers and 50 km of railway line. See the huge site, slowly being reclaimed by the jungle and visit the crumbling state of the art hospital built in 1925, the best in Equatorial Africa at the time, and its overgrown predecessor from 1914. Take some small gifts for the crowds of kids. Pens and balloons go down well, candy is banned by the government.

Try a local brew

The very good Rosema beer brewed in one of the only factories on the island is sold in near pint size bottles supplied by an East German company when São Tomé and Príncipe was under the influence of the USSR. It is the only beer that I know of that is legally sold without any labelling. Also try the national drink, palm wine, which is sourced from the sap of palm trees and requires ‘wine tappers’ to climb to the top to collect it. In fact, many flavours of the island’s drinks come from native plants. Be careful though – palm wine is designed to be drunk the day it is produced and gets stronger as the day progresses, so watch out for that late evening night cap.

Príncipe

Roça Sundy Boutique Hotel

Step into the grand lifestyle of a plantation owner. This boutique hotel has beautifully restored Casa Colonial rooms with historical flair and a high level of comfort. The delicious meals are served on a fabulously atmospheric terrace, and offer a fresh taste of the local food, all harvested that morning.

Banana Beach

Visit the most famous beach on the islands, white sand curving in a banana shape around turquoise water and where the jungle meets the sea. So striking, it was chosen as the backdrop for the legendary 1991 Bacardi Rum ad, and it still looks just as unforgettable today.

Photo Credit Scott Ramsay

Bay of Needles

As if straight out of Jurassic Park with soaring stacks, rolling mist and thick jungle to the water’s edge, it would be no surprise to see a T-Rex emerge from this coastline, but all we can guarantee is piglets feasting on washed up coconuts. Take a boat trip to see this scene from the best angle. The surrounding water offers top class snorkelling, and you might be lucky enough to see dolphins, flying fish and even whales at the right time of year.

Photo Credit Soctt Ramsay

Before you go….

Listen: Our Managing Director, Alice, recently joined the Action Packed Travel Podcast to discuss one of Africa’s best-kept secrets: the enchanting islands of São Tomé and Príncipe.

Watch: Martin Clunes Islands of the Atlantic episode on São Tomé and Príncipe found on ITV X. Clunes explores the extraordinary wildlife, including the several species of endangered turtles which nest on the islands. He also delves into the islands’ culture, visiting communities and meeting the locals.

Watch: The Lost Wave on Prime Video, a documentary exploring the islands indigenous surfing culture. Surfing is known as ‘corre-barra’ in São Tomé and Príncipe.

Read: ‘Equador’ by Miguel Sousa Tavares. This novel gives a great fictional insight into the history of the islands set in 1905, with those pesky Brits causing trouble and with a bit of Jilly Cooper thrown in!

If this list of highlights hasn’t tempted you yet, don’t worry – there is a lot more where that came from. São Tomé and Príncipe is a destination that surprises, charms, and stays with you long after you’ve left. With every unique experience, the islands invite you to slow down, explore, and embrace the magic of ‘leve leve’ living.

What next?

Alice gazing up at a gigantic tree on the Ribeira Ize Trail

Managing Director, Alice, has been on the ground, personally exploring these stunning islands. Based on her trip, she’s designed two Aardvark Safaris suggested itineraries that she feels truly capture the absolute highlights of São Tomé and Príncipe.

• Explore the best of both islands in 14 days
• Short on time – this 8 day itinerary gives you a good rounded experience of both island

Read more – A guide to São Tomé and Príncipe

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