São Tomé e Príncipe is one of my all-time favorite places! This tiny island country, nestled in the Gulf of Guinea, is so tiny that it's virtually invisible on most maps. But make no mistake -- with its beautiful nature, friendly people, chill vibe, and delicious Creole food, it's one the world's best-hidden gems.
Our entry point to the country was the capital city of São Tomé, on the island of the same name. We arrived in the early evening on an Afrijet flight from Libreville,
Gabon, and headed straight downtown in search of food and drinks. We discovered a fairly quiet city with crumbling colonial architecture and a restaurant called Café Camões that served up cold beers and delicious plates of
calulu de peixe and
molho de fogo. It was a perfect induction to island life!
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| Wild waves, soft sand, and palm trees - Praia Inhame, 2018 |
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| Looking smooth as we cruise around the island, 2018 |
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| Is Praia Jalé the most perfect beach in the world? Yes, I think so! |
From the capital city, we ventured northwest to the jungle retreat of Mucumbli, a spectacular place hidden in the hills above a volcanic, black sand beach. For two days, we walked through the lush forests, relaxed on the beach, and feasted on grilled octopus with fried plantains.
It was also around this time we realized we didn't have as much cash as we thought, which is a problem because there are no international banks in São Tomé, credit cards are useless, and ATMs don't accept Visa or Mastercard. The only option was WesternUnion, so we quickly sent ourselves a wire transfer to pick up back in the capital. It was a rookie mistake on our part, but better to pay for transfer fees than starve!
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| Lush green views - Mucumbli, 2018 |
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| Grilled octopus with fried plantains - Mucumbli, 2018 |
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Volcanic black sand beaches - Mucumbli, 2018
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From Mucumbli, we took a break from the beach and ventured inland to São José, where we spent the next two nights relaxing in the island's highlands. Here we found crisp air, waterfalls, and passionfruit the size of melons!
Also, I didn't realize it at the time, but it turned out that we'd actually rented a whole house on a plantation, not just a room in a BnB, which felt a bit excessive. The house's caretaker was a young fourteen-year-old boy called Bruno, who inadvertently became my Portuguese language tutor for the next 48 hours. Bruno was a great kid and took us around his village to explore waterfalls and eat grilled chicken. Not many tourists come to São José and those who do just pass through briefly for lunch en route somewhere else. But, for someone like me who had spent some time learning Portuguese earlier in the year, it was a great place to relax with some locals and delve a little deeper into the island's culture.
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| São José, 2018 |
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| Molho de fogo - Café Camões, São Tomé, 2018 |
Our final destination was Praia Jalé, way on the far southern tip of the island, which is an absolutely magical place! Praia Jalé had only two little bungalows with no TV, no internet, and just an hour or two of electricity in the evening. Two cheerful local women ran the place and prepared three delicious meals a day for us, always with big smiles and lots of laughter. Sea turtles also nest here depending on the time of year, so the beach is a protected area, and no further development is planned. Honestly, I think Praia Jalé is the perfect beach, and if I had to choose just one beach to spend the rest of my life on, it would be here. I'll bring my kids here someday, once they're born and old enough to appreciate it.
Also, you have more than one beach to choose from! The whole southern tip of São Tomé island is a series of beaches you can walk between, each with its own unique charms. On Praia Jalé, we had big waves and an army of tiny hermit crabs; on Praia Inhame, we found soft sand ideal for suntanning. And, some five kilometers away on Praia Piscina, we found tranquil and clear waters while huge waves pummeled jagged volcanic rocks in the distance. We spent our days here enjoying the tranquility of the beach and fell asleep every night to the sound of waves crashing right outside our bungalow. Praia Jalé is a paradise in every sense of the word.
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| Praia Inhame, 2018 |
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| Octopus for dinner! Praia Jalé, 2018 |
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Sunset at our bungalow on Praia Jalé, 2018
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Grilled fish for dinner at Praia Jalé, 2018
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| Hermit crabs on Praia Jalé, 2018 |
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| Praia Piscina, 2018 |
Unfortunately, every trip has to end, and so we returned to the capital city for one last night before flying home to Istanbul, Turkey. Here we visited a local market, checked out some seafood, and tried the chocolate from Claudio Corallo, which is supposedly the best quality in the world. All in all, we had a spectacular time in São Tomé, and though we were a bit sad to leave, it was lovely to have discovered such a special place, and in the back of our heads, we knew we'd return someday.
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| Central market, São Tomé, 2018 |
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| Seafood for sale, São Tomé, 2018 |
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| Central market, São Tomé, 2018 |
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