Paradise in Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome and Principe is a small island country on the west coast of Central Africa, located 360 kilometers from the continent in the Gulf of Guinea. The territory of the archipelago consists of two small islands: Principe and, respectively, Sao Tome. The distance between the two islands is about 160 kilometers.
The country also includes placers of the smallest mountainous, rocky islets. All nature has retained its originality, a kind of wildness: impenetrable jungle, exotic colorful birds, the richest world of plants, virgin beaches.
The best pastime here is coastal snorkeling (swimming with simple equipment: a breathing tube, fins, mask), watching rare birds, climbing to the tops of dormant volcanoes, whose height rarely exceeds 600 meters.
The capital of this state is Sao Tome, built on the island of the same name. It is also the most advanced in the whole country. Of course, there are tours to other towns, but you will definitely not find anything there but beautiful nature. Yes, there will be problems with housing.
The flight to the island of Sao Tome (there is only an airport here), most often, takes place with two transfers. The best option is to fly with the Portuguese company TAP Portugal. Then the docking will take place in the capital of Portugal – Lisbon.
To arrive in this state, Russians and residents of the CIS countries will need a visa, the easiest way to apply for it is online – on the website of the Sao Tome Migration Service.
Sao Tome and Principe has no diplomatic relations with Russia, so there are no legal representatives either. The nearest Russian embassy is in Angola.
The climate here is dependent on the sea: humid and hot. This is quite logical, because the island is far enough from the mainland of Africa. In January, the temperature is about 25 degrees, but in summer, on the contrary, it is cooler – no more than +23. Most of the rains are in March and April. Sometimes the precipitations are for 10-12 hours without a break, and they can pour for several days. As a result, it is best to come here in the summer or at the very beginning of autumn. It is during this period that it is not so hot, relatively dry.
The main attractions are natural. There are a lot of extinct volcanoes in the north of the main island. Most of them are very low, but there are also higher ones (more than 500 meters). The coast is completely framed by shores with fine white sand, and the waters are clear and clean.
The best beach in the country is located ten kilometers from Sao Tome. It is called simply: “Beach of seven waves.” And a large hole in the rock “Hell’s Mouth” near this beach is a very popular place for vacationers who come here. This is a great natural object for photography.
The city of Trinidad often plays the role of a starting point for a lot of excursions. Cars drive from this small town to the volcano, whose height is more than 2 km. And not far from Trinidad is the beautiful Cascades-San Nicolaus waterfall.
The Principe area is the second most important island, but there are very few tourists on it. There are no outstanding sights here. The main thing that can be appreciated here is nature, as well as rare, sometimes ringing silence and the underwater world.
The level of development in Sao Tome and Principe is much higher than in most African countries. But this does not mean at all that the economy is developed here. Relative prosperity depends entirely on Portugal. The only fuel for the local economy from the inside is cocoa sales. But today there is a huge potential in tourism. And, perhaps, soon this country will become a more popular holiday destination.
