Sao Tomé & Principe... The Islands
"One cannot resist the lure of Africa" — Rudyard Kipling.
Sao Tomé & Principe are definitely island destinations one cannot resist - with its breathtaking beaches, magical rainforests, and striking rock and coral formations. This African island nation close to the equator, is part of a volcano chain. On the larger island, São Tomé, is the Lagoa Azul lagoon. Ôbo Natural Park, a biodiverse jungle preserve, covers much of São Tomé and is distinguished by Pico Cão Grande, a skyscraper-like volcanic rock. Principe is the smallest and least developed of the two islands, and is the closest you will get to an untouched paradise in the world.
Welcome to Sao Tomé & Principe!!!
While other tropical islands around the world have been taken over by resorts, Sao Tome and Principe remain amazingly much as they were when the Portuguese first discovered them in the late 1400s, apart for the addition of the cocoa plantations and charming colonial towns.
The main parts of the two islands are still predominately taken over by primeval rainforest and is a nature lover’s dream. Here you can spot over 100 types of orchid, giant snails, luminous tree frogs and dozens of endemic birds such as the iridescent purple and blue Giant sunbird - birdwatcher's paradise! There’s also a fascinating collection of mist-shrouded volcanic peaks to test the avid hiker.
On the coast, the islands’ breathtaking white beaches continue to be the home to four species of nestling turtles, including the endangered leatherback. Diving off Sao Tome and Principe reveals an undisturbed underwater kingdom of luminescent parrot fish, moray eels and octopus. A little further out to sea you can spot humpback whales and flying fish leaping out of the water.
And after a hard day exploring nature, you can unwind with the laid-back locals who love nothing more than throw open-air street parties. Go to this modern-day Eden before the rest of the world discovers it.
The climate is equatorial and maritime, so hot and humid all year round. There are two rainy seasons, February to May and October to December. The main dry season from June to September tends to be cloudier with moderate temperatures.
The rainy season is best for spotting orchids, but for comfortable hiking, come in January when the orchids are still in bloom above 800m.
You can see migrating humpback whales off the coast from August to October. From mid-January to mid-February, the island’s birds are sporting their mating plumage. Many visitors come between November and March to see marine turtles laying their eggs or September and April to see the hatchlings return to the sea. The best time to go diving in terms of visibility is between December and March.
