The Ultimate Sao Tome Itinerary
São Tomé and Príncipe is one of the least visited countries in the world, making a Sao Tome Itinerary a rarity to come by. With a population of 230,000, only around 33,000 people visit each year. Off the coast of Gabon, this Portuguese-speaking island state is literally ripe with cacao, vanilla, and plantains, and brimming with fresh fish everywhere you go.
We’ve been dreaming of visiting São Tomé since 2020 when we picked it as our honeymoon destination!
One of the hardest things to do when planning our Sao Tome itinerary was deciding how much cash to bring because there are no ATMs or credit card facilities on the island. Shocking, but a fact. In order to help you out, I tracked how much we spent every day. Read about how much cash to bring to Sao Tome here.
This post contains affiliate links.
Also be sure to check out everything you need to know to visit Sao Tome, including car rentals, the mosquitos, and what souvenirs to buy.
A big help to us when planning the trip was the Sao Tome and Principe Bradt Travel Guide. I highly recommend you buy either the kindle or paperback version for even more advice (though I think I’ve got the best things in this itinerary, haha).
The Route
This Sao Tome itinerary will take you from the northern part of the island down to the south before spending 1 night in the capital. The southern part of the island is favored among locals and tourists alike for its jungle vibes and stunning beaches. The further south you go, the worse the road becomes, so beware of that if you’re renting a car.
Day 0: Arrive + Admin
Spend 3 nights at Mucumbli Lodge
Arrive
It is likely that your flight to Sao Tome was long and arrived in the evening, so I’m counting this as Day 0 since all you’ll do is get to your lodge and sleep!
We didn’t find it necessary to rent a car for our week. However, other tourists we encountered were using the rental company get-a-car, noticeable because their cars have a sticker on the back. We reached out to Danilo Tour as we were originally interested in renting a car. However, in the end, we opted not to.
If you’re not renting a car, request a transfer from Mucumbli Lodge (€25). Their driver will meet you with a sign at the airport exit. Our flight arrived in the evening and we were glad to have a driver because there were plenty of potholes on the way.
If you have time
If you want to exchange money, get bug spray at a pharmacy in town, or get your rental car, then this is the day to do that.
If you arrive during the day and want to save some money, you can also visit the bus stop in the capital to get a ride. Ask for a bus that is headed in the direction of Santa Catarina and ask to be let out at Mucumbli. It will likely cost just 50 dobras from the capital to Mucumbli.
Evening
Have dinner at Mucumbli Lodge. Get a drink and indulge in one of the largest menus in Sao Tome. From our experience, no other lodge had such a great range of food options.
Alternative suggestions
Instead of staying at Mucumbli, you could also stay at Residencial Tamarindos, which is where we first planned on staying before finding out about Mucumbli. I’m glad we went with Mucumbli so that we could rent bikes and get around.
Day 1: Bike along the West Coast
Today you’ll go on a bike ride to visit the famous Picturesque Tunnel towards Santa Catarina with some stops along the way.
Bike rentals are available from Mucumbli for €8 per person. The bikes are in excellent condition and even come with seat cushion covers. In all, you’ll bike around 15km along a mostly paved road with just a few inclines.
Bring some snacks along because there isn’t anywhere to have lunch.
Stop 1: Abandoned Roça
We pulled off the road to stop at this abandoned roca. It’s not on Google Maps, but it’s a cool spot for some pictures. You can even see the old rail line that heads straight into the sea.
Stop 2: Diogo Vaz Cacao Plantation Tour
First, bike to Diogo Vaz for a cacao tour. Diogo Vaz is a popular chocolate plantation. Tours are available in English and Portuguese with Paulo. The tour is a must and a perfect introduction to life on the island and the history of rocas.
You’ll see the whole cacao growing process from seed to bean to delicious choclate!
Stop 3: Picturesque Tunnel
Next, bike to the picturesque tunnel and stop for your photoshoot. The road is mostly empty, with a few yellow buses, motorcycles, and the occasional car.
There is a black sand beach here too if you want a dip.
Stop 4: Santa Catarina
Continue the bike ride to Santa Catarina. The village seems quite poor. People are friendly and kids will wave or say “hola” at you. Unlike other countries, where the kids can be kinda aggressive toward foreigners, we didn’t experience that here. Perhaps it was because I have no clue what they are yelling at me in Portuguese or the local dialect unless it was “hola,” I felt much less bothered than in other places. Occasionally, we heard “dolce” /”sweet”. Bike through town for a bit and then turn back around and head back to Mucumbli.
