What is the best hotel on Príncipe island? We compare Sundy Praia, Bom Bom and Roça Belo Monte, with nightly prices, the budget guest houses of Santo António and the status of Roça Sundy.
What is the best hotel on Príncipe island? It depends on what you are looking for. Sundy Praia is the luxury option, with tented villas in the forest by the beach. Bom Bom is the most balanced beach hotel, between two beaches and an islet. Roça Belo Monte is the hilltop manor house overlooking Praia Banana. For smaller budgets there are guest houses in Santo António, from €45 to €80 a night. Roça Sundy is closed for restoration.
Prefer to have everything arranged? Our Príncipe and São Tomé trip includes flights from Lisbon and between the islands, Bom Bom Resort, half board and a guide, 9 days from €2,950.
Príncipe has few rooms and none of them is a neutral choice: the hotel shapes the whole trip far more than on São Tomé island. In this guide we compare every hotel on Príncipe island, with guide prices, who each one suits and how many nights to stay.
Sundy Praia, the most exclusive hotel on Príncipe island, between the forest and the sea. Photo: Príncipe Collection
Hotels on Príncipe island: summary
- Sundy Praia: luxury, tented villas in the forest by the beach. Over €1,000 per villa per night.
- Bom Bom: beach and peace and quiet, bungalows by the sea. From about €500 per double room.
- Roça Belo Monte: manor house overlooking Praia Banana. From about €400 per double room.
- Guest houses in Santo António: simple and clean, €45 to €80 per double room.
- Roça Sundy: closed for restoration, no confirmed reopening date.
The hotels in the north of the island belong to Príncipe Collection and charge a conservation contribution of €25 per person per night (ages 13 and over). Prices are guide prices for 2026 and vary by season; they are always confirmed at booking.
Sundy Praia: the luxury hotel on Príncipe island
Sundy Praia is the most exclusive place to stay in the archipelago: fifteen tented villas set in the forest next to a long, wild beach, with an infinity pool, a restaurant open to the sea and a level of privacy unmatched in the country. It is eco-luxury in the true sense: light construction blending into the landscape, with resort-level service.
The Sundy Praia infinity pool, facing the sea. Photo: Príncipe Collection
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Best for: honeymoons, special occasions and anyone who wants the best the island has to offer. Avoid if: budget is your priority, as it is the most expensive option in the country.
Bom Bom: the beach hotel
Bom Bom is the best-known place to stay on Príncipe and the one most used on organised trips. It sits between two beaches, with an islet linked to the shore by a wooden walkway — the image that represents Príncipe in half the photos you have ever seen. The bungalows are by the sea and the pace is slow: you wake up to the sound of the waves, swim before breakfast and the day drifts by.
The northern beaches near Bom Bom are often empty. Photo: Príncipe Collection
Best for: beach, tranquillity and the classic Príncipe setting. Avoid if: you are after five-star hotel service; Bom Bom's selling point is its location.
Roça Belo Monte: the manor house with a view
Roça Belo Monte is a restored manor house on a hilltop, facing the bay and Praia Banana, the crescent-shaped beach on the destination's posters. In 2026 Roça Belo Monte was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List, together with five other roças of São Tomé and Príncipe. It combines the character of a historic roça with more comfort than is usual for this type of property.
Praia Banana, a few minutes from Roça Belo Monte. Photo: Príncipe Collection
Best for: the view and the roça atmosphere without giving up comfort. Avoid if: you have mobility issues, as it is high up and the beach is down below.
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Roça Sundy: closed for restoration
Roça Sundy is the former plantation where, in 1919, Arthur Eddington's expedition observed the eclipse that confirmed Einstein's Theory of Relativity. It was also added to the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2026. The hotel on the roça is closed for a restoration programme and there is no reopening date yet. If you want to visit the grounds and the eclipse plaque, ask us before your trip whether visits are open.
Budget hotels in Santo António
If you spend the day out and just need a clean bed, Santo António has several guest houses and B&Bs, with double rooms from €45 to €80 a night, often without breakfast. They are simple, with no postcard views, but they are close to the airport, the market and the island's few restaurants, where you can eat the catch of the day at local prices. A good strategy is to combine two nights in a guest house with one night at Bom Bom or Belo Monte. We do the maths in how much a trip to Príncipe island costs.
Santo António bay, where the budget guest houses are. Photo: Príncipe Collection
Which to choose, by type of traveller
- First visit, 3 nights: Bom Bom. It covers beach, sea and the island's essentials.
- Honeymoon: Sundy Praia, or Belo Monte if you prefer character to luxury. See honeymoon in São Tomé and Príncipe and our honeymoon package with Bom Bom Resort.
- Culture lovers: Roça Belo Monte, while Roça Sundy is closed.
- Photography and scenery: Belo Monte, for the view over Praia Banana.
- Tight budget: a guest house in Santo António and outings with a local guide.
- Five nights: two bases, a roça and a beach, to see both sides of the island.
How many nights and how to plan
Three nights is the minimum that makes sense; four or five is ideal. With two, half the time goes on flights and transfers. Domestic flights do not operate on Tuesdays and the baggage allowance is 15 kg, so the flight schedule determines your nights. We explain everything in how many days on Príncipe island and how to get to Príncipe island.
A full trip to both islands needs 9 to 11 days. Our São Tomé and Príncipe Island holiday includes nights at Bom Bom, TAP flights from Lisbon and the domestic flight, from €2,950 per person. For things to do on the island, read our Príncipe island guide.
Late afternoon in the north of Príncipe. Photo: Príncipe Collection
FAQ: hotels on Príncipe island
What is the best hotel on Príncipe island?
For luxury, Sundy Praia; for beach and balance, Bom Bom; for views and character, Roça Belo Monte.
How much does a night at a hotel on Príncipe cost?
From €45 to €80 at a guest house in Santo António, from about €400 at Belo Monte, €500 at Bom Bom and over €1,000 at Sundy Praia, plus a €25 per person per night conservation contribution at these three.
Is Roça Sundy open?
The Roça Sundy hotel is closed for restoration, with no confirmed reopening date.
Are there cheap hotels on Príncipe island?
Yes, the guest houses and B&Bs in Santo António, with double rooms from €45 to €80 a night.
Does the Pestana group have a hotel on Príncipe?
No. Pestana has hotels in São Tomé city. The former resort on Ilhéu das Rolas, in the south of São Tomé island, has closed.
How many nights should you stay on Príncipe?
Between three and five. Any fewer and the domestic flight takes up too much of your time.
Are there ATMs on Príncipe?
Very few. Bring euros in cash; see how much money to take.
We take care of the whole island
On Príncipe rooms sell out months in advance and flights are not daily. We book early and fit flights, transfers and nights together before proposing dates. See our São Tomé and Príncipe Island holiday or talk to our team.
