Introduction
A two-island country, Sao Tomé and Príncipe is one of the smallest countries in Africa. Yet the islands provide visitors with unspoiled scenery and a remoteness found almost nowhere else, meaning that Sao Tomé and Príncipe holidays punch well above their weight. What's more, whether in the thick jungle or on the palm-fringed beaches, you'll have the place virtually to your self.
Sao Tomé Town is a charming, colonial capital where accommodation is in old cocoa plantation houses; Augustino Neto is the largest of these roças. At the southernmost tip of the island, Praia Jalé is an ecotourist destination and home to nesting sea turtles. Off the southern tip of the island lies the tiny islet of Ilhéu das Rolas, which straddles the equator. It has some pleasant beaches and boasts some good diving.
Príncipe is the smaller of the two islands and is, if at all possible, even more laid-back; its only main town, San Antonio, has some distinctive colonial architecture whilst its beaches are deserted and its waters are good for snorkelling.