Stop 5: Random beer stop
Look out for a streetside umbrella and picnic table on the seaside around here. Holler around if the owner isn’t in the house to get a beer (50 dobras each). She may be doing laundry by the stream nearby.
Stop 6: Roça Monteforte
This is your last stop!
Visit Roça Monteforte for juice (or lunch if they are serving it). We ended up here a little later than excepted because we were caught in a rainstorm… We waited it out under the picturesque tunnel before continuing. I was starving at this point but there was no lunch to be had.
Then, head back to Mucumbli to take a rest before dinner.
Day 2: Bike Ride to Lago Azul and a Crab Lunch
On your second day of this Sao Tome Itinerary rent bikes again from Mucumbli for another easy-moderate ride of around 30km. Today, you’ll ride north towards Lago Azul (the blue lagoon), visit the Praia des concha for a dip, and then have an unforgettable spider crab lunch in Neves.
The bike ride has a few more inclines than the day before. But you can just get off and walk if you’re tired (like I did many times). The inclines are short, so you’ll be riding again in no time.
Stop 1: Lago Azul
Bike to Lago Azul, a rocky blue lagoon beach with a small lighthouse. Lago Azul is famed for its blue water. The water temperate felt slightly warmer than other beaches we visited later on.
While you’re here, you can also climb the hill to see the lighthouse. There are some men selling masks by the beach.
Our bikes picked up an insane amount of clay-like mud once we reached Lago Azul. Our wheels picked up so much mud and grass that we had to carry them into the ocean and wash them for 5 minutes before we could get back on the road! Stop before this happens to you and lock your bikes to a tree before walking the last 100 meters on foot.
The Bradt guidebook says to watch out for your things here as there have been some robberies of bags and things left in cars. Surprisingly, no one except us was at the beach from 10-11am on a Saturday. It felt safe and chill so we both went in the water at the same time, rather than take turns as we intended if it felt unsafe.
Stop 2: Praia des Conchas
This lovely white sand beach is just over 2km from Lago Azul, though you’ll do most of the trek on foot, even with the bike.
Watch out for the left turn towards the beach from the main road. There is a sign but rather rely on google maps to tell you when you should turn. When you make it down to the shore, don’t stop at the first instance of sand. Keep going until you reach a large baobab tree.
At low tide, you’ll be able to see the sea urchins and crab activity with amusement.
Stop 3: Have lunch Petisqueira Santola
Petisqueira Santola in Neves will be on your way back to Mucumbli.
The Santola (Spider) Crab lunch is an absolute MUST while in Sao Tome. This place in the town of Neves serves one thing and one thing only: HUGE crabs. The crabs cost 250 dobras each. Start with one crab per person. It’s a wild and messy ride, complete with a wooden board and hammer to smash open the crab legs.
You must head up to the stairs after entering the blue building to get to the restaurant. If the lady downstairs is there, be sure to buy a grilled plantain for 10 dobras. Otherwise, bread is also available.
We spent 650 dobras on 2 crabs, water, 3 beers, and bread.
Finally, bike back to Mucumbli. The road felt uphill most of the way and I had to walk the last couple hundred yards.
Dinner at Mucumbli
Again, take advantage of the variety of Mucumbli’s restaurant. If you’re a fish eater, I suggest going veg for one of the nights you’re here because all you’ll get from now on is fish for dinner. While delicious, you may get tired of fish every night. Besides the fish dishes, we tried a shrimp dish and two veggie pastas.
Day 3: Interior day trip and private transfer
Spend 1 night at Gente d’aqui or Roca Sao Joao de Angolares
Today you’ll hire a driver/guide from Mucumbli to take you to the Monte Cafe area and then to your next accommodation. Mucumbli can help you plan your day trip and can supply an English-speaking guide. This private transfer cost €80 euros, payable via bank transfer with your final bill.
A note: Although the driver is also a tour guide, each destination will have its own guide as well which helps the local communities you are visiting make some income off of your visit. You should be tipping around 100 dobras (€4) per person for each tour you do. The locals frame these as “donations” and “tips” but it is mostly required if you visit.
Stop 1: Visit Roca Agostinho Neto
There are (somewhat) official tour guides that will offer you a brief history of the roca for a “donation.” You should do this if you come, and your driver/guide can translate for you. The tour will take 10 minutes max and the donations go toward social improvement projects in the roca.
The plantation once had 2,500 people working on it. Following independence in 1975 and the mass exodus of the Portuguese, the government gave land rights/rentals to the people who were working on the roca at the time. Now, around 4,000 people live inside the roca. Most are subsistence farmers.
