São Tomé in December

Wet; some hotels quiet.

All twelve months in one grid — weather, crowds and prices, with gaps left as unknown.

December is rated mixed. These months rate higher:

• JuneGreatGravana dry season starts; cooler.
• JulyGreatDry; Jul 12 is Independence Day, offices close.
• AugustGreatDriest and coolest.
• SeptemberGreatDry; humid on the coast.

• São ToméHighs around 30 °C (86 °F), lows around 23 °C (73 °F), rain on about 11 daysHighs around 86 °F (30 °C), lows around 73 °F (23 °C), rain on about 11 days
• São Tomé north and east, São Tomé and Príncipe · São Tomé city, Guadalupe, Lagoa Azulfine

  Drier and sunnier in the rain shadow; gravana (June–September) is cooler and cloudy-bright; a short dry gravanito around December–January.

• São Tomé south and west, Obo forest, São Tomé and Príncipe · Porto Alegre, Ribeira Peixe, Obo, Pico Cão Granderainy

  Among the wettest places in Africa — several metres of rain a year; even the dry season brings showers.

Dates as our data lists them. Moving holidays (lunar and Islamic calendars, Easter) shift every year: check the date for your year before you build a trip on it.

• Christmas

  25 December · Cathedral and churches

  Public holiday; midnight Mass draws large crowds; most shops close.

• São Tomé Day

  21 Dec · São Tomé and Príncipe

  Feast of the island's patron saint.

Crowds · São Tomé and Príncipe overall

Medium

Prices · São Tomé and Príncipe overall

High

São Tomé and Príncipe overall: Turtles nesting; Christmas flights busy; short dry spell late in the month.

High-price month: see what to book ahead.

Weather, crowds and prices for any two months in São Tomé, side by side.

• Light, breathable clothes, a sun hat and sunscreen
• A rain jacket or umbrella and shoes that dry fast

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