Research Africa > West of Africa > São Tomé and Príncipe > Culture

Culture        0  693 reads

1) General Culture
 


Education
 

Adjusted savings: education expenditure > % of GNI 3.82 % of GNI [72nd of 168]
Children out of school, primary 33 [76th of 126]
Children out of school, primary (per capita) 0.211 per 1,000 people [77th of 150]
Children out of school, primary, female 33 [69th of 117]
Children out of school, primary, female (per capita) 0.211 per 1,000 people [70th of 147]
Children out of school, primary, male 1,523 [78th of 117]
Children out of school, primary, male (per capita) 11.125 per 1,000 people [37th of 148]
Duration of compulsory education 6 years [148th of 171]
Duration of education > Primary level 6 [49th of 181]
Duration of education > Secondary level 6 [86th of 181]
Education enrolment by level > Primary level 28,780 [157th of 189]
Education enrolment by level > Primary level (per capita) 0.202 per capita [9th of 172]
Education enrolment by level > Secondary level 7,367 [151st of 171]
Education enrolment by level > Secondary level (per capita) 51.621 per 1,000 people [125th of 159]
Education enrolment by level > Tertiary level 183 [133rd of 150]
Education enrolment by level > Tertiary level (per capita) 1.282 per 1,000 people [126th of 146]
Education enrolment by level, percentage girls > Primary level 48.29% [105th of 179]
Education enrolment by level, percentage girls > Secondary level 45.41% [126th of 162]
Education enrolment by level, percentage girls > Tertiary level 36.07% [106th of 126]
Education enrolment ratio, net, primary level 100% [10th of 160]
Education enrolment ratio, net, primary level > Men 100% [16th of 160]
Education enrolment ratio, net, primary level > Women 100% [11th of 160]
Education, percentage of pupils starting grade 1 reaching grade 5 68% [78th of 112]
Education, percentage of pupils starting grade 1 reaching grade 5 > Men 68.4% [63rd of 101]
Education, percentage of pupils starting grade 1 reaching grade 5 > Women 67.7% [64th of 101]
Education, primary completion rate 77 [88th of 148]
Education, primary completion rate > Men 75 [89th of 145]
Education, primary completion rate > Women 80 [79th of 145]
Female enrolment share > Primary level 47.9% [122nd of 176]
Female enrolment share > Secondary level 51.5% [23rd of 170]
Geographical aptitude results 67.33 [117th of 191]
Girls to boys ratio, primary level enrolment 0.98 [73rd of 183]
Girls to boys ratio, secondary level enrolment 1.08 [24th of 172]
Gross intake rate in grade 1, female > % of relevant age group 119.24 % [17th of 156]
Gross intake rate in grade 1, male > % of relevant age group 112.92 % [29th of 156]
Gross intake rate in grade 1, total > % of relevant age group 116.03 % [23rd of 157]
Library books 8,636 [76th of 81]
Library books (per capita) 46.0808 per 1,000 people [62nd of 81]
Library employees 8 [64th of 68]
Library employees (per capita) 0.0426872 per 1,000 people [24th of 68]
Literacy > Definition
age 15 and over can read and write
Literacy > Female 77.9% [24th of 157]
Literacy > Male 92.2% [20th of 156]
Literacy > Total population 84.9% [23rd of 160]
Literacy rates, aged 15-24 95.4% [18th of 138]
Literacy rates, aged 15-24 > Men 96% [17th of 138]
Literacy rates, aged 15-24 > Women 94.9% [18th of 138]
Persistence to grade 5, female > % of cohort 76.92 % [27th of 83]
Persistence to grade 5, male > % of cohort 75.76 % [31st of 83]
Persistence to grade 5, total > % of cohort 76.34 % [34th of 92]
