Did you ask yourself, "how to go to Sao Tome and Principe?" or "how do I get a visa for Sao Tome and Principe?" and find yourself here. The duo of distant islands - Sao Tome and Principe - is perhaps the most famous tourist destination in Africa. However, this tiny country is not the brightest of African places. For starters, it's all Portuguese-speaking (except for a couple of patches of earth Creole). The colonial feel of cities and villages exude the character of the New World more than sub-Saharan. However, there is still a lively approach to life, unquestionably African, not to mention the cuisine with spices and banana ointment, which permeates both the East and the West's culinary traditions.
Where is Sao Tome and Principe located?
Consisting of two main islands and four islets on the equator in the Gulf of Guinea, it is located 350 km off Africa's west coast. The area of this Portuguese-speaking country is only 1001 square kilometers, and it has a population of 197,900 Sao Tome and Principe people.
The capital of Sao Tome and Principe, the city of Sao Tome, has about a quarter of the country's population; Santo Antonio is the largest city on Principe; the northern areas of both islands have the highest population density, as shown in this population distribution map.
Sao Tome and Principe is currently the smallest Portuguese-speaking country on the planet. It would be the most sparsely populated state in Africa, but Seychelles holds first place.
Portuguese is the official Sao Tome and Principe language on the islands, but about a little more than a third of Sao Tome and Principe's citizens use Forro. Forro is classified as the Creole language, which is based on Portuguese.
About 70% of the population are Creoles, mixed descendants of Portuguese and Negroes. The majority of the population is employed in agriculture, growing lucrative crops such as cocoa. Some work on their own small farms. Part of the Sao Tome and Principe population is engaged in fishing in the sea.
Sao Tome and Principe tourism is one of the "three whales" on which the relative economic balance is based. Almost access to the islands for tourists was opened in the late 80s of the XX century, which allows you to enjoy the virgin beauty of the wonderful places. The book of Sao Tome and Principe's history consists of two pages devoted to the slave trade and plantation economy. It was a long time ago, but the ancient plantations have been preserved and act as tourist attractions.
If all this is not enough for you, then add to it a wealth of gorgeous golden-sand beaches, rare sea turtles, and beautiful mountain towns, as well as the soaring spires of volcanic mountains, rare monkeys, and much more, and the wild and wonderful Sao Tome and Principe becomes pretty damn attractive to any traveler!
Today we will take a look at the Instagrammable places of Sao Tome and Principe, which make it even more beautiful.
1. Sao Tome
The capital of Sao Tome and Principe, a "chocolate box" with beautiful Romanesque churches and ornate colonial buildings, palm-lined boulevards, and pretty squares, Sao Tome, is the only real city on these islands. The capital, as well as the economic center, political center, and main market, is loaded with the likes of the Presidential Palace and Independence Square - this is the year this Atlantic archipelago gained freedom from the powers of Europe. Take a dip in the Central Market here and walk between the terracotta townhouses, beautiful Baroque facades, and Fort San Sebastian's gun bulwarks before entering the fascinating displays of the National Museum. After that, you'll discover lazy coffee shops spilling over the cobblestones and plenty of places to walk along the coastline of the Instagrammable Ana Chaves Bay.
2. Obo National Park
Obo National Park is one of the best places to visit in Sao Tome and Principe. Uniquely and stunningly, Obo National Park is a place that often takes your breath away. Covering a vast area of more than 230 square kilometers on the south side of Sao Tome, the great wilderness stretches from salty mangroves on the shore to pristine Atlantic rainforests in the highlands. And what mountains they are! Crowned by the mighty needle-shaped cliff of Pico Cao Grande, the park soars straight into the clouds. And along the coast, the mountains take the form of huge square ledges that rise above the Atlantic Ocean waves below.
3. Santo Antonio
The resorts of Sao Tome and Principe are different from the usual ones. The capital of tiny Principe - the smaller half of this archipelago - is a small city on the north coast of the island, where the majority of its population lives (and this is just over 1000 people!). A sleepy place with centuries-old colonial buildings and mud houses in the Pueblo style, it has a certain authentic charm. The winding channels of the Palota River cut through the heart of the city, weaving seaside streets along the shore through palm groves and swampy plains. Meanwhile, the island's green volcanic hills beckon on the horizon while local fishermen board boats at the coastal pier.
4. Santana
A popular destination for beachgoers and luxury seekers (don't forget the Instagrammable places of Sao Tome and Principe) in search of the legendary Sao Tome cocktail of sand, sea, and sun on the Atlantic, the small town of Santana spills down to the coastline on the eastern edge of the island, emerging from the happy jungle palms and volcanic hills like some forgotten village in Robinson Crusoe land. It is known mainly for the famous Club Santana Resort, which offers bungalows and cute cottages just a stone's throw from the golden sands of Santana Beach. At the top of the rocky cliffs along the shore are rooms and diving operators, boat tour opportunities, and more.
