Senior travel: São Tomé
An easier pace for an older traveller: how many stops fit in a day, which places are step-free, and what the guide says about getting around, medicines and stairs.
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Pace for a day
About 2 stops a day. 5 h out − 45 min rest, divided by an average visit of 65 min (from this city’s guide) + 30 min to move.
Places, easiest access first
- Palace square (Praça)Step-free: yes · about 20 minFlat paved square with benches; no toilet on site.
- São Tomé Cathedral (Sé)Step-free: partial (check before you go) · about 20 minA short flight of steps at the front (check the side door).
- Bay waterfront walkStep-free: partial (check before you go) · about 45 minWide road, no continuous smooth pavement; kerbs and holes.
- Fort São Sebastião and National MuseumStep-free: partial (check before you go) · about 60 minGravel and steps at the ramparts; ground-floor museum rooms are likelier to be step-free (check).
- Roça Monte Café (coffee estate)Step-free: partial (check before you go) · about 120 minWinding road, then steps and uneven ground; the terrace may be level.
- Fish landing on the bayStep-free: no (check before you go) · about 30 minSand, wet stones and boats; not for wheels.
- Municipal marketStep-free: no (check before you go) · about 45 minNarrow aisles, wet floors and steps; crowded 07:00–10:00.
- North-coast beaches (Praia Lagarto area)Step-free: no (check before you go) · about 180 minSand and uneven access paths; beach bars may have toilets.
Getting around in São Tomé
São Tomé is hard going for wheelchairs and strollers: pavements are cracked or missing, kerbs are high and few buildings have ramps or lifts. The town is flat, so a companion, a car door-to-door and a short list of stops make it workable.
- Pavements:
- Uneven, broken or missing in many streets; walk in the shade of the road edge only by day and watch the traffic.
- Getting around:
- Taxis and hired cars are the only door-to-door option; no adapted vehicles (ask a hotel for a driver with an estate car or minivan).
- Accommodation:
- Ask about ground-floor rooms and step-free bathrooms; lifts are rare and generators are not guaranteed.
- Toilets:
- Hotels and cafés only; public toilets are rare.
Medicines and health on the ground
- Insurance with evacuation · before flying: Medical care is basic.
- Malaria:
- Malaria is present all year: see a travel clinic before you go about prophylaxis, sleep under a net or in an AC room, and use repellent from dusk.
- Yellow fever:
- A vaccination certificate may be requested at entry, particularly from endemic countries; get it before you fly.
- Water and food:
- Drink bottled or treated water and eat hot cooked food; skip ice made from tap water.
- Sun and heat:
- Strong equatorial sun: hat, sunscreen, water and a shade or AC stop every 60–90 minutes.
- Dengue:
- Mosquito-borne dengue occurs on the islands: repellent and long sleeves at dawn and dusk.
- Medical care:
- Basic hospitals only: carry insurance with medical evacuation, and bring your own prescriptions and first-aid kit.
More: how much medicine to pack, medicine times across time zones.
Ask your insurer
Age limits and prices differ by policy and the guides do not hold them, so put these to the insurer before you buy.
- What is the oldest age the policy covers, at purchase and on the last day of the trip?
- Does the price or the cover change after a certain age?
- Are existing conditions covered, and what must be declared?
- Does the cover include medical evacuation and trip interruption?
Not medical advice. This page does not know anyone’s health. Ask a doctor before the trip, and carry a list of medicines and conditions.