Primary completion rate, female > % of relevant age group 79.7 % [51st of 138]
Primary completion rate, male > % of relevant age group 74.77 % [62nd of 138]
Primary completion rate, total > % of relevant age group 77.19 % [59th of 141]
Primary education, duration > years 6 years [105th of 197]
Primary education, pupils 30,468 [92nd of 176]
Primary education, pupils (per capita) 0.195 per capita [9th of 193]
Primary education, pupils > % female 48.62 % female [34th of 175]
Primary education, teachers 990 [82nd of 159]
Primary education, teachers (per capita) 6.325 per 1,000 people [21st of 191]
Primary education, teachers > % female 55.35 % female [57th of 153]
Progression to secondary school > % 55.91 % [67th of 123]
Progression to secondary school, female > % 55.25 % [65th of 118]
Progression to secondary school, male > % 56.61 % [65th of 118]
Pupil-teacher ratio, primary 30.78 [41st of 159]
Pupils-teacher ratio > primary level 34.3 [46th of 175]
Ratio of female to male primary enrollment 97.91 [39th of 174]
Ratio of female to male secondary enrollment 107.67 [16th of 162]
Ratio of girls to boys in primary and secondary education > % 99.13 % [38th of 157]
Repetition rate, primary > % of total enrollment 23.47 % [7th of 128]
Repetition rate, primary, female > % of total enrollment 22.44 % [9th of 125]
Repetition rate, primary, male > % of total enrollment 24.45 % [7th of 125]
Repitition rate > Primary level 30.7 [4th of 143]
School enrollment, preprimary > % gross 32.19 % gross [53rd of 159]
School enrollment, preprimary, female > % gross 33.07 % gross [53rd of 153]
School enrollment, preprimary, male > % gross 31.34 % gross [52nd of 153]
School enrollment, primary > % gross 133.79 % gross [5th of 176]
School enrollment, primary > % net 96.68 % net [11th of 139]
School enrollment, primary, female > % gross 132.35 % gross [4th of 174]
School enrollment, primary, female > % net 96.28 % net [11th of 137]
School enrollment, primary, male > % gross 135.18 % gross [5th of 174]
School enrollment, primary, male > % net 97.06 % net [12th of 136]
School enrollment, secondary > % gross 44.48 % gross [68th of 164]
School enrollment, secondary > % net 32 % net [54th of 121]
School enrollment, secondary, female > % gross 46.15 % gross [63rd of 162]
School enrollment, secondary, female > % net 33.72 % net [52nd of 119]
School enrollment, secondary, male > % gross 42.86 % gross [71st of 162]
School enrollment, secondary, male > % net 30.32 % net [55th of 119]
School life expectancy > Primary to tertiary 10 years [81st of 93]
School life expectancy > Primary to tertiary > Female 10 years [81st of 93]
School life expectancy > Primary to tertiary > Male 10 years [85th of 93]
Secondary education, general pupils 8,012 [96th of 183]
Secondary education, general pupils (per capita) 0.051 per 1,000 people [73rd of 196]
Secondary education, pupils 8,091 [88th of 166]
Secondary education, pupils (per capita) 0.052 per capita [68th of 185]
Secondary education, pupils > % female 51.13 % female [14th of 153]
Secondary education, teachers 373 [71st of 141]
Secondary education, teachers (per capita) 2.383 per 1,000 people [54th of 188]
Secondary education, teachers > % female 12.6 % female [64th of 131]
Secondary education, vocational pupils 79 [82nd of 163]
Secondary education, vocational pupils (per capita) 0.505 per 1,000 people [71st of 183]
Women to men parity index, as ratio of literacy rates, aged 15-24 0.99 [20th of 138]


