What you can live in São Tomé and Príncipe

Experienced instructors who know the waves of São Tomé and Príncipe inside out. Lessons are adapted to every level, from first-timers to more advanced surfers.

Board, leash and wax are included, along with personal guidance. Around 1h30 on average, depending on the programme and the sea.

For surfers who already stand up and want the best of each day. We pick the spot according to swell, wind and tide, and sort the transport.

We know the island's conditions and best peaks for each time of year in depth.

São Tomé's most iconic landmark: an old lava plug some 663 metres high, standing straight up above the southern forest.

You can see it from viewpoints on the southern road; for the more adventurous, trails run towards its base.

Beyond our experiences on São Tomé, we organise tailor-made programmes on Príncipe Island, one of the most preserved destinations in Africa.

Paradise beaches, rainforest and unique biodiversity. Guided tours, historic roças (Paciência, Belo Monte, Porto Real) and trails to the Ôquê Pipi waterfall.

At the northern end, in one of the driest parts of the island, with baobabs by the coast and water of an unusual blue.

A sheltered cove with calm, clear water, one of the island's best snorkelling spots.

A wide, little-visited beach at the southern end of the island, inside the sea turtle protection area.

It is one of the places where we watch nesting and hatchling releases in season.

Boat trips along the coast of the islands, with stops to swim and snorkel whenever conditions allow.

These are wild animals in open water: you may see whales, dolphins and turtles, but there is never a guarantee. Humpback whales pass the islands between July and October and dolphins turn up almost all year, which improves the odds without making them certain.

Even with no sighting, the trip earns its place: the coast seen from the water, the caves, and the beaches you cannot reach by road.

Watching nesting females and hatchling releases, depending on the time of year, unforgettable moments in direct contact with nature.

Always with local guides and on authorised beaches, following the rules that protect the turtles.

A trip to Ilhéu das Rolas, off the southern tip of São Tomé, with paradise beaches and crystal-clear water.

You get there by boat from Porto Alegre. It works as a day trip, or as a place to stay.

The Equator runs through Ilhéu das Rolas, marked by a monument at the top of the islet.

A short trail takes you up, with sea views on both sides. The one photo nobody skips.

On the south coast, it takes its name from the natural pools that form among the rocks at low tide.

Calm, clear water, one of the island's best beaches for swimming and snorkelling.

It sits right by the road climbing into the highlands, which makes it the easiest waterfall to visit.

It falls into a pool you can get into. It pairs well with the climb to Monte Café and Bom Sucesso.

The waters of São Tomé and Príncipe are warm and clear for most of the year, with reefs and rocky bottoms full of life.

We arrange snorkelling outings for everyone, and scuba diving through certified local partners.

A boat trip along the coast, stopping at coves and beaches that can only be reached from the water.

At the southern tip of the island, near Porto Alegre, with pale sand, palm trees and calm water.

A good base for the day: it is on the way to Ilhéu das Rolas and the southern beaches.

An exposed beach on the south coast, where the sea arrives with more force than in the sheltered coves.

Worth it for the scenery and the sound of the surf; for swimming, we pick the day and the tide.

A rock formation on the north coast where the sea forces its way through an opening and is thrown up into the air, loudly.

A quick, spectacular stop, best at high tide with a big sea.

Walks through the rainforest, from half an hour to a full day, depending on what you fancy.

Trails between abandoned roças, viewpoints, natural pools and hidden waterfalls, away from the tourist areas.

A tunnel cut into the rock by the sea, at the point where the north-west coast road runs out.

An almost obligatory stop for anyone driving the north of the island.

Inland, in the area of the Bombaim roça, already inside the forest.

Reached by dirt road and a stretch on foot, the journey there is half the outing.

A waterfall in the south, which fits well into a day spent between Angolares and the southern beaches.

A short stop, to cool off between visits.

One of the island's least-visited waterfalls, away from the usual routes.

The last stretch is on foot, along a forest trail.

A waterfall inland, surrounded by dense vegetation and nothing else.

A good target for anyone who wants to walk and finish the day in fresh water.

A waterfall inland, reached by dirt road and a final stretch on foot.

A good stop for anyone exploring the interior who wants to end the day in fresh water.

A waterfall in the north, surrounded by forest, with a natural pool at its base.

It fits well into a day driving the north, between beaches and roças.

