Northern São Tomé offers a very different side of the island, with fishing villages, old plantation routes, Atlantic viewpoints and some of the easiest coastal stops to reach in a single day. This full-day tour is designed for travellers who want a broad introduction to the north without rushing through it. The route combines cocoa history, village life, beaches and sea views, with time to stop, look around and take in places that many visitors would otherwise miss.

The day begins at 8.00 AM in São Tomé city and heads first to the Amílcar Cabral cocoa plantation, where you can see fermentation and drying areas and get a clearer sense of how cocoa still shapes life on the island. From there, the route continues north through Fernão Dias and Roça Agostinho Neto, before opening out into the coastal scenery that defines this part of São Tomé.

Along the way, there are stops at Praia dos Tamarinhos and Lagoa Azul. Praia dos Tamarinhos is an easy beach stop where you can stretch your legs, enjoy the sea air and take in the north coast without any difficult access. Lagoa Azul offers one of the best-known views on this side of the island, with clear blue water, a rocky headland, baobab trees and a lighthouse on the point. Both stops add a quieter coastal contrast to the plantation and village sections of the day.

The tour continues to Neves, one of the island’s best-known fishing towns, where you can stop for lunch and see a more everyday side of northern São Tomé. One option is Petisqueira Santola, a simple family-run restaurant known for fresh spider crab. If seafood is not your preference, lunch can instead be arranged at Hotel Mucumbli. After lunch, the route includes the Padrão de Descobrimento da Ilha and Roça Diogo Vaz, before finishing at the Santa Catarina Tunnel, the island’s only road tunnel and one of the best-known landmarks on this stretch of coast.

Transport is provided in an air-conditioned 4×4, with a licensed local guide, insurance and technical assistance included. Over the course of about eight hours, this tour brings together cocoa history, fishing communities, open coastal views and some of the north’s most recognisable stops. It works especially well for travellers who want culture and coastline in the same day, and it pairs naturally with a southern route for those exploring more of the island. This is a must see for some reason, but it’s a tunnel, don’t get your hopes up. We then follow the road down to the end, where the river stops our path at a ruined bridge, the kids are usually swimming at the bottom and it’s a great place to stop and chill for a little time before we take the return trip. You’ll have time to return to your hotel shower and hit up a restaurant.