 

SOURCES
World Development Indicators database; UNESCO; Source: UNESCO UIS Data | UNESCO Institute for Statistics; The Geography Zone; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008

ALTERNATIVE NAMES
Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Republica Democratica de Sao Tome e Principe, Sao Tome e Principe , sao toma & prancipe, sao toma e prancipe, Sao Tome & Principe, São Tomé and Principe, São Tomé & Principe, São Tomé and Príncipe

Health
 

% immunized 1-year-old children > DPT3 92 [84th of 187]
% immunized 1-year-old children > Measles 85 [105th of 186]
% immunized 1-year-old children > Polio3 93 [79th of 187]
% immunized 1-year-old children > TB 99 [9th of 153]
% under-fives with ARI -- 5 [62nd of 79]
% under-fives with ARI taken to health provider 47 [50th of 80]
Abortion law > National laws > Physical Health No
Adolescent fertility rate > births per 1,000 women ages 15-19 61.29 births [63rd of 184]
ARI treatment > % of children under 5 taken to a health provider 47 % [32nd of 52]
Birth rate, crude > per 1,000 people 32.97 per 1,000 people [41st of 195]
Births attended by skilled health staff > % of total 76.4 % [32nd of 76]
Children Underweight Rate 5% [42nd of 95]
Contraceptive prevalence > % of women ages 15-49 29 % [36th of 57]
Dependency ratio per 100 83 [38th of 166]
Diarrhea treatment > % of children under 5 receiving oral rehydration and continued feeding 43.6 % [17th of 47]
expenditure per capita > current US$ 47.8 $ [127th of 186]
expenditure, private > % of GDP 1.59 % [133rd of 187]
expenditure, public > % of GDP 9.91 % [3rd of 187]
expenditure, total > % of GDP 11.5 % [7th of 187]
External resources for health > % of total expenditure on health 53.3 % [8th of 141]
External resources for health as % of total expenditure on health 60.2% [2nd of 179]
Fertility rate, total > births per woman 3.76 births per woman [49th of 194]
Healthy life expectancy at birth, years > Females 54.7 [133rd of 186]
Healthy life expectancy at birth, years > Males 54.2 [122nd of 186]
Healthy life expectancy at birth, years > Total population 54.4 [130th of 186]
Hospital beds > per 1,000 people 4.74 per 1,000 people [46th of 149]
Immunization, DPT > % of children ages 12-23 months 97 % [53rd of 190]
Immunization, measles > % of children ages 12-23 months 88 % [107th of 190]
Improved sanitation facilities > % of population with access 25 % [158th of 167]
Improved sanitation facilities, rural > % of rural population with access 20 % [145th of 167]
Improved sanitation facilities, urban > % of urban population with access 32 % [169th of 173]
Improved water source > % of population with access 79 % [116th of 176]
Improved water source, rural > % of rural population with access 73 % [101st of 174]
Improved water source, urban > % of urban population with access 89 % [130th of 181]
Incidence of tuberculosis > per 100,000 people 105.38 per 100,000 people [75th of 200]
Infant mortality rate 44.58 [55th of 179]
Infant mortality rate > Female 36.55 deaths/1,000 live births [66th of 225]
Infant mortality rate > Male 40.11 deaths/1,000 live births [69th of 225]
Infant mortality rate > Total 38.36 deaths/1,000 live births [67th of 225]
life expectancy > Date of information 2006 est.
Life expectancy at birth > Female 69.69 years [155th of 226]
Life expectancy at birth > Male 66.35 years [147th of 226]
Life expectancy at birth > Total population 68 years [151st of 225]
Life expectancy at birth, female > years 64.59 years [129th of 194]
Life expectancy at birth, male > years 62.44 years [123rd of 194]
Life expectancy at birth, total > years 63.49 years [129th of 194]
Life expectancy at birth, years > Females 60 [145th of 186]
Life expectancy at birth, years > Males 58 [137th of 186]
Life expectancy at birth, years > Total population 59 [141st of 186]
Major infectious diseases > Degree of risk high
Major infectious diseases > Food or waterborne diseases
bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Malaria % under-fives sleeping under a bednet 43 [5th of 35]
Malaria % under-fives sleeping under a treated bednet 23 [1st of 28]
Malaria % under-fives with fever receiving anti-malarial drugs 61 [10th of 34]
Malaria prevention, use of insecticide-treated bed nets > % of under-5 population 22.8 % [1st of 27]
Malnutrition prevalence, height for age > % of children under 5 28.9 % [22nd of 52]
Malnutrition prevalence, weight for age > % of children under 5 12.9 % [38th of 63]
Nutrition > % of children who are still breastfeeding 20-23 months 42 [42nd of 105]
Nutrition > % of children who are a exclusively breastfed 6 months 56 [20th of 125]
Nutrition > % of households consuming iodized salt 41 [74th of 112]
Nutrition > % of under-fives suffering from stunting moderate & severe 29 [45th of 132]
Nutrition > % of under-fives suffering from underweight moderate & severe 13 [77th of 137]
Nutrition > % of under-fives suffering from underweight severe 2 [72nd of 104]
Nutrition > % of under-fives suffering from wasting moderate & severe 4 [80th of 128]
Oral rehydration rate % 25 [30th of 73]
Out-of-pocket expenditure as % of private health expenditure 100% [10th of 185]
Out-of-pocket health expenditure > % of private expenditure on health 100 % [27th of 185]
Per capita government expenditure on health in international dollars 95 [118th of 185]
Per capita total expenditure on health in international dollars 108 [139th of 185]
Physicians > per 1,000 people 0.49 per 1,000 people [23rd of 148]
Pregnant women receiving prenatal care > % 90.6 % [23rd of 62]
Prepaid plans as % of private expenditure on health 0% [112nd of 159]
Prevalence of undernourishment > % of population 10 % [74th of 172]
Private expenditure on health as % of total expenditure on health 12.3% [174th of 185]
Probability of dying before 5 > Females 97 per 1,000 people [47th of 187]
Total expenditure on health as % of GDP 11.1% [5th of 185]
Total fertility rate 3.9 [55th of 166]
Water availability 15,797 cubic meters [47th of 169]


