100% customisable travel idea
A thousand shades of green Far from the crowds, tropical São Tomé
São Tomé - Neves - Pico de São Tomé - Porto Alegre
100% customisable travel idea
São Tomé - Neves - Pico de São Tomé - Porto Alegre
100% customisable for you
Upon arrival, you’ll be personally greeted by our local representative, who will help you with the entry formalities. Then you’ll have a private transfer to your first accommodation, where you’ll settle in for two nights. The hotel stands on the shores of Praia Lagarto Bay, within a large coconut grove. The rooms have a minimalist design, enlivened by pieces of African art. The chef creates colourful dishes using local ingredients, to enjoy on the terrace facing the ocean or by the charming pool. The exceptionally attentive service makes your arrival even sweeter.
The eponymous capital of both the island and the country, São Tomé is by far the largest city in the archipelago. Along the seaside promenade and into the narrow streets, tall palm trees sway at an unhurried pace. At the crossroads, a yellow-painted shared taxi waits patiently to fill up before setting off to drop its passengers. Seated in the back of a pickup truck, others overtake them at speed, laughing loudly. The air carries a mix of energy and the laid-back vibe typical of remote islands in the heart of the ocean.
In your itinerary - the city’s highlights, in private. Discovered by the Portuguese on 21 December 1470 (St Thomas’s Day, which is where its name comes from), the island quickly became home to thousands of people. Most were intended to clear the local volcanic land, while others were simply passing between Europe and mainland Africa. Over the decades and after many arrivals, the capital grew up around a cathedral built in the 16th century, then a fort erected a century later. This colonial past is still evident in the many buildings of Creole inspiration throughout the city, while life bursts forth in a lively and colourful way along the market stalls. You will discover all this (and much more) accompanied by your own private guide.
Your rental 4x4 will be delivered directly to your accommodation. For these first few kilometres on the roads of São Tomé, you’ll head north. The road heads further inland. There, the silhouette of a few roças already invites you to stop. Upon reaching the northern side of the island, tempting opportunities to unwind start to crop up. A chance to enjoy lunch with seafood on your plate. Before hitting the road again, we’ll take a moment to cool off at Lagoa Azul, then tackle some rougher trails. You’ll feel like an adventurer as you bump along between sea and forest. Upon arrival, this same setting defines the features of your new accommodation: you’ll spend two nights in a bungalow that opens onto the sea, nestled in a lush green environment. A small path leads to a secret beach. Another one slips away through the forest.
As the administrative centre of the Lembá district, Neves, with its 10,000 inhabitants, is one of the main towns on the west coast and on the island as a whole. Set on the riverbank, it flourishes between the capricious swell and a dense forest, where a few palm trees break free to punctuate the landscape. The canoes temporarily left on the sand reveal the village’s fishing roots. In the city’s restaurants, you can savour local specialities: maja squinado, spider crab, all washed down with a Rosema or Crioula - the national beers, quickly uncapped and brewed here.
Scheduled: the Cacao Route, along the west coast, in private. Discovered before America at the end of the 15th century by Portuguese navigators, São Tomé was the first African island to welcome cacao trees from the New World. “Chocolate Island” and its neighbour Príncipe were still producing most of the world’s cocoa in 1910. Accompanied by a private guide, you’ll venture through villages and into the heart of cocoa bean plantations to hear their stories. Their history, like chocolate, is sometimes sweet, sometimes bitter.
Road to Pico de São Tomé, in the centre of the island. The “peak” is the highest point of the archipelago and one of Africa’s ultra-prominent summits. At an altitude of 2,024 metres, like a beacon in the night, it stands north of the vast Obô Park of São Tomé, which covers nearly a third of the island’s surface. Upon arrival, you’ll settle into a welcoming guesthouse nestled deep in the tropical rainforest. Filled with banana and coffee trees, it echoes with birdsong. Wood extends throughout the interior, present everywhere from floor to ceiling. Brightly patterned fabrics and equally colourful paintings make up the décor of the living areas, where (delicious) meals are shared. With only three rooms, the intimate atmosphere is impeccably maintained.Already planned - Hike to Lagoa Amelia. As climbing Pico de São Tomé is reserved for experienced hikers, visitors can head to Lagoa Amélia, a volcanic crater covered in vegetation. In doing so, you’ll cross the boundaries of the lush Obô Natural Park, named for its dense primary forests. Rainwater has gathered there for centuries. Today, it has a thick coat of vegetation. Footsteps are soft on the spongy ground, even though a pole could sink as deep as 65 metres (213 feet) into the earth. With a private guide, you’ll spot many endemic plants and flowers on the surface.
Road to Porto Alegre, in the far southeast of the island. Here, as in Rome, all roads lead to the capital, so we’ll pass through São Tomé City before taking the road that runs along the island’s eastern coast to its end. Upon arrival, you’ll settle in for two nights just outside the village, at an eco-lodge nestled in the heart of the forest by the sea, facing a well-kept small beach. You’ll drift off to sleep to the sound of the surf, in bungalows with simple yet very respectable comfort. The restaurant on the water promises wonderful evenings, enlivened by several local dishes.
With its handful of houses, Porto Alegre embodies the archetype of a remote, end-of-the-world village. Further south, only the tiny speck of Ilheu das Rolas remains. Like São João de Angolares a little further north, Porto Alegre was founded around a roça. Here, you are in a region of fishermen and palm groves, with access to some lovely beaches.
Already planned - A stop on Ilheu das Rolas. From Ponta Baleia port, it takes about thirty minutes by boat along the coast to reach the “island of doves”. Located exactly halfway between the North Pole and the South Pole, this land straddles the Equator and the Greenwich Meridian. A short walk is planned to the promontory where a marker shows the boundary between the northern and southern hemispheres. After lunch with fishermen on the riverbank, you’ll savour the unique tranquillity of the place as you stroll along the sandy shore.
Scheduled: Discovering the mangrove and taking part in a micro-distillation workshop. On a roça specialising in growing fruit and aromatics, notably vanilla, you’ll try your hand at micro-distillation. It’s a chance to create your own bottle of gin infused with the flavours of São Tomé - a souvenir like no other! Then, you’ll depart by canoe with local fishermen to explore the mysterious Malanza mangrove. Many animals lie hidden among the roots; it’s up to you to spot them.
. Return to the capital along the eastern coast. Along the way, many roças provide the perfect excuse for cultural and culinary stops. In the distance, another peak, Cão Grande (“big dog”), stands guard. On the other side, the playful sea moves onto the beaches of the east coast and surges into the basalt formations of the Boca do Inferno, bursting out again in sprays of foam. Once you arrive in São Tomé City, you’ll settle in at the same accommodation that welcomed you when you first arrived, with coconut palms as your neighbours.
Last day at the “middle of the world”. A final chance to soak up the country’s atmosphere and gather memories to share - or keep to yourself - when you return.
What
In the
evening, private transfer to the airport and international return flight. Night spent on the plane, arrival the next day.
This suggested itinerary can be customisable down to the smallest detail, including duration, stops and content. An à la carte menu of experiences is also available to create a journey that reflects who you are.
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