The 15 essential things to do in São Tomé, area by area: Pico Cão Grande, the Equator on Ilhéu das Rolas, cocoa plantations, Lagoa Azul, whales, turtles and Obô.
The best things to do in Sao Tome come down to three things: untouched equatorial rainforest, colonial cocoa and coffee plantations slowly being swallowed by the jungle, and beaches where there is nobody else. There are no big mammals and no safaris; instead you get endemic birds, the history of cocoa and a warm ocean that hardly anyone swims in.
This is our list of the 15 essential sights and experiences on São Tomé island, grouped by area so you can plan your route without pointless back-and-forth across the island, followed by the highlights of Príncipe.
In this article
- The south: rainforest, volcanic peaks and paradise beaches
- The centre: the Coffee Route
- The north: cocoa, baobabs and turquoise water
- São Tomé city and around
- Nature and wildlife
- More places to see if you have extra days
- And if you go to Príncipe
- The 10 best things to do in Sao Tome, in short
- Frequently asked questions
- See it all in eight days
The south: rainforest, volcanic peaks and paradise beaches
1. Pico Cão Grande
The image of the country. A needle of volcanic rock, the solidified plug of an old volcano, rising above the jungle to 663 metres. Most visitors see it from the viewpoint on the southern road; climbing it is a job for experienced climbers with a permit.
2. Ilhéu das Rolas and the Equator monument
The Equator crosses this islet off the southern tip of the main island. Here stands the Equator landmark, where you can put one foot in each hemisphere. You get there on a short boat crossing over warm water, and the islet also has excellent beaches and good snorkelling. Everything you need is in our Ilhéu das Rolas guide.
3. The southern beaches: Jalé, Inhame and Praia Piscina
Pale or volcanic sand, palm trees down to the water's edge, a sea at 27–29 °C and, very often, nobody else. Praia Piscina is named after the natural pools left by the tide. This is where sea turtles nest between September and April.
4. Boca do Inferno
A crack in the volcanic rock where the ocean rushes in under pressure and blasts upwards. A classic stop on the southern road, ideally with a fresh coconut in hand.
5. The Cauê river viewpoint and the Ribeira Peixe waterfall
A hidden beach where the water reflects Pico Cão Grande and, a few minutes away, a waterfall next to the fishermen's beach, reached through a huge palm plantation. Some of the most photogenic corners in the country.
The centre: the Coffee Route
6. Roça Monte Café
Up in the mountains, in the humid heart of the island. It was one of the great coffee estates of the Portuguese empire and today is half ruin, half village, with a coffee museum. Walking through its buildings explains in one go how this country worked a century ago.
7. Cascata Milagrosa and São Nicolau waterfall
Two waterfalls in the middle of the rainforest, a few minutes from the coffee road. Easy to visit and spectacular in the rainy season; São Nicolau is one of the most photographed spots on the island.
8. The Almada Negreiros Museum at Roça Saudade
The house where the Portuguese modernist painter and poet José de Almada Negreiros was born, now a museum inside an old plantation. It is also one of the best places to eat along the route.
9. The town of Trindade
Market, church, town hall and a surprisingly well-planned street grid. It is a portrait of the island's hard-working interior, far from any postcard.
The north: cocoa, baobabs and turquoise water
10. The Cocoa Route and a working cooperative
São Tomé was once the world's largest cocoa producer and is still nicknamed "the Chocolate Island". At a cooperative you see the whole process: fermentation, cleaning and drying, including the bean-by-bean hand sorting done by the women. The visit costs around €4 per person and ends, as it should, with a chocolate tasting.
11. Lagoa Azul
A cove of turquoise water at the north-western tip, surrounded by baobabs (locally called micondó) growing almost on the sand. It is the most unexpected landscape in the country: dry and savannah-like, half an hour from the wettest rainforest. More in our Lagoa Azul guide.
12. Roça Agostinho Neto
The largest plantation on the island, now home to hundreds of families living among crumbling colonial buildings: hospital, chapel, warehouses, railway tracks. It is the setting Miguel Sousa Tavares portrayed in his novel Equator, published in English and well worth reading before you go.
13. Praia dos Tamarindos and the Baobab Route
A wide golden-sand beach in the north, and the stretch of road lined with the island's most impressive baobabs.