 

SOURCES
UNICEF; Wikipedia: Abortion law ; World Development Indicators database; UNICEF; World Health Organization; CIA World Factbook, 28 July 2005; All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008; Wikipedia: List of countries by life expectancy ; The World Health Report 2001;

ALTERNATIVE NAMES
Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Republica Democratica de Sao Tome e Principe, Sao Tome e Principe , sao toma & prancipe, sao toma e prancipe, Sao Tome & Principe, São Tomé and Principe, São Tomé & Principe, São Tomé and Príncipe

Sports
 

Beach Volleyball at the 2006 Lusophony Games > Pos 3 [6th of 10]
FIFA World Ranking > Men 55 [190th of 198]
FIFA World Ranking > Men (per capita) 293.474 per 1 million people [42nd of 197]


 

SOURCES
 Wikipedia: Beach Volleyball at the 2006 Lusophony Games ; Federation Internationale de Football Association (FIFA)

ALTERNATIVE NAMES
Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Republica Democratica de Sao Tome e Principe, Sao Tome e Principe , sao toma & prancipe, sao toma e prancipe, Sao Tome & Principe, São Tomé and Principe, São Tomé & Principe, São Tomé and Príncipe

Food
 

exports > % of merchandise exports 36.3 % [36th of 156]
imports > % of merchandise imports 91.25 % [1st of 155]


SOURCES
World Development Indicators database

ALTERNATIVE NAMES
Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Republica Democratica de Sao Tome e Principe, Sao Tome e Principe , sao toma & prancipe, sao toma e prancipe, Sao Tome & Principe, São Tomé and Principe, São Tomé & Principe, São Tomé and Príncipe

Language
 

Languages Portuguese (official)
Languages of the African Union > Illiteracy > Literacy rate 83.1 [106th of 174]


 

SOURCES
All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008; Wikipedia: Languages of the African Union

