Region
São Tomé island
Base in São Tomé town for the first nights, then add a roça day or a south-coast night by car; fly to Príncipe only with the return flight booked first.
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Key facts · São Tomé and Príncipe
- Best months
- Jun–Sep, Jan–Feb
- Currency
- Dobra, pegged at 24.5 per euro
- Language
- Portuguese (official)
- Plugs
- C · F · 220 V
- Time zone
- UTC+0 all year
Rules in force · 8Nine African countries on this site have no trip line bec…
- Africa ↗When a route touches a yellow-fever country — even a transit of 12 hours or more — keep the original yellow card (ICVP) in your hand luggage; health desks and airlines can refuse boarding or entry without it.
- Africa ↗Nine African countries on this site have no trip line because governments advise against travel; several others have no-go regions. Read your government's advice for every country on the route before paying deposits.
- African islands ↗Sleep on the island you fly home from the night before your long-haul departure; inter-island flights and ferries in this region are cancelled or rescheduled often enough to break a same-day connection.
- African islands ↗In the Indian Ocean islands book flexible rates for December to March: a cyclone warning can shut airports, ferries and roads for two or three days.
- São Tomé and Príncipe ↗Check visa and entry rules for your passport on the official e-visa portal (smf.st/evisa) or with the embassy; many nationalities have 15 visa-free days, and an entry fee is charged on arrival (check).
- São Tomé and Príncipe ↗Book a travel-clinic visit several weeks ahead; ask about malaria prevention and check the yellow fever vaccination certificate requirement for entry.
- São Tomé and Príncipe ↗Inter-island flights are small and infrequent; book them before other nights and allow a buffer day before your international flight.
- São Tomé and Príncipe ↗Bring euros in cash for the whole stay: foreign cards work at very few hotels and ATMs rarely accept them.
São Tomé island is one town and a few long car days. Moving hotels every night wastes mornings on slow roads; keep the town bed, take a light bag for one night on the south coast, and come back.
Where to sleep
Sleep base
- São ToméTrip line
Civic centre for a walkable base, waterfront north for a quieter night.
Best Jun–Sep, Jan–Feb
JFMAMJJASOND
One or two nights
- South coastGuide: planned
Beaches and turtle nesting season; one night rather than a day and back.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
Day trip
- Cocoa roçasGuide: planned
Plantation estates by hired car; half to full day.
Page planned: listed so the region plan is complete.
Plan the nights
How to split the nights, day-trips and what to do with your bags
Open Plan the nightsClose Plan the nights3 partsNights · Day-trips · Bags
Night sequences
- 4 nights
- São Tomé town 2 + south coast 1 + town 1
- 6 nights
- Town 3 + south coast 2 + town 1
- Town + roças + south coast + Príncipe in 4 days is mostly car seats.
Day-trips door to door
| To | From | Door-to-door p50 | Last return | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cocoa roças | São Tomé town | 60 min | unknown | Hire a driver for the day; agree the price and the return time first. |
| South coast | São Tomé town | 120 min | unknown | Slow roads; sleep there instead of returning the same day. |
Bags between cities
No luggage forwarding culture: leave the big bag at the town hotel and take a day pack.
When to go
Months and weather
Open When to goClose When to go1 partSeasons
Seasons at a glance
Pick a month to see where to go.
Show all 12 months, country by countryHide the 12-month table
| Country | JJan | FFeb | MMar | AApr | MMay | JJun | JJul | AAug | SSep | OOct | NNov | DDec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| São Tomé | go | go | ok | ok | ok | go | go | go | go | ok | ok | ok |
| São Tomé and Príncipe (country-wide) | go | go | ok | ok | ok | go | go | go | go | ok | ok | go |
Computed from each country’s own data; hover a country name for the source. Advisory countries are left out.
Eat and move on
Regional food and where to go next
Open Eat and move onClose Eat and move on1 partGo next
Go next
Príncipe island
planned2–4 nights
Forest, beaches and small lodges in a UNESCO biosphere reserve
São Tomé island: what we know, and what is coming
1 of 3 places open
On this page
- 3 places with their role: where to sleep, what to do as a day trip
- How to split 4 or 6 nights
- 2 day trips with door-to-door time
- Seasons month by month, from the cities’ own tables
- What to do with the big bag between beds
Coming as the guide grows
- Climate strip by zone, with the storm and haze months
- Get in: airports and stations with door-to-door times
- Regional passes and cards, with a buy / skip verdict
- Regional food: what, where and when it works
- A page for South coast — Beaches and turtle nesting season; one night rather than a day and back.
- A page for Cocoa roças — Plantation estates by hired car; half to full day.
Meanwhile
Planning aids
Built from this guide's own data
Open Planning aidsClose Planning aids3 partsIn numbers · Trips here · Local time
Region in numbers
- Where to sleep
- 1 base
- Day trips
- 2, 1 h to 2 h
- Nights suggested
- 4–6 nights
Trips that stop here
Two islands
7 days · 3 nights here
São Tomé city → São João dos Angolares → Príncipe → São Tomé city
Roças, forest and Príncipe
10 days · 3 nights here
São Tomé city → Roça Monte Café → São João dos Angolares → Príncipe → São Tomé city
The whole country slowly
14 days · 3 nights here
São Tomé city → Roça Agostinho Neto area → Roça Monte Café → São João dos Angolares → Ilhéu das Rolas → Príncipe → São Tomé city
Local time
What time it is there now, compared with the clock on your device.
São Tomé
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Checking your clock…Africa/Sao Tome
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