5. Monte Cafe
You will have to go deep into the volcanic mountain ranges that rise into the sky in the heart of Sao Tome's island to find the old colonial factories and coffee plantations of Monte Cafe. As you might imagine, even a trip there is one of the most interesting for travel magazines: stunning views of pristine rainforests, endless valleys of misty forests, the occasionally rusting village of tin huts. Once here, you can enjoy Instagrammable views of the country's palm-dotted highlands, as well as visit the famous Coffee Museum, where you can learn about the history of cultivation, sales, and the history of the island's main industry.
6. Rolas Island
The resorts of Sao Tome and Principeare also popular thanks to this Atlantic paradise, as the tear of Sao Tome, just a short boat ride from the southern tip of the island, a point on the map of Rolas Island is famous for its sparkling white sand beaches and paradise veneer. The sands are invariably completely secluded, cascading off the jungle-covered coast in a mix of boulder coves and long ivory shades covered in sunbeams. There is also a well-known hotel resort (ideal for a remote and romantic stay in the tropics away from the more hackneyed parts of the archipelago), as well as a monument on the trails of the equator, which crosses right in the middle of Rolas.
7. Trinidad
Trinidad is one of the few possible destinations in Sao Tome that isn't on the Atlantic Ocean's edge. Instead, this small town is located high above the capital of Sao Tome and Principe, atop the inner hills' ascending ridges. It is surrounded by huge swaths of coffee plantations and cocoa fields (the main economic factors here), which make up a large area of Mezocha. However, it is the ghostly and dilapidated character of the old colonial frontispieces that really amazes visitors to the city - they stand like ghosts of a former era on all the pot-punched roads.
8. Boca de Inferno
Curious geological formations poking out to meet the Atlantic waves on the east coast of Sao Tome find their zenith with the strikingly named Boca de Inferno (in English, it's Hell's Mouth). Visitors flock to the site, just a short drive south of the capital of Sao Tome and Principe, to see the salty whitecaps break on the shore and the currents draw water into an underground cave-all before they soar high into the sky like some kind of sea geyser. The sight is truly stunning in itself; it is made even better by the magnificent black rocks and volcanic headlands leaping and erupting from the shore everywhere.
9. Jale Beach
For people who flock to Sao Tome to see the rare phenomenon of turtles "walking" on the beaches and laying eggs, there is probably no better place than the arc of the golden sand - Jale Beach. This bay, curving along the southern coast curves, is known as one of the best Instagrammable places to watch endangered sea turtles during the mating season. It's also popular with local swimmers, and there's the masonry of rustic beach huts made from bamboo and palm branches - if you don't mind, you can go down the back down the path of crashing Atlantic waves, that is, without electricity and trendy "pros"!
10. Porto Alegre
Porto Alegrehardly resembles its Brazilian namesake. Instead of one million inhabitants, it has a total of just over 500. Instead of endless barrios and sprawling modern neighborhoods, this city is a jumbled conglomeration of earthen huts, stitched tiers, and faded fishing canoes. However, it has a real charm and is one of the starting points on the Sao Tome Whale watching trail (which runs the east coast's entire length). It is also a great place to start further exploration along the Instagrammable beaches of the south coast - Jele, the paradise of Praia Pisquina - and the magnificent beaches of Rolas Island to boot into.
11. Ecological Zone of Principe
This huge area of green space occupies a colossal clearing from the small island of Principe. It is very similar to its tropical brother in the south, and in the inland waters, there are many of the same rare virgin forests and misty canopies as the Obo National Park. However, this distant biosphere is much less studied. Great Matterhorn-style mountains soar straight out of the jungle; cloud forests cascade down to the iridescent bays of the Atlantic; rare reptiles penetrate the undergrowth, and whales plunge into the waters out to sea. For fearless types, there is nothing like it!
12. Santo Amaro
Santo Amaro is one of the best places to visit in Sao Tome and Principe. Santo Amaro gradually connects with the growing suburbs of Sao Tome's capital, which is located just to the southeast. However, it remains separate for the time being, bathed in sleepy, sluggish fluids, and goes into a slow island rhythm. In the very center, there are only a small number of low-rise buildings and tiny squares. Occasionally there is a special cafe, as well as a charming ochre-style church that is worth seeing. Santo Amaro also offers easy access to the nearby Bela Vista area-part of the capital - and the runways of the archipelago's only international airport.