ALTERNATIVE NAMES
Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Republica Democratica de Sao Tome e Principe, Sao Tome e Principe , sao toma & prancipe, sao toma e prancipe, Sao Tome & Principe, São Tomé and Principe, São Tomé & Principe, São Tomé and Príncipe


2) Religion
 

Jehovahs Witnesses 388 [141st of 178]
Jehovahs Witnesses (per capita) 2.07033 per 1,000 people [86th of 177]
Religions
Catholic 70.3%, Evangelical 3.4%, New Apostolic 2%, Adventist 1.8%, other 3.1%, none 19.4%
Religions > All
Catholic 70.3%, Evangelical 3.4%, New Apostolic 2%, Adventist 1.8%, other 3.1%, none 19.4% (2001 census)
Seventh-day Adventist Membership 1,522 [136th of 232]
Seventh-day Adventist Membership (per capita) 81,212.315 per 10 million people [64th of 222]


SOURCES
watchtower.org - 2002 Report of Jehovah's Witnesses Worldwide; All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008; CIA World Factbook, 22 August 2006 ; adventiststatistics.org 2004 Annual Report 31 December 2004

ALTERNATIVE NAMES
Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Republica Democratica de Sao Tome e Principe, Sao Tome e Principe , sao toma & prancipe, sao toma e prancipe, Sao Tome & Principe, São Tomé and Principe, São Tomé & Principe, São Tomé and Príncipe


3) Media
 

Average cost of local call 0.07 [78th of 151]
Computer, communications and other services > % of commercial service exports 15.13 % [109th of 153]
Computer, communications and other services > % of commercial service imports 11.56 % [134th of 155]
DVD region 5 [15th of 171]
Fixed line and mobile phone subscribers > per 1,000 people 96.72 per 1,000 people [134th of 193]
HAM radio prefixes S9A - S9Z
Households with television > % 35.71 % [96th of 160]
International voice traffic > out and in, minutes 7,029,000 min. [73rd of 164]
International voice traffic > out and in, minutes (per capita) 45.952 min. per capita [43rd of 185]
Investment in telecoms with private participation > current US$ 2,400,000 $ [95th of 101]
Investment in telecoms with private participation > current US$ (per $ GDP) 44.809 $ per $1,000 of GDP [6th of 130]
Investment in telecoms with private participation > current US$ (per capita) 16.44 $ per capita [44th of 132]
Mobile phone subscribers 12,000 [168th of 198]
Mobile phone subscribers (per capita) 76.666 per 1 million people [133rd of 201]
Price basket for mobile > US$ per month 16.73 $/month [39th of 185]
Price basket for residential fixed line > US$ per month 12.56 $/month [59th of 151]
Radio broadcast stations AM 1, FM 5, shortwave 1
Radio receivers 38,000 [185th of 188]
Radio receivers (per capita) 0.288 per capita [98th of 182]
Radios 38,000 [191st of 221]
Radios (per capita) 202.764 per 1,000 people [146th of 212]
Telecommunications investment > % of revenue 22.37 % [26th of 165]
Telecommunications investment > current LCU 22269630000
Telecommunications revenue > % GDP 15.82 % GDP [3rd of 167]
Telecommunications revenue > current LCU 99568440000
Telephone average cost of call to US > US$ per three minutes 5.11 $ [8th of 142]
Telephone average cost of call to US > US$ per three minutes (per $ GDP) 80,421.288 $ per $1 trillion of GD [2nd of 174]
Telephone average cost of call to US > US$ per three minutes (per capita) 33,406.553 $ per 1 million people [2nd of 178]
Telephone employees, total 89 [92nd of 194]
Telephone employees, total (per capita) 0.582 per 1,000 people [67th of 202]
Telephone faults > per 100 mainlines 3.98 per 100 mainlines [94th of 134]
Telephone mainlines 7,050 [175th of 202]
Telephone mainlines (per capita) 46.089 per 1,000 people [124th of 203]
Telephone subscribers 14,795 [175th of 199]
Telephone subscribers (per capita) 0.081 per 1,000 people [142nd of 201]
Telephone subscribers per employee 166.24 [82nd of 191]
Telephone system > Domestic
combined fixed-line and mobile-cellular teledensity approaching 20 telephones per 100 persons
Telephone system > General assessment
local telephone network of adequate quality with most lines connected to digital switches
Telephone system > International
country code - 239; satellite earth station - 1 Intelsat (Atlantic Ocean)
Telephones > Main lines in use 7,700 [125th of 174]
Telephones > Main lines in use (per capita) 38.581 per 1,000 people [100th of 173]
Telephones > Mobile cellular 30,100 [161st of 186]
Telephones > Mobile cellular (per capita) 150.817 per 1,000 people [140th of 185]
Television broadcast stations 2 [8th of 89]
Television broadcast stations (per capita) 13.7 per million people [3rd of 67]
Television receivers 23,000 [165th of 185]
Television receivers (per capita) 174.291 per 1,000 people [83rd of 179]
Televisions 23,000 [175th of 215]
Televisions (per capita) 122.726 per 1,000 people [117th of 209]


