Christmas in São Tomé & Príncipe — In the Footsteps of Gago Coutinho
A 9-day small group tour, from the Equator Monument to the southern beaches, flights included
Christmas in the sun, in the one place where the Earth splits in two
If you are looking for winter sun holidays in December without crossing half the planet, São Tomé and Príncipe sits just over six hours by direct flight from Lisbon, with the sea at 27ºC. This is a 9-day small group tour, from 20 to 28 December 2026, with flights included, a resident guide with the group throughout and a guaranteed departure — built for people who really want to spend Christmas on the beach, not just escape the cold.
The thread running through this trip is the Equator Monument on Ilhéu das Rolas, built at the request of Admiral Gago Coutinho, the Portuguese navigator who made the first aerial crossing of the South Atlantic. On Christmas Eve we cross by boat to the islet and stand with one foot in each hemisphere — the kind of photograph nobody takes twice in a lifetime. That evening, Christmas dinner is served by the sea, in bungalows twenty metres from the water, right in the middle of the turtle nesting season on the south coast.
In between we cross the island end to end: the Coffee Route up to 800 metres of altitude, among old plantation houses, coffee terraces and waterfalls; the Cocoa Route through the north, from Guadalupe to Lagoa Azul, with the Agostinho Neto roça made famous by Miguel Sousa Tavares in Equator; and the Paradise Beaches Route down south, with the largest open-air laundry in the world at the mouth of the Abade river, the Água Izé roça, the Boca do Inferno blowhole and the viewpoint over Pico Cão Grande. Plus a gourmet lunch at the plantation of chef João Carlos Silva, the island's best-known cook.
We stay in three carefully chosen properties — the Pestana / Emoyeni Gardens in town, the sea-facing bungalows of the Inhame Ecolodge in the south, and the restored Roça Santa Luzia in the green interior. Half board, 4x4 with driver, five guided excursions and three special meals included, from 2,450€ per person.
This is not a catalogue holiday. It is the last week of the year lived at the leve leve rhythm of the Islands of Happiness — and places are strictly limited.
Note for travellers outside Portugal: the group trip starts and ends in Lisbon and the price includes the Lisbon–São Tomé–Lisbon flight. Your flight to Lisbon is booked separately — our team will gladly advise you on the best connection.
Day-by-day itinerary
Check-in at Lisbon airport for the scheduled TAP flight to São Tomé and Príncipe, departing in the morning and arriving in the late afternoon. Welcome by our representative guide and immediate transfer to the hotel, with assistance throughout this first day — including changing euros into dobras. Welcome dinner included at a lovely restaurant in town. Accommodation at the Emoyeni Gardens or Pestana.
We climb to 800 metres of altitude, into the island's breadbasket, where you find old roças, coffee terraces and the vegetable gardens that supply the whole country. On the way, the town of Trindade with its market, church and town hall. We visit Roça Monte Café (museum entry not included) and have lunch at the Almada Negreiros Museum, set in the former Roça Saudade where the painter and poet was born — lunch included. Return to the hotel. Dinner at leisure.
After breakfast we cross Guadalupe into the Lembá district to visit a cocoa cooperative: fermentation, cleaning, drying and the bean-by-bean hand sorting done by the women of the cooperative (4€ per person, payable locally). We continue to the famous Lagoa Azul with time for a swim, and lunch at a panoramic restaurant. In the afternoon, the deep north and the Agostinho Neto roça, so vividly portrayed in the novel Equator by Miguel Sousa Tavares. Return to the hotel. Dinner at leisure.
A day of pure emotion: we cross the island to the south, also known as the Coconut Route. First stop at the largest laundry in the world, at the mouth of the Abade river, where hundreds of women wash clothes by hand. We continue to the Água Izé roça and to the Boca do Inferno geological site, where we drink a fresh coconut. The road carries on through rainforest and volcanic landscapes, with the viewpoint over Pico Cão Grande and the Malanza river. Arrival at the Inhame Ecolodge, lunch at leisure, dinner included and accommodation in a bungalow. Please note: the Inhame is a simple eco-resort built into nature — there are no hairdryers and hot water in the showers runs between 6pm and 9pm. In exchange, the bungalows sit twenty metres from a sea at 27, 28, 29 degrees.
The big day of this trip. After breakfast, a boat crossing to Ilhéu das Rolas at the island's unhurried leve leve rhythm, over the warm waters of the Gulf of Guinea. The whole day is dedicated to exploring the islet and reaching the Equator Monument, built at the request of Admiral Gago Coutinho: here you can stand, quite literally, in both hemispheres at the same time. Lunch at a local restaurant on the islet. Return in the late afternoon. Christmas dinner included and accommodation at the sea-facing Inhame Ecolodge.
A morning immersed in the farming traditions of the south, with a gentle walk through the plantations to the famous Praia Piscina — a natural swimming pool of clear water sheltered by rocks, and one of the most beautiful sights in São Tomé. Afternoon free to do absolutely nothing: beach, hammock and the sound of the sea. Dinner included and accommodation at the Inhame Ecolodge.
