In January 2024 Mike Osborn travelled with us to Sao Tome and Principe. Here are some insights into his time on Sao Tome Island:
Choosing an unusual holiday destination is a bit of a gamble. But when a country has relatively few visitors, you hope your efforts will be rewarded with something out of this world (and bragging rights!)
From Lisbon ✈ to Sao Tome Island
I journeyed from Manchester to Lisbon to catch a six-and-a-half hour flight to Sao Tome and Principe, a small island nation off the west African coast. Sao Tome is the largest island, with the bulk of the country’s 223,000 inhabitants living there. My journey from the airport took me straight through the capital city at dusk, which hummed with life.
Club Santana
Club Santana seemed geared up to visitors who could happily wile away a fortnight relaxing in the sun. I tapped into that vibe, but also planned to use this as a base to explore island. And I did so, courtesy of my guide Diego.
The eastern side of Sao Tome is pierced with coastal highlights, including the lively ‘mouth of hell’ and lots of broad sandy beaches. This was also my first taste of the county’s roças. These grand estates were built by the Portuguese during their centuries of rule, exploiting Sao Tome’s sugar, coffee, and cacao resources.
Since independence in 1975, the roças have fallen into disrepair but families are still living in the dilapidated buildings and struggling to make a living. It’s ironic that these colonial throwbacks are now very much on the tourist trail.
I visited Roça São João, which has been turned into a small hotel and is famous for it’s multi-course tasting menu. Maybe this is the future for Sao Tome’s dessicating colonial leftovers.
Sao Tome’s Capital City
There had to be a trip to Sao Tome’s capital city, where I was drawn to some crumbling but boldly painted architecture. It has the chaotic verve of any African city, with people going about their daily business under tropical humidity. It’s a lot, and you need to keep your wits about you.
Is Sao Tome worth the journey?
So did my Sao Tome gamble pay off and is it the holiday paradise we haven’t yet discovered? Well, if you want a very exotic couple of weeks basking in the sunshine, that’s possible. The island has some well-established accommodation to suit languid Europeans. The quality of food and level of service is impressive.
But there’s so much more that this country has to offer, with beautiful landscapes, stunning nature, and a compelling history. You’d be missing out if you didn’t venture beyond your relaxing compound.
A word of warning, however, English has only been taught in highs schools since 2019 amd Sao Tome is only used to relatively small numbers of visitors. It’s well worth considering a visit before tourism really takes over these two small islands.
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