 

SOURCES
 World Development Indicators database; Amazon.com; hamcity.com; All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008; Source: UNESCO UIS Data | UNESCO Institute for Statistics; CIA World Factbook, December 2003

ALTERNATIVE NAMES
Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Republica Democratica de Sao Tome e Principe, Sao Tome e Principe , sao toma & prancipe, sao toma e prancipe, Sao Tome & Principe, São Tomé and Principe, São Tomé & Principe, São Tomé and Príncipe

Internet
 

Country code .st
Hosts 1,355 [146th of 228]
Hosts (per capita) 6,571.991 per million people [107th of 222]
International Internet bandwidth > Mbps 2 Mbps [126th of 167]
International Internet bandwidth > Mbps (per $ GDP) 31.476 Mbps per $1 trillion of [53rd of 184]
International Internet bandwidth > Mbps (per capita) 13.075 Mbps per 1 billion peop [103rd of 188]
Internet Service Providers 1 [186th of 229]
Internet Service Providers (per capita) 0.00533589 per 1,000 people [67th of 215]
ISP 1 [18th of 162]
ISP (per capita) 6,850.066 per billion people [5th of 127]
Livejournal users 14 [220th of 226]
Price basket for Internet > US$ per month 53.21 $/month [23rd of 180]
Secure Internet servers 1 [176th of 183]
Secure Internet servers (per capita) 6.389 per 1 million people [93rd of 189]
TLD .st
Users 23,000 [149th of 190]
Users (per capita) 115.243 per 1,000 people [97th of 184]


 

SOURCES
IANA: Internet Assigned Numbers Authority; All CIA World Factbooks 18 December 2003 to 18 December 2008; World Development Indicators database; CIA World Factbook, December 2003; LiveJournal

ALTERNATIVE NAMES
Sao Tome and Principe, Democratic Republic of Sao Tome and Principe, Republica Democratica de Sao Tome e Principe, Sao Tome e Principe , sao toma & prancipe, sao toma e prancipe, Sao Tome & Principe, São Tomé and Principe, São Tomé & Principe, São Tomé and Príncipe

4) Tourist

Travel

 

Right Now


The South Pacific may be a top destination for those seeking island paradises, but Africa holds its own, thanks largely to São Tomé and Príncipe. Uninhabited until the 15th century, these islands still offer visitors a sense of discovery, and their out-of-the-way location makes it likely you’ll have the beach to yourself. That said, more tourists have in recent years recognized São Tomé as the find that it is. As a result, luxury seekers can now find lavish resorts sprinkled along the beaches, but it also means that potential visitors should seek out these islands’ pristine natural environment and authentic, welcoming culture before the country becomes overcrowded.