Roca Agostinho Neto’s historical hospital building is iconic. There are 70km on rails across the plantation connecting different facilities. However, the rails are no longer in use.
Conditions have obviously deteriorated since the Portuguese departure. People are still using colonial laundry facilities. It’s an odd experience as independence is still relatively recent.
The roca’s entrance is cool!
As we were on our way out, our driver/guide said, “We might be poor, but not hungry.” The land in Sao Tome is fertile and there is fresh water everywhere.
Stop 2: Explore Monte Cafe
Monte Cafe is the biggest coffee plantation on the island. It has almost continuously been in operation since the 1850s. Stop at the cafe for a cup of coffee and visit the coffee museum. The museum is closed on Sundays (when we visited), but a small tour of the facility will be available.
The Monte Cafe guide was able to give us an English tour (with some French and Spanish words thrown in to assist). We had recently been on a long coffee process tour in Rwanda and so an in-depth tour wasn’t necessary for us. Instead, we enjoyed seeing the facility with some basic information.
Coffee was available for sale as well.
Stop 3: Botanical Garden
Further up a bumpy road from Monte Cafe, the botanical garden is a great place to learn about indigenous, endemic, and foreign plants. The gardens are small, but you’ll go on a loop with the friendly manager who gives a good tour in English.
Stop 4: Have lunch at a poet’s house
Have an unforgettable 4-course lunch at the home-turned-restaurant of Sao Tomean/Portuguese poet and artist, Almada Negreiros. There is a small section of the home with his works and paintings.
Fish is the main protein, although vegetarians can be accommodated though we were told you’ll get the same thing as the fish eater, just without the fish…
We had two appetizers, a hearty main, and dessert. Don’t forget to get the local juice, with pineapple and wild raspberries.
Lunch at Casa Museu Almada Negreiros is €25 per person and your driver/guides eat for free.
If you like the taste of the wild raspberries (who wouldn’t), children outside the restaurant will sell them to you in small leaf-made cups.
Stop 5: Roca Água-Izé
We made a very quick drive-through of Roca Água-Izé. We thought we may stop but perhaps the guide didn’t think it was the right move. because the ride was so fast, I didn’t even get a picture and had no clue we were exiting so quickly. The old hospital entrance is a famous site, though we didn’t see it. I suggest asking your guide to take you to the old hospital entrance specifically.
Stop 6: Option Gente D’Aqui
Gente d’Aqui is a small accommodation with 4 cabins facing the ocean, hosted by the lovely Celia from Portugal. A light breakfast of coffee/tea and bread is included, and you can add on eggs or yogurt.
If you’re staying here, have dinner at the local spot Complexo Mirador.
Although Gente d’Aqui was very cute, we missed the opportunity to stay in a roca during our trip. If this interests you, I suggest you stay at Roca Sao Joao de Angolares. The price is about the same for either accommodation (€50). You’ll stop at Roca Sao Joao de Angolares tomorrow for lunch in this Sao Tome Itinerary if you stay here.
Stop 6: Option Boca do Inferno & Roca Sao Joao de Angolares
Spend 3 nights at Gombela Lodge
After your drive through Roca Água-Izé, stop at Boca do Inferno for a quick picture of “Hells Mouth” and then continue to Roca Sao Joao de Angolares and spend the night there.
Hells Mouth is a natural rock formation in the water. When the waves crash up on it, it looks out of this world!
Have dinner and spend the night at the world-famous Roca Sao Joao de Angolares (more it below).
Day 4: Travel to the South
Ask your accommodation to arrange a driver for you for the day to make some stops. Celia from Gente d’Aqui organized a fun yellow mini bus for us. Although our driver just spoke Portuguese, Celia shared our itinerary with him and so we had no issues.
Option Gente d’Aqui
If you’re at Gente D’aqui, have breakfast, take a dip (if you can) in the ocean and then walk over to Boca do Inferno to check it out.
We left for our tour and ride to the south at 11am but felt that we could have easily left at 10am and still had time for seeing Boca do Inferno, have breakfast, and a light swim.
Option Roca Sao Joao de Angolares
If you’re staying at Roca Sao Joao de Angolares, you may have to backtrack a little bit to visit stops 1 and 2 for the beaches. I suggest heading out on the tour after breakfast.
Stop 1: Praia das Sete Ondas
Take a morning swim, or surf lesson, at Praia das Sete Ondas. This is a popular spot to learn how to surf and there is a surf school on the beach.