Featured trip
São Tomé and Príncipe Circuit — 8 Days
São Tomé city and around
14. São Tomé city
Small and very walkable. The National Museum inside the São Sebastião fort that guarded the bay, Independence Square, the cathedral, the Presidential Palace and the market, which is where the city really comes alive. And a little-known gem: in the Boa Morte neighbourhood stands a monumental baobab we call the Árvore Sagrada, the Sacred Tree, a giant most visitors never see.
Nature and wildlife
15. Obô Natural Park, whales and turtles
Obô covers around 30% of the territory and is one of the planet's hotspots of endemism, especially for birds: species found nowhere else in the world. Add to that the marine life:
- Humpback whales, from July to October, very close to the coast
- Sea turtle nesting, from September to April, on the southern beaches, with guided night outings run by the conservation project
- Diving and snorkelling with excellent visibility in the dry season (gravana)
To avoid disappointment, let us be clear: there is no safari here. No lions, elephants or giraffes. What you will find is marine life, endemic birds and primary rainforest.
More places to see if you have extra days
- Lagoa Amélia and the Bom Sucesso Botanical Garden: an old crater carpeted in vegetation in the heart of Obô Natural Park, on a trail always done with a guide.
- Roça Água-Izé: a vast plantation on the east coast, with the ruins of its old hospital.
- Morro Peixe: a fishing village in the north and base of a sea turtle conservation project.
- Roça São João dos Angolares: a former plantation on the east coast, now a guesthouse and the table of chef João Carlos Silva.
- Praia Micondó and Praia Jalé: southern beaches that are almost always empty.
For the full list of 30 places and how to fit them together, see our São Tomé and Príncipe itinerary.
And if you go to Príncipe
Príncipe is a UNESCO World Biosphere Reserve and even less visited. The essentials: Pico Papagaio, the beaches of Banana Beach and Praia Grande, Roça Sundy, where in 1919 the solar eclipse was observed that confirmed Einstein's theory of relativity, the Baía das Agulhas and the small town of Santo António, the island's capital.
The 10 best things to do in Sao Tome, in short
- Cross the Equator on Ilhéu das Rolas
- See Pico Cão Grande from the southern viewpoint
- Tour a cocoa cooperative and taste the chocolate
- Swim at Lagoa Azul among the baobabs
- Sleep in a plantation house turned hotel
- Go whale watching (July–October)
- Watch turtles nesting (September–April)
- Eat at chef João Carlos Silva's roça in Angolares
- Snorkel or dive in the southern waters
- Get lost in the capital's market one morning
Frequently asked questions
Is São Tomé worth visiting?
Yes, if you are looking for nature, history and quiet rather than nightlife or big wildlife. It is one of the least visited countries in Africa, calm and welcoming, with landscapes found nowhere else.
What is the most beautiful part of São Tomé and Príncipe?
The south as a whole: Pico Cão Grande above the forest, the wild beaches and Ilhéu das Rolas. It is the area that holds the images that define the country.
Are there safaris in São Tomé and Príncipe?
No. There are no big mammals. What there is, is remarkable marine life and endemic birds found nowhere else in the world.
Can you go hiking?
Yes. There are trails in Obô Natural Park, the climb to Pico de São Tomé (2,024 m) and Pico Papagaio on Príncipe. Always with a guide: the forest is dense and the paths are not signposted.
What can you do with children?
The northern beaches, Lagoa Azul, the cocoa visit and the boat to Ilhéu das Rolas work very well. The long drives in the south, less so.
What is the best beach?
For calm swimming, Praia Piscina. For scenery, the beaches around Porto Alegre. In the north, Praia dos Tamarindos and Lagoa Azul.
What is there to do at night?
Not much, and all low-key: a few bars and restaurants in the capital, occasional live music and, in season, night outings to see the turtles.
See it all in eight days
Our 8-day São Tomé guided circuit covers the three routes (coffee, cocoa and the southern beaches) plus Ilhéu das Rolas and the Equator monument. It is a private trip with an English-speaking local guide, a 4x4 with driver, five guided excursions, stays at Roça Santa Luzia, Praia Inhame Ecolodge and Hotel Omali and half board with 17 meals, from €1,250 per person, flights not included.
Not sure how long you need? Read how many days to spend in São Tomé, the complete São Tomé travel guide, or write to us and we will shape the itinerary around what interests you most.