Galleries / Príncipe

Adventure. Volcanoes. Lush Jungle.

Príncipe is an adventure. Lost in time and reclaimed by nature, Príncipe is the smaller, more northern island in the two-island nation of São Tomé & Príncipe, floating in the Gulf of Guinea off the coast of West Africa like a verdant mirage. A heavily-eroded volcano speculated to be over three million years old, Príncipe is topped by a canopy of green, pierced by fingers of primordial rock. It could easily be the setting for the next Jurassic Park movie, but is benevolent and welcoming in the extreme.

Formerly a colony of Portugal and a centre of global cocoa production, São Tomé & Príncipe gained its independence in 1975, but has since acquired the forgotten air of a hidden treasure – mansions falling to the advancing jungle and historic colonial buildings quietly decaying in the capital. Distinctly West African with a strong Portuguese influence, the nation has a rhythm of its own which sets it apart from experiences in Southern and Eastern Africa. But while São Tomé is picturesque in its own right, it is Príncipe with the most outstanding natural rewards. Fringed by picture-postcard beaches and lush with jungle, it has an area of 136 square kilometers and a population of approximately 7,000. Jungle exploration, snorkeling, fishing and birdwatching lure travelers willing to step off the edge of the world and discover this African Eden.

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