Bom Bom Island Sao Tome and Principe
Sao Tome & Principe
Frequently Asked Questions
Off the northern tip of Principe, the quieter of the two islands of Sao Tome and Principe, in the Gulf of Guinea. A long wooden boardwalk on stilts links the islet to the main island.
By tender. There is no terminal and no waterfront: expedition ships anchor offshore and set passengers down on the beach. It is a discreet call where nature holds the whole stage.
Swim and snorkel straight off the beach, then cross the boardwalk for a guided walk under Principe's canopy. Some outings also reach old rocas, the colonial-era cocoa estates.
Very good. The waters around the islet are among the clearest in the Gulf of Guinea, and you enter from the beach, no boat needed. You glide over coral heads where parrotfish and a crowd of tropical species circulate.
Two, facing away from each other on either side of the islet. Golden sand, fine and warm, a gentle slope and clear water: the layout means you can find shelter whichever way the wind blows that day.
The entire island is inscribed by UNESCO for its forest and endemic species. Bom Bom is one of its most accessible thresholds: a few steps of boardwalk take you from beach to primary forest.
Seasonally, yes. Pirogue trips offshore can catch the blow of whales passing along the archipelago. Nothing is guaranteed: it is a seasonal encounter, not a scheduled attraction.
A colonial-era agricultural estate where the cocoa that made the archipelago's fortune was grown. Weathered buildings, cocoa drying racks, palm avenues planted in straight lines: these places, some still inhabited, tell a complex chapter of the past and the life being rebuilt there.
Fine, for swimming and snorkelling in shallow water. That said, the tender landing, the absence of services and the equatorial heat call for preparation. This is not a call with conveniences.
Mask and snorkel if the ship does not lend them, mineral sunscreen, water shoes, insect repellent for the forest, and water. There is no shop on the islet: everything you need leaves the ship with you.