An islet off the north-east coast, clearly visible from São Tomé city.

Reached by boat, for snorkelling and diving in the surrounding water.

An islet off Santana, on the east coast, a few minutes by boat from the shore.

Calm water and good snorkelling, an easy half-day outing.

A beach in the south, peaceful and a short distance from the other beaches at the end of the island.

It fits well into a day dedicated to the south, with several stops.

A small, unassuming beach of the kind you find along the coast, where there is rarely anyone else.

It usually goes into the programme as a stop along the way.

One of the beaches you can include in your programme, with transport and guidance from us.

We combine it with other stops in the same area to make the most of the day.

A beach with trees right down to the sand, which gives shade when the sun is hardest.

Good for late afternoon, after a day of trails or driving.

An estate in the north-west of the island, still in full cocoa production, with chocolate made on the plantation itself.

You visit the plantation and the factory, and taste the chocolate at the end.

A route through the historic cocoa estates, following the bean: the plantation, the drying, the fermenting and the making.

It always ends the same way: tasting. Cocoa is one of São Tomé's great symbols and it is still easy to see why.

A guided visit and tasting at Cláudio Corallo's production, the producer who made São Tomé's cocoa known worldwide.

You taste the full range, from near-pure cocoa through to the coffee, with each step of the process explained.

It was one of the biggest and most important roças on São Tomé, on the east coast, and people still live there today.

The old hospital, the main house and the workers' streets are still standing, the history of cocoa written in stone.

Roça Agostinho Neto, on São Tomé, is one of the largest and most emblematic historic estates on the island.

Once given over mainly to cocoa production, it stands out for its colonial architecture and for the part it played in the history and economic development of São Tomé and Príncipe.

An old estate in the Angolares area, restored into a dining house and art space, looking out over the south coast.

An almost obligatory stop on the way south: you eat what the island gives, at the island's pace.

A visit to the coffee plantations and estates of the interior, where altitude and a cool climate give a coffee with a name of its own.

It takes in Roça Monte Café, which has the coffee museum in the old estate and sits on the way to Bom Sucesso and the Obô Park.

You see the harvest, the drying and the roasting, and taste it at the end.

Programmes made for two: deserted beaches, sunset boat trips, private dinners and hand-picked places to stay.

If there is a proposal involved, we set it up without anyone noticing.

A photographer or videographer along for one experience, or for the whole trip.

For couples, families, or anyone who wants their surfing on film, everything is delivered edited.

Every programme can be adapted to your interests, group size, length of stay and budget.

We combine the experiences you pick into a single route, at your own pace, with transport and a guide.

A selection of partner accommodation, hand-picked across different parts of the island: hotels, historic roças, bungalows and houses by the sea.

The choice is made according to your preferences, your budget and the kind of trip you want.

Hire by the hour or by the day, for surfers who want to explore the island's waves independently.

Several models and sizes, suited to different levels of experience and different surf conditions.

Vehicles ideal for discovering beaches, waterfalls, historic estates and the islands' unique landscapes, safely and completely independently.

There are also 7-seaters, and up to 14 seats with a driver. Delivery and collection at São Tomé International Airport or anywhere else, free in the Santana area.

There is a side of the islands you will not find on a beach or a trail: it turns up at the table. We take you to Restaurante Santola, a São Toméan place that carries the name of the shellfish it is known for, for a meal worth taking slowly.

It is less about eating than about sitting down together. In São Tomé and Príncipe, sharing a table is a way of spending time, and a meal like this works well after a day of surfing, beaches or driving, when what you want is to stop and talk.

A small crescent-shaped cove in the north of Príncipe Island, with the forest running down almost to the sand. It is one of the images most associated with the island.

It is visited as part of a Príncipe programme, alongside the island's other beaches, roças and trails. Príncipe is small and thinly populated: even its best-known beaches are rarely busy.

On the north coast of Príncipe Island, looking across at the Bom Bom islet that gives it its name. Calm, clear water, with the forest standing just behind the sand.

It goes into Príncipe programmes together with the island's other northern beaches and trails. A good place to spend part of a day in the water.

Inland on Príncipe Island, inside the forest that covers much of it. It is reached by trail, and the walk in is part of what there is to see.

It joins the island's other nature experiences and combines, in the same programme, with Príncipe's roças and beaches.