The Top 5
Local Advice


1. São Tomé Town
The capital city of São Tomé is not only the first stop for newcomers to the country but a destination in itself. The town is home to some of West Africa’s most beautiful architecture, as well as the National Museum, open-air markets, and exciting festivals throughout the year. But its main draw is its laid-back culture, marvelous cuisine (heavy on tropical fruit, rice, hot sauce, and fish), and lively nightlife.

2. Beaches on Príncipe
Although São Tomé’s beaches are certainly not to be underestimated, Príncipe’s are quieter and have a serene charm all their own. The exceptionally clear water permits views of coral reefs, eels, and tropical fish of all kinds to snorkelers and divers. Banana Beach’s wide, golden strand is surrounded by forest and is one of the most popular among tourists, while the beaches on the nearby islets offer extreme solitude for those who prefer it. For a fee, visitors can arrange boat trips farther out from land to fish for barracuda, tuna, and other big fish; Club Maxel is a highly regarded local renter with facilities on both São Tomé and Príncipe.

3. Auto de Floripes
Príncipe’s biggest festival, Auto de Floripes is Portuguese in origin and commemorates the confrontation between the Christians and the Moors in the Middle Ages. The entire population participates in a dramatic reenactment of the battle, followed by music, dancing, sideshows, and the serving of special dishes.

4. São Tomé’s Rain Forests
Unlike its central African counterparts, the rain forest of São Tomé is fairly easy to navigate and has no dangerous animals. Hiking is easy and relaxing, and the colorful birds are among the world’s most beautiful (and loudest). If you hike during the rainy season, you’ll also spot large patches of orchids at the higher elevations.

5. Coffee Production at Monté Café
This coffee plantation, in the mountains outside of São Tomé town, offers tours and demonstrations for visitors, along with the chance to sample some of its world-class product. Its output was once the world’s largest, and the pleasant drive to and from the plantation affords some of the island’s best ocean views—after those from Pico de São Tomé.

6. Photography and Turtle Watching at Praia Jalé
While this tiny fishing village is entirely different from São Tomé town, a visit to it is worth the somewhat bumpy drive. The locals are even more welcoming here than in the city and are often eager to share stories about life in the town and São Tomé’s history. The main attractions are the nearby turtle beaches, which between November and March are overrun by throngs of females that lay eggs here. If you plan to stay at the Eco Lodge, do note that there is no running water or supplies, so come prepared.

7. Corallo Chocolate Factory
This chocolate factory, which ferments, dries, and sorts raw cacao beans from Príncipe, offers tours, demonstrations, and samples to visitors upon request, often arranged by the owner himself, Claudio Corallo. His spirited lecture bespeaks a deep knowledge of chocolate production, and he certainly knows what he’s talking about
his luxury sweets are popular abroad.

8. Ilheu das Rólas
Of the tiny islands and atolls that surround São Tomé and Príncipe, Ilheu das Rólas is undoubtedly the most popular among tourists, thanks largely to its superb snorkeling opportunities and upscale dive resort. Although the other islets provide more peace and quiet, Ilheu das Rólas is the most accessible and has the best accommodations.

9. Pico de São Tomé
The largest mountain in the country, in the middle of Obo National Park, Pico de São Tomé stands more than 6,000 feet tall. The trek there takes two days, and a guide is recommended but not strictly necessary. Although visibility is often low, the summit affords unparalleled views of the sea and the surrounding cloud forests.

10. Boca do Inferno Blowhole
Surrounded by palms, tide pools, and striking volcanic rock, this blowhole, whose name translates as Mouth of Hell, is similar to a small geyser, formed by waves crashing in a subterranean sea cave.

When to Go


Because of their location near the Equator, São Tomé and Príncipe have a pleasant, tropical climate with little variation during the year. The rainy season lasts from October to May, but that shouldn’t affect your plans much. When it’s not raining, you can enjoy the best beachgoing weather of the year.

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