We got some juice at the bar and stayed about 40 minutes.
Stop 2: Praia Micondo
For another beach stop, you can visit Praia Micondo. We wanted to get a move on our day so we didn’t bother. However, it is a gorgeous white-sand beach. You’ll get a glimpse of it while you’re on the road.
Stop 3: Roca Sao Joao de Angolares
Skip this if you’ve spent the night here.
Have lunch at Roca Sao Joao de Angolares. Lunch starts at 1pm and is €25 per person. This 9-course meal is essential to any Sao Tome trip. Using local ingredients for the food and staffing the roca with locals from the area, celebrity chef João Carlos Silva and his team of cooks serve up a feast.
One of the highlights of that meal is starting with a spoonful of fresh pepper, ginger, and chocolate. Fish is the star of the dishes though there is some chicken. Notify the restaurant in advance of dietary restrictions. We didn’t make a reservation; however, it’s recommended for the weekend.
There seems to be a new art gallery in the making, so wander around the gardens at the back to take a look.
Stop 4: Waterfall
Although this waterfall wasn’t on our original itinerary list, our lodge suggested we visit and told our driver to take us there. It’s not that much of a detour so if you’re interested in some palm tree plantation views or this waterfall, you can make a stop here.
Stop 5: Pico Cão Grande
Cão Grande Peak is the most iconic sight in Sao Tome. Reaching 663 m above sea level, this needle-shaped peak used to be center of a volcano in which magma solidified while in the vent. It’s wild!
There are three viewpoints that you’ll probably want to get a peak picture from. The first is somewhere here. You’ll have to stay alert because once you miss it, the viewpoint is gone. This will give you a photo of the road heading directly to the viewpoints. Be careful of oncoming or passing cars because there isn’t a good place to park. As such, I only have this picture of the view.
Viewpoint #1
Viewpoint 2 and 3 and very close to each other. I suggest you go to viewpoint 3 and park on the side of the road and th en walk back towards the stream (viewpoint 2).
Unless you’re abseiling, it’s not possible to hike to the peak.
Stop 6: Gombela & Dinner
Gombela is your last stop of the day!
Gombela Lodge is the best place to stay on the southern coast. This eco-lodge has several cabins overlooking the rugged coastline. It looks like something out of a fairytale. The breakfast and dinners were amazing, and the staff were attentive and informative.
Please say hi to my bff, Principe the cat, for me if you go. Dog lovers can find Tome under your table sitting on your feet as you eat.
Have dinner at Gombela.
Alternative accommodation
Although I highly recommend staying at Gombela, you’ve got three other options in this area.
- Inhame Resort is the largest accommodation available. It has a resort-type feel with several cabins. The restaurant is located directly on the beach.
- Jale eco-lodge was one of the first accommodation options. It’s located on the best beach to watch turtles lay their eggs.
- Vanha has rustic accommodations with tents perched on platforms. There is a restaurant on site and it’s also home to a lemongrass plantation, gin-making, and more.
Tip: Pack less and instead have your laundry done here at Gombela.
Day 5: Day Trip to Isla Rola
Gombela can organize a day trip to Isla Rola to visit the equator mark and its famous tile map. The beaches are beautiful, and you’ll have an unforgettable time on a half-day private tour for €60 per person, with lunch included. Our boat driver didn’t speak English but our tour guide on the island did.
You can also request only the boat transfer if you don’t want to spend €60, but it’s totally worth it.
Isla Rola Coast
On the half-day trip you’ll spend an hour taking a little tour of the island’s coast, visiting hidden beaches and interesting coastline features.
Then, you’ll get a glimpse of the smaller pico! Yes, peeps. There are two magma peaks on Sao Tome. We had no idea until our guide pointed it out to us.
We had one of the most beautiful swims of our lives here with the two picos (peaks) and clear waters.
Our boat guide was patient and even took pictures of us in the water together as we enjoyed the swim.
Once we were done swimming, our boat guide dropped us shoreside by the village. An English-speaking guide, organized by Gombela, was waiting for us.
Marco do Equador
The Marco do Equator (equator mark) tiled world is a 20 min walk from the island’s shore. You’ll pass through the tiny village before a light climb here with your guide.
Technically, the equator is somewhere in the village but this site is way more interesting because of the incredible tiled artwork.
There will be a man at the equator mark who “takes care” of it. Donation is suggested. We gave 100 dobras for the two of us.
