The West coast of the island is completely wild and occupied by the Natural Park Obô of São Tomé, with no access roads or villages. Occasionally you can meet a few fishermen and hunters, but it is mainly lush green forest. This is where rare birds endemic to the island – like the Ibis of São Tomé – can still be spotted. The Forest Giant Snail, an endangered species, can also be found here.
The West coast in 1 day
Duration: 8 -10 h
Difficulty: Difficult
Elevation difference: + 550 m / – 550 m
Price: Contact us for your budget
Prices include: Guide, Boat, Vehicle, fuel, picnic
For the most adventurous, we offer a complete tour of the island in one day!
Enjoy the spectacular view of the peaks on the West coast while travelling by boat from Mucumbli to São Miguel. The walk will start after a quick visit to the charming São Miguel Chapel. We will encounter ruins of roças and admire the peaks of both Cão Grande and Cão Pequeno before reaching Praia Jalé. Once there, decide whether to spend the night at the Jalé Ecolodge or to make your way back just in time to enjoy the sunset over Cão Grande.
Trekking along the West coast – Ponta Furada to Jalé in 2 days
Difficulty: Very difficult. This hike can only be undertaken in perfect physical condition and with good trekking training.
Price: From €300 p/p (min. 2 people);
Prices include: guides, vehicle, fuel, all meals and water, camping equipment (tent, sleeping bag, camping mat).
1st Day: Ponta Furada / S. Miguel
Transfer from Mucumbli to Ponta Furada, starting point of the trek. Following the ancient rails through cocoa plantations, we will reach Roça Binda and then continue along the coast up to Juliana de Sousa, where we will see the remains of this plantation. We then enter the Obô Natural Park of São Tomé, a perfect habitat for several endemic plants and birds. This part of the coast is well known for the presence of the Pandanus Thomensis (Pau esteira) with its unmistakable aerial roots. We will ascend the hill separating us from the S. Miguel Bay, where we will pitch our tents for the night.
Elevation difference: +830 / -890
Duration: Between 9 and 12 hours
Overnight stay in: S. Miguel
2nd day: S. Miguel / Praia Jalé
Passing by the old chapel of S. Miguel, used by local fishermen and winemakers to this day, we will continue our trek towards S. António Mussacavú, crossing several rivers in the process, including the Xufexufe, the Quija and the Mussacavu. Having left S. Antonio Mussacavu behind, we will enjoy a magnificent view on Cão Grande’s little brother Cão Pequeno, a 390m basaltic monolite on the East coast. After crossing the river Portinho we will arrive at the ruins of the old Roça Santa Josefina where we will begin a gentle descent to Jalé Beach, the most picturesque of the southern beaches and an invaluable sanctuary for sea turtles. At Jalé Beach we will be re-united with our vehicle for the journey back either to São Tomé or to your accommodation.
Elevation difference: +550 / -550
Duration: Between 8 and 10 hours
Trekking along the West coast – Ponta Furada to Jalé in 3 days
Difficulty: Very difficult. This hike can only be undertaken in perfect physical condition and with good trekking training.
Price: contact us for a quote
1st Day: Ponta Furada / Burnay
Transfer from Mucumbli to Ponta Furada, starting point of the trek. Following the ancient rails through cocoa plantations we will reach Roça Binda and then continue along the coast up to Juliana de Sousa, where we will see the remains of this plantation. We then enter the Obô Natural Park of São Tomé, a perfect habitat for several endemic plants and birds. This part of the coast is well known for the presence of the Pandanus Thomensis (Pau esteira) with its unmistakable aerial roots.
At Burnay Beach we will pitch our tents for our first night in the forest.
Elevation difference: +280 / -340
Approximate Distance: 22km
Duration: Between 6 and 8 hours
Overnight stay in: Burnay
2nd day: Burnay / S. António Mussacavú
Early in the morning we will make our way up to Morro which separates us from S. Miguel Bay. During the descent towards the bay we will enjoy beautiful views of small, green islands setting off the deep blue of the sea. Passing by the old chapel of S. Miguel, used by local fishermen and winemakers to this day, we will continue our trek towards S. António Mussacavú, crossing several rivers including the Xufexufe and the Quija. This is the area where the last specimens of an endemic bird sadly endangered can be found: with a bit of luck we might be able to spot some of Sao Tome Ibises. The last obstacle to arrive at our camp near the S. Antonio Beach, will be the river Mussacavu. We will spend the night in the tents near the ruins of the old plantation.
Elevation difference: (+740/ – 740)
Approximate Distance: 18km
Duration: between 7 and 9 hours
Overnight stay in: S. António Mussacavú
3rd: S. António Mussacavú / Jalé
Having left S. Antonio Mussacavu behind, we will enjoy a magnificent view on Cão Grande’s little brother Cão Pequeno, a 390m basaltic monolite, on the East coast. After crossing the river Portinho, we will arrive at the ruins of the old Roça Santa Josefina where we will begin our gentle descent to Jalé Beach, the most picturesque of the southern beaches and an invaluable sanctuary for sea turtles. Several species of turtles spawn on this beach, the gigantic leatherback sea turtle (Dermochelys Coriacea) to mention one. At Jalé Beach we will be re-united with our vehicle for the journey back either to São Tomé or to your accommodation.
Elevation difference: (+350/ – 350)
Approximate Distance: 18km
Duration: between 5 and 6 hours
