Príncipe Island
One reason made me travel to the remote island of Prince, nature … The Prince Island is one of the most pristine places I have been, and probably where ever I will be. It was only 30 minutes by plane to see this small island dipped in the Gulf of Guinea, in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The lush green of its mountains and cliffs, as well as its emerald sea, are the first things that catch our eye.
The houses are small and colorful… On the road there is no one who does not greet me or smile when see me curious looking out the window of the jeep. People Carry bananas, jackfruit, and wood … they talk to each other, unhurriedly, happy with life, as if they lived in the best place in the world and certain that tomorrow there will be food on the table… The vegetation is so dense that I wonder if any more palm trees will fit here … these are some of the many memories I have now that I’m sitting at home writing this post. The Prince will remain forever, not only in my memory, but also in my heart.
HOW TO GO?
There is a daily flight by STP Airways between the island of São Tomé and the island of Prince, the duration is just over 30 minutes, both trips were super comfortable. You can also go by cargo ship, but I’m not sure exactly how it works and I’ve heard that it can be dangerous because of the rough sea.
WHERE TO SLEEP?
I stayed in all three hotels of the HBD group, founded by the South African millionaire who wanted to transform the Prince into a sustainable tourism model, integrating the community into one. The Prince Trust NGO does not allow cutting trees to build, resorts have been pioneering in recycling, searching ways to reduce the environmental impact, being one goal of the group, to eliminate all the plastic from the island.
Once one of the largest cocoa plantations in the world, Roça Sundy has recently been rehabilitated and transformed into a 12-room boutique hotel. READ MORE…
Distinguished by National Geographic as a “Unique Lodges of the World,” the SUNDY BEACH is the epitome of luxury, comfort and privacy on Prince’s Island. READ MORE!
WHERE TO EAT?
Besides the restaurants at the resorts, there are not many restaurants on the island, but don’t worry that no one goes hungry here.
Juditinha
One of the few restaurants on the island, very traditional, simple, clean and very tasty. We eat fish moqueca and also barracuda, accompanied by breadfruit and fried banana … I am here to writing and I am already drooling just remembering!
Rosa Pão
The night I tried to go there it was closed, I can’t speak from my experience, but from the dozens of people who told me, “go to the Rosa Pão” “you will eat so well in the Rosa Pão” … lol, maybe next time!
Do not forget to eat:
Sauce fire – Very good!
A lot of fried bananas
Jaca at breakfast, lunch, snack, dinner and before bed ehehhe
WHAT TO VISIT
THE CITY OF SANTO ANTÓNIO
Lovingly baptized as the smallest city in the world, Santo António is a small, friendly and quiet town. With little more than 1100 inhabitants, the city is made up of half dozen streets with some houses of colonial architecture, although some of them are already completely degraded. Apart from the small market that is worth a visit, there are a two small shops where you can buy some handicrafts and books about the island, well worth the walk.
THE ROÇAS
The Sundy Roça is a must see, in addition to the hotel you can visit the adjacent buildings such as the hospital, the church, the fort, the stables that over the years have been converted into dwelling houses and where close to 400 people live . Not to mention the interesting connection of this place to Einstein’s theory of relativity. Then we have Roça Belo Monte, went there to have a coffee after visiting Banana beach and it is a friendly place with a great view to see the sunset. The Roça Paciência also deserves a visit, very quiet, a fascinating place that will make you travel back in time and see some plantations of cocoa and coffee.
Roça Porto Real is the largest of the island, the buildings are very degraded but still very imposing, especially the hospital that was literally swallowed by Mother Nature, the photos speak for themselves, yes, trees have already grown on the main door.
VIEWPOINTS
Terreiro Velho
The area where Claudio Corallo’s chocolate is produced has one of the most beautiful views of the island … When I saw the house I thought I had found the place where I would spend my retirement eheh, I was amazed by that garden and unobscured view to the ocean and to the mountains of the island, a dream!!!
Miradouro da Praia Banana
It has a fascinating view to the most famous beach of the Island, the beach of Banana.
BEACHES
Banana Beach
The most famous beach of the island and one of the most beautiful (I have my favorite but I’m not sharing, sorry, there are secrets that we have to keep ahaha). It’s like the photos show, an incredible water, a very large beach considering that it is almost always empty … As always, we were the only ones at the beach.
Boi Beach
It promised to be a dream day in what is considered the most beautiful beach of the island, but the rain did not give respite and I only saw it from the car. I will have to return!
Praia Grande
The largest of the island and where it is possible to see the spawning of the turtles, however it is necessary to book in advance.
The beach of BOM BOM
The resort has two beaches, each one with different beauty but both very quiet. It is one of the best places to snorkel on the island, the water is wonderful!
READ MORE TIPS HERE!
Hi! My name is João Cajuda, I’m a travel blogger from Portugal and founder of this website. In this blog I share my adventures around the world and give you tips about hotels, restaurants, activities and destinations to visit. You can travel through my videos or join my group tours that I organize to selected destinations. Visit my Adventure Travel Agency LEVA-ME and join one of my journeys!