Travel and Tourism

Travel and Tourism in Sao Tome and Principe

Travel alerts, currency, climate, transit, health, and safety information for visitors to Sao Tome and Principe.

Practical Information

Travel alert status, currency, climate, and transit details.

Travel Alert Status: Level 1: Exercise Normal Precautions
Time Difference: UTC 0 (5 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
Currency: dobra (STD)
Climate: tropical; hot, humid; one rainy season (October to May)
Ethnic Groups: mestico, angolares (descendants of Angolan slaves), forros (descendants of freed slaves), servicais (contract laborers from Angola, Mozambique, and Cape Verde), tongas (children of servicais born on the islands), Europeans (primarily Portuguese)
National Holiday: Independence Day, 12 July (1975)
Geographic Coordinates: 1 00 N, 7 00 E
Location: Central Africa, islands in the Gulf of Guinea, just north of the Equator, west of Gabon
Airports: 2

Health and Safety

Medical facilities, vaccinations, disease risk, and sanitation conditions.

Medical Facilities and Care

Medical Facilities and Health Information: Medical facilities in São Tomé and Príncipe are extremely limited. There is one hospital in the country on the island of São Tomé, Hospital Central Ayres de Menezes, phone number 239 2-221-222. A few clinics also exist, but the service provided is very basic. For all but minor medical needs, it is necessary to travel to Libreville (Gabon), Lisbon (Portugal), or elsewhere. You should carry an ample supply of properly-labeled prescription drugs and other medications with you; an adequate supply of prescription or over-the-counter drugs in local stores or pharmacies is generally not available. Cerebral malaria is endemic in all areas of São Tomé and Príncipe. Travelers should discuss prophylaxis with a physician well before planned travel as some prophylactic medications must be started two weeks before arriving in a malarial zone. Even with prophylaxis you should familiarize yourself with the symptoms of malaria and seek medical treatment immediately if you experience symptoms. Tap water may not be potable and you should drink and cook with bottled water only. Schistosomiasis, also known as bilharzia, is endemic to São Tomé and Príncipe. Schistosomiasisis a parasite that can penetrate intact skin of those swimming or bathing in fresh water from lakes, rivers and streams. It is recommended to avoid contact with untreated fresh water to prevent schistosomiasis infection. Tuberculosis (TB) is an increasingly serious health concern in São Tomé and Príncipe.
Accessibility: While in São Tomé and Príncipe, individuals with disabilities may find accessibility and accommodation very different from what you find in the United States. The law does not prohibit discrimination against those with disabilities, but reported discrimination is rare. The law does not mandate accessibility and it is not provided in most areas.

Disease Risk

Degree of Risk: high
Food and Waterborne Diseases: bacterial diarrhea, hepatitis A, and typhoid fever
Vectorborne Diseases: malaria and dengue fever
Water-Contact Diseases: schistosomiasis

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