From cocoa to coconuts: local produce in São Tomé and Príncipe

Businesses in São Tomé and Príncipe often place an emphasis on local, organic, produce.

A world of roças: historic plantations on São Tomé & Príncipe

From coffee to cocoa, these estates provide a fascinating insight into the islands’ past and present.

Climbing the Pico de São Tomé

São Tomé’s tallest mountain is no walk in the park.

Ilhéu das Rolas

The island feels bit like São Tomé in miniature, with a green, hilly interior fringed by a rugged volcanic coast punctuated with dazzling, sandy…

Food and drink in São Tomé and Príncipe

The staple item of the Santomean diet and standard restaurant fare is fish – grelhado – grilled, baked (asado) or to a lesser degree cooked/boiled (cozido). The most…

Health and safety in São Tomé and Príncipe

Health People new to exotic travel often worry about tropical diseases, but it is accidents that are most likely to carry you off. With…

Obô Natural Park

An area of about 30% of both islands was designated as a conservation area in 1993 and as the Obô Natural Park in 2006. …

Santo António

The capital of Príncipe – the smallest city in the world, according to the Guinness Book of Records – has a population of around 3,000 and…

Bom Bom Island Resort

Bom Bom means ‘Good Good’ in Portuguese, and this four-star resort in the north of the island, run by HBD – owners of the Omali…

Roça São João

Overlooking the bay of Santa Cruz, this rural ecotourism plantation is a São Tomé landmark. For the past 25 years, João Carlos Silva has…

Travel and visas – São Tomé and Príncipe

Visas Since 2015, citizens of the EU/EEA, UK, US, Canada, Russia and Brazil no longer require visas for stays of up to 15 days…

Porto Alegre

In the past, the plantation at Porto Alegre (which translates as the ‘happy port’) was so important as to warrant its own airstrip. At…

São Tomé: the capital

With market traders pulling along a swordfish by its beak, street vendors selling cheap watches, hair bands and brushes, jackfruit sellers, music blaring from…

When to visit São Tomé and Príncipe

Climate São Tomé and Príncipe lie in the Gulf of Guinea, some 250km west of Gabon. The islands form part of the 1,200km Cameroon…