We begin the journey back to the capital with stops at some of the island's most photogenic spots: the Rio Cauê viewpoint and a hidden beach where a mirror of water reflects the imposing Pico Cão Grande. We cross a vast palm plantation to reach the Ribeira Peixe waterfall, beside the fishing beach. At lunchtime we pass through the town of Angolares and arrive at Roça São João dos Angolares, home of chef João Carlos Silva: a festival of flavours in a gourmet lunch, included. On to the interior and accommodation at Roça Santa Luzia.
We wake at Roça Santa Luzia, with birdsong and a garden of endemic flowers as our farewell to paradise. After breakfast, a walk to the Milagrosa waterfall. We then head into São Tomé city to visit the centre, the market and Independence Square, with an external visit to São Sebastião Fort. Farewell lunch at leisure. Chocolate tasting and back to the hotel to relax. At 5pm, transfer to the airport for departure formalities.
Scheduled arrival in Lisbon at 5.20am. End of our services — and the beginning of wanting to go back.
What's included
- TAP flights Lisbon – São Tomé – Lisbon, return
- 1 checked bag of 23 kg and 1 cabin bag of 8 kg per person
- 8 nights accommodation with breakfast at the Pestana / Emoyeni Gardens, Inhame Ecolodge (bungalow) and Roça Santa Luzia
- Half board throughout the trip
- 3 special meals: lunch at the Almada Negreiros Museum, gourmet lunch at Roça São João dos Angolares with chef João Carlos Silva, and Christmas dinner
- Welcome dinner on the first day
- Resident guide with the group throughout the trip
- Modern 4x4 vehicle with driver and insurance included
- 5 guided excursions: Coffee Route, Cocoa Route, Paradise Beaches Route in the south, Ilhéu das Rolas and São Tomé city tour
- Boat crossing from São Tomé to Ilhéu das Rolas
- Other stops along the way: Guadalupe and the northern beaches, Porto Alegre and Vila Malanza, Angolares and its viewpoints
- Travel health consultation
What's not included
- Anything not listed as included
- Tourist tax of 2.10€ per person per night, paid directly at the airport on arrival
- Visit to the cocoa cooperative: 4€ per person, payable locally
- Entry to the Roça Monte Café museum
- Meals shown as at leisure in the programme (dinners on days 2 and 3, lunches on days 4 and 8)
- Flights from your home city to Lisbon, if you are not departing from Portugal
- Drinks, tips and personal expenses
Gallery
Frequently asked questions
São Tomé and Príncipe is about 6h30 by direct flight from Lisbon and in December temperatures sit between 26ºC and 30ºC, with the sea around 27ºC. It is one of the most direct answers for anyone searching for winter sun holidays and wanting to spend Christmas on the beach.
The Equator Monument on Ilhéu das Rolas was built at the request of Admiral Gago Coutinho, the Portuguese navigator who, with Sacadura Cabral, made the first aerial crossing of the South Atlantic. It is the only place in the archipelago where the equator line meets land, so you can stand in both hemispheres at once. We visit it on Christmas Eve.
No vaccination is compulsory for São Tomé, but we always recommend speaking to your doctor — a travel health consultation is included in the package. A passport valid for at least 6 months is required; our team confirms the current entry requirements with you at the time of booking.
TAP flies to São Tomé four times a week, but only Saturdays are non-stop. Depending on the date, the outbound or return leg may include a technical stop in Accra, Ghana, of around one hour, with no need to leave the aircraft.
The group trip starts and ends in Lisbon, and the price includes the Lisbon – São Tomé – Lisbon flight. You book your own flight to Lisbon and the connection home; our team will gladly advise you on timings so it all fits together.
Yes. December falls within the sea turtle nesting season on the southern beaches — and that is exactly where we spend Christmas Eve and Christmas Day, at the Inhame Ecolodge, in bungalows a few metres from the sand.
Terms and conditions
Preços por pessoa: quarto duplo 2.450€ · quarto triplo 2.400€ · suplemento de quarto individual 600€.
Sinal de reserva: o valor indicado nesta página, por pessoa. A reserva só é confirmada após o pagamento do sinal. A viagem deverá estar totalmente paga 30 dias antes da data de partida. Os pagamentos são efetuados para a conta bancária da agência em Espanha.
Documentos necessários para reservar: nome completo conforme o passaporte, data de nascimento, nacionalidade, número, data de emissão e data de validade do passaporte, morada completa e número de contribuinte.
Este programa contempla uma logística minuciosamente estudada, mas está sujeito às intempéries da natureza: a ordem dos passeios poderá ser alterada sem aviso prévio, mantendo-se o conteúdo do programa.
Vamos Fugir · Licença Turismo de Portugal RNAVT n.º 4155 · Contribuinte n.º 510 655 360 · Tel. 927063685 · info@vamosfugir.pt
- Adult price
- 2450€
- Single supplement
- +600€
- Book for
- 1500€