Optional: Botanical Garden
After visiting the equator mark, you’ll be asked if you want to visit the small botanical garden. We mostly did it to support the local economy tbh as the tickets are 150 dobras each. The caretaker will show you some local plants and how they are used. I actually really enjoyed learning about the palm trees and later we got a cacao to enjoy. The tour took about 5-10 minutes. If you’re following this Sao TOme Itinerary, then you’ll have already visited the botanical garden on the mainland so don’t stress if you dont do this.
Lunch and Beach
After your walk, you’ll be taken to Praia Café. This is the beach where you can spend around 2 hours having a delicious fish lunch and enjoying the water. The lunch is included with your day trip fee; if you want beer, a young man will probably come around and ask you. We brought our own bottle of water, unfortunately the local beer, Rosema, wasn’t that exciting so we didn’t bother getting drinks.
We were picked up from the beach at 2pm and then were safely back at Gombela just 20 minutes later.
Dinner
For dinner, you can either chill at Gombela or take a walk to the nearby Praia Inhame Resort. It starts to get dark around 6pm so be sure to carry a headlamp or ensure your phone is charged so you can use the flashlight as it is a very dark (but safe) walk. We had some cars pass us on our way to the resort and encountered many crabs and one garden snake.
If it doesn’t rain, you can stay until around 10pm and take your chance at seeing turtles lay their eggs. The other good location to do this is Praia Jale. However, it rained both evenings when we planned to see the turtles so didn’t get a chance.
Day 6: Explore the area
On your final beach day of this Sao Tome itinerary, you’ve got a couple of options. For us, it was a gloomy day and by 11am it started pouring like crazy for most of the afternoon and evening.
However, it is easy to explore the area around Gombela on foot and even if it’s gloomy, there are still things to do! Just carry around your rain jacket and you’ll be fine.
If you want to hike around, zoom in on this map of the suggested trail.
Vanha
My first suggestion is to go on a long walk around the area and visit Vanha vanilla plantation/restaurant/and gin makers. We got lucky and the owner was out and about doing things, so he took us on a little tour of the grounds. We got an explanation of how vanilla is produced as well as the gin and essential oil process.
Be sure to do some souvenir shopping and Vanha. It’s the best place to purchase soap, gin, liquor, and even some spices.
I was starving for a second breakfast even though we had eaten just 2 hours ago and so we had omelets. It turned out to be the right move because soon after it started raining and we hunkered down and played hangman until it (kinda) stopped. We had to use google translate here as besides the owner, it didnt seem that people spoke any English.
You can even stay at Vanha if you’re into tent-style accommodation with lovely views. There is also a cabin available.
Mangrove Tour
Back in Porto Alegre, you can go on a mangrove boat tour. It’s about a 5km walk to town but a passing car may ask if you need a ride on the way there or back. We were going to walk there but the rain kept us away.
Beach time
The beach right below Gombela is a lovely spot to take a dip. Additionally, you can spend some time at Praia Jale (1km away and you’ll pass it on your way to Vanha).
Day 7: São Tomé City
1 night at Residential Des
This will be your last full day in São Tomé and a great opportunity to explore the relaxed capital, São Tomé City. I had too much info to share with you so I made another post. Check out my post on what to do in São Tomé City, including food, drink, chocolate, and shopping!
Ask your accommodation to arrange a private transfer to São Tomé. Gombela charged us €70 and didn’t make any stops (except to get another view pic of the pico).
We stopped to see the smaller pico we noticed on our Rolas Island tour.
We left at 8:30am and were dropped at our accommodation at 11am.
Other accommodation options:
We spent only €35 for Residential Des and found the area to be central for all the activities we wanted to do in town. There was AC, which was a luxury for us at this point, and hot water. However, the Wi-Fi wasn’t working at the time. There are resorts and such just outside the city but that wasn’t our vibe. I suggest staying somewhere between Residential Des and Claudio Corallo.
Day 8: Fly back
You made it to the final day of the Sao Tome Itinerary!
Fly back home or continue onto Gabon as we did.
Extending the Sao Tome Itinerary
If you’ve got more time than we did I’d add spending 2 nights in Principe. There are daily flights between São Tomé and Principe.
Additionally, you’ll need another two nights if you’re interested in doing one of the overnight hikes around the botanical garden.
Although there are few and far between, check out sites like Viator and Get My Guide to pay in advance for activities. These tours weren’t available when I visited, as the country becomes more popular (and hopefully connected to the international marketplace), this should be easier.
Got any other suggestions for this Sao Tome itinerary? Let me know in the comments!