São Tomé and Príncipe is one of Africa's most extraordinary and least-visited destinations — a tiny island nation in the Gulf of Guinea, just north of the equator, where Portuguese colonial history, African culture, and extraordinary natural beauty combine to create one of the continent's most unique travel experiences. Known as the "Chocolate Islands" for their extraordinary cocoa heritage, São Tomé and Príncipe were once the world's largest producers of cacao — and the legacy of those great plantations, the roças, remains one of the most atmospheric and haunting experiences in all of Africa.

The islands are covered in extraordinary primary rainforest — home to endemic bird species found nowhere else on earth, pristine beaches of black and white sand, and a marine environment of extraordinary richness. Príncipe, the smaller island, is a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve — one of the most pristine and biodiverse islands in the Atlantic Ocean. Verified local Ambassadors guide every step of this extraordinary island journey.