Beauty of Sao Tome & Principe - The Chocolate Islands
São Tomé and Príncipe Lisboa from above at night Lisboa from above in the morning Approaching São Tomé airport São Tomé is the capital and largest city of the island. Its name is Portuguese for "Saint Thomas". Founded in the 15th century, it is one of Africa's oldest colonial cities. Families washing their clothes in the rivers, especially on Saturday. The main crop on São Tomé is cocoa, representing about 54% of agricultural exports. In the early 1900s, São Tomé and Príncipe was the world's largest exporter of cocoa and popularly known as the "Chocolate Islands" You can taste the raw cocoa. Água Izé, a 30-minute drive from the capital, is one of the biggest (2,600ha), most photogenic, and most-visited plantations.
This is where commercial cocoa production first started in the mid 19th century. When the man responsible for introducing cocoa to the islands, João Maria de Sousa e Almeida, was made First Baron of Água Izé in 1868, he was the first mulatto nobleman in the Portuguese colonies. In 1884, Água Izé had 50km of internal railway lines running through its 80km2 territory and 50 European employees overseeing 2,500 Angolan contract workers. From the top of the hill, you have one of the most photographed views on the island: the beautiful staircase of the crumbling hospital, dating from 1928. In its day, this was a state-of-the art hospital, the best in West Africa. Boca do Inferno (aka Hell’s Mouth) is a natural blowhole formation off the western coast of São Tomé and a major attraction.
Basaltic lava has formed a platform over the ocean and a narrow channel where the pounding waves push water that explodes up in the air in spectacular fashion. Raw coconut - incredibly delicious! Atlantic ocean Surf spot named Onda Leve Surf Agripalma, a concession of around 2 400 hectares in the south of the island is used for industrial oil palm cultivation Pico Cao Grande /The Great Canine/ is the poster image of São Tomé, and an awesome sight. An enormous tooth of rock 663m high, it is a hardened column of magma, the remains of an ancient volcano whose softer outer shell has long since eroded away. fruit of oil palm trees These mysterious stone carvings, found in various locations on the island, are believed to have been created by the island’s early inhabitants.
However, their exact origin and purpose remain largely unknown. The Our Lady of Grace Cathedral (Portuguese: Sé Catedral de Nossa Senhora da Graça), also called Cathedral of São Tomé. Forte de São Sebastião The fortress was built in 1566 by the Portuguese in order to protect the port and city of São Tomé against pirate attacks.
The fortress was restored at the end of the 1950s and now is São Sebastião Museum. Ana Chaves Bay The islands have been called the “African Galápagos”, in reference to the Pacific island archipelago famous for its high level of endemism. Restaurante Salutar (Ney) Praia Cabana Praia Inhame Eco Lodge It's time to visit Ilhéu das Rolas - It lies on the Equator, off the southern tip of São Tomé Island. The Ilhéu Community is a true hidden treasure that holds precious stories and secrets. It is a unique opportunity to connect with nature and the people who call this island home. Between 1915 and 1918, Portuguese navigator and historian Gago Coutinho traveled to São Tomé on an expedition to map the island, which was at that point a colony of Portugal. During the mapping process, Coutinho observed that the equator crossed Ilhéu das Rolas.
The monument roughly marks the spot where the equatorial line runs through the island, splitting it between the Northern and Southern Hemispheres. Cultura Botanica - a unique botanical garden in the hearth of Ilhéu das Rolas. You can use the leaves of Oil Palm tree to wash your hands! So many coconut shells Ilhéu das Rolas Real Paradise! Vanilla in Destilaria of Bastien In the heart of coastal mangroves Amazing sunset near Praia Piscina Sound of fallen coconut! I am happy that it wasn't on my head. When the tide comes in the afternoon, this entire part of the coast is covered with water.
Boca do Inferno Coffee plantation of Monte Café, formerly the largest and most prosperous of the island's coffee plantations. Here, excellent quality coffee was produced for export. You are able to learn about the treatment process of the coffee in the traditional and modern methods. The blossom of the coffee tree Saint Nicholas Waterfall Walking in the city of São Tomé Monument in honor of the martyrs of the massacre of February 3, 1953, erected in 2015, on Fernão Dias beach , in the north of the island of São Tomé Tamarind (Tamarindus indica) is a leguminous tree bearing edible fruit that is indigenous to tropical Africa The tamarind tree produces brown, pod-like fruits that contain a sweet, tangy pulp, which is used in cuisines around the world. The pulp is also used in traditional medicine and as a metal polish. The biggest (3,380ha) and most impressive plantation on São Tomé.
Originally called Rio do Ouro (‘golden river’), the plantation was renamed for the first president of Angola, Agostinho Neto, in 1979 to commemorate the political, military and financial help his government gave to the young republic; his bust still greets visitors on arrival. Built in typical Portuguese colonial style, this plantation was once one of the island’s biggest producers of cocoa, alongside bananas, wood, coffee and copra. The building with the clock now houses fruit processing and an evangelical church. September 17th - celebration in honor of Agostinho Neto Praia dos Tamarindos, a relatively secluded crescent off a beach, framed by black lava volcanic cliffs and full of tamarind trees (you can just pick up ripe beans and eat them rig by on the beach).
The Blue Lagoon The islands of São Tomé and Príncipe were uninhabited when the Portuguese arrived sometime around 1470. This is the memorial of the first Europeans to put ashore on December 21st - João de Santarém and Pêro Escobar . Tunel de Santa Catarina Petisqueira Santola - the next culinary adventure! The wonderful Jackfruit! So tasty! Goodbye, São Tomé! Beauty of Lisboa! Next adventure coming soon...
2025-02-11 15:44
