Sao Tome and Principe Travel and Tourism Information

Plantation House

Sao Tome and Principe have a fascinating and vibrant history. They were discovered in 1471 and became a Portuguese colony; historic claims to fame were as a “holding center” for slaves taken from West Africa enroute to the Americas, and as the largest world producer of cocoa.

In the early 1800s, coffee and cacao plantations “roças” were developed on the rich volcanic soils of Sao Tome and Principe. By 1908, São Tomé had become the world’s largest producer of cacao. Since then, the country has suffered many years of agricultural decline although cocoa continues to be a major cash crop, accounting for more than 90% of the islands’ exports.

This fascinating Sao Tome and Principe history, dominated by the slave trade and plantations, has left several historical landmarks. Take a couple of days to see the different plantation houses and "Roças" that was used during the colonial past.


Fascinating historical landmarks: Roça Amparo, Roça Augusta, Roça Belo Monte, Roça Benfica, Roça Blindá, Roça Boa Entrada, Roça Bom Sucesso, Roça Bombaim, Roça Cadão, Roça Chamiço, Roça Colónia Açoreana, Roça Diogo Vaz, Roça Esperança, Roça Filipina, Roça Gue-Gue, Roça Monte Café, Roça Monte Forte, Roça Monte Mário. Roça Montes Hermínios, Roça Nova Augusta, Roça Nova Esperança, Roça Nova Moca, Roça Nova Olinda, Roça Novo Brasil, Roça Perseverança, Roça Ponta Figo, Roça Portalegre/ Porto Alegre, Roça Porto Real, Roça Praia Nazaré, Roça Queluz, Roça Ribeira Afonso, Roça Rio Ouro/Agostinho Neto. Roça Rosema, Roça Santa Margarida, Roça Saudade, Roça Sundy, Roça São João de Angolares, Roça São Miguel, Roça São Nicolau, Roça Terreiro Velho, Roça Uba Budo, Roça Vista Alegre and Roça Água-Izé.

Many of the seventeen century cocoa plantation are now reverting to interesting ecotourism facility. The Plantation Roça Sao João, Plantation Roça Bombaim and Plantation Roça Monte Forte are now run as small hotels where you can spend the night and relax on the big verandas. The Plantation Sao José are the second largest tropical flowers and foliage plantation in West Africa. The Monte Café Plantation have being restored to host the International Coffee Museum of Sao Tome and Principe. Others are now abandoned and reverting to interesting secondary forest growth.