Sao Tome and Principe Weather and Climate
Geographical location
According to COUNTRYAAH, the São Tomé and Príncipe archipelago is about 205 kilometers south of Nigeria, west of Gabon and Equatorial Guinea. Only the Seychelles undercut the size of the second smallest state in Africa, whose larger island São Tomé is 48 kilometers long and 32 kilometers wide.
Only around 10 percent of the population live on the much smaller island of Príncipe, although there are only around 200,000 inhabitants in the small island state, whose southern tip extends to the equator. São Tomé and Príncipe are of volcanic origin and therefore very mountainous, the highest point (the Pico de São Tomé) exceeds 2000 meters.
The former crown colony of Portugal has been independent since 1975, but the official language is Portuguese to this day. The most important export good is still the qualitatively outstanding cocoa, whereby enormous oil discoveries off the coast of the islands promise an economic change.
As a result of these potential fortunes, São Tomé and Príncipe suffers from unstable governments that have again stumbled upon corruption scandals. However, the country is considered an extremely safe travel destination. 80 percent of the population are Catholics, the local currency is the Dobra.
The paradisiacal island place, still far away from mass tourism, is mainly accessible via Lisbon and Porto. The international airport is served by TAP and TAAG Angola Airlines (via Luanda), for example, and the flight time from Lisbon is around 9 hours. German citizens do not need a visa for stays of up to 15 days.
- Abbreviation Finder: Check to see national geography, brief history, society description, domestic politics, economy overview, and a list of widely used acronyms about Sao Tome and Principe.
Climate on São Tomé and Príncipe
The climate on the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe can be described as tropical, humid and hot. This means above all high temperatures of around 27 to 30 ° C all year round, even at night it only cools down insignificantly. In addition, there is a very high humidity of up to 95 percent due to the pronounced rainy season.
The rainy season on São Tomé and Príncipe begins around mid- September and often lasts until the end of May. Statistically, October, April and May are the rainiest months. It is comparatively dry and much more pleasant for us Europeans in the summer between June and the beginning of September.
There are hardly any regional differences, even at high altitudes it usually remains humid and hot. The hottest and humidest travel time is between December and April, here the daytime temperatures are often well above 30 degrees. The coolest months are July and August.
When is the best time to visit Sao Tome and Principe?
The dreamy islands are a real insider tip and are therefore particularly suitable for adventurous explorers and nature lovers. In recent years, however, a number of high-class hotels have also settled here, offering ideal conditions for a luxurious beach holiday.
In general, São Tomé and Príncipe can be visited all year round, as even during the long rainy season the sun comes out again and again and the temperatures are very warm 365 days a year.
Nevertheless, the hot season is definitely a challenge for many Central Europeans, the hot, stuffy air creates problems for the cycle. We therefore recommend June, July and August as the best time to visit São Tomé and Príncipe.
Optimal travel time for the regions
In the following overview you can see the best travel time depending on the region (São Tomé and Príncipe).
| Place | Best travel time |
| Santo Antonio | February, June, July and August |
| Sao Tome | February, June, July and August |
Temperatures, precipitation in Santo Antonio (Sao Tome and Principe)
| Jan | Feb | March | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
| Daytime temperature | 29 ° C | 30 ° C | 30 ° C | 29 ° C | 29 ° C | 28 ° C | 27 ° C | 27 ° C | 27 ° C | 28 ° C | 28 ° C | 29 ° C |
| Night temperature | 22 ° C | 20 ° C | 22 ° C | 22 ° C | 22 ° C | 21 ° C | 20 ° C | 20 ° C | 21 ° C | 21 ° C | 21 ° C | 22 ° C |
| Precipitation in mm | 113 | 105 | 186 | 233 | 229 | 89 | 21st | 36 | 146 | 398 | 174 | 142 |
| Rainy days | 9 | 7 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 5 | 4 | 6 | 15 | 21st | 13 | 10 |
| Sunrise | 5:40 | 5:40 | 5:35 | 5:25 | 5:20 | 5:25 | 5:30 | 5:30 | 5:20 | 5:15 | 5:15 | 5:25 |
| Sunset | 17:40 | 17:45 | 17:40 | 17:35 | 17:30 | 17:35 | 17:40 | 17:40 | 17:30 | 17:20 | 17:15 | 17:25 |
Temperatures
The annual average temperature in Santo Antonio is 24.8 ° C. For comparison: Munich reaches an average of 8.6 ° C, in Berlin it is 9.6 ° C. The warmest month is March (25.8 ° C), coldest month of July with averages of 23.5 ° C.
Precipitation
The annual precipitation is 1872 mm on 130 days with precipitation. For comparison: In Munich, 967 mm, in Berlin 570 mm, precipitation is measured annually. The months of March, April, May and October are considered the rainy season, as more than 175 mm of precipitation can be expected per month. Overall, about 1046 mm of precipitation can be expected in the rainy season. You cannot expect snow in any month in Santo Antonio.
