Come for the nature, stay for the cocoa at São Tomé and Príncipe

Gourmets, Michelin-starred chefs and luxury department stores consider his chocolate to be the best in the world.

On an island off the coast of West Africa, producer Claudio Corallo, 74, says he doesn’t know if it is actually true.

“But I make chocolate differently,” Corallo concedes.

He churns out the finest chocolate ranging from 75 to 100% in his small factory on the beach promenade of São Tomé.

Corallo is one of the few chocolate makers in the world who grows, dries and roasts his own cocoa – all by hand.

He even uses old cocoa varieties that are no longer grown elsewhere. “They may yield less, but they are of better quality, protect the soil and do not require fertilizer.”

The tropical climate at the equator and the volcanic soils are ideal for cocoa, says Corallo. As a result, the small archipelago of São Tomé and Príncipe in the Gulf of Guinea off the west coast of Africa became the world’s largest cocoa producer at the beginning of the 20th century. That earned them the nickname the “Chocolate Islands.”

Even today, cocoa is a key part of the economy. At Roça Diogo Vaz, visitors can see how organic cocoa cultivation works. The plantation, which dates back to 1880, focuses on “quality over quantity,” says production manager Abdel Carvalho.

Few international guests

This concept also shapes tourism on the island. Mass tourism is not an option due to its remote location and lack of international flight connections.

Also, São Tomé and the neighbouring island of Príncipe consist largely of mountains covered by rainforest that are difficult to access.

A large proportion of the roads are either poorly paved or not paved at all – so tourist infrastructure is developing only slowly. Only around 35,000 tourists visit the two islands each year.

Tiziano Pisoni also focuses entirely on sustainable nature tourism at his Mucumbli Eco Lodge not far from Roça Diogo Vaz. It is located on a headland from which humpback whales can be seen passing by from July to October. Mainly, though, the lodge is the gateway to Obô Nature Park.

Today, we are going to Angolar Waterfall with our guide João. Soon, the cocoa plantations give way to the deep jungle. He shows us snakes, monkeys and exotic birds such as flame weavers and Angola butterfly finches. A few thousand potholes further on, São João dos Angolares also offers exciting rainforest tours that end on black sand beaches.

Swimming across the equator

Here, star chef João Carlos Silva celebrates exotic slow food cuisine at his Roça São João. The restaurant terrace of the colonial house on the former cocoa plantation offers beautiful views of Santa Cruz Bay. From here, the island becomes even more unspoilt and wild.

Praia Inhame beach is home to the romantic wooden bungalows of the eco-lodge of the same name, where sea turtles lay their eggs from November onwards.

On the offshore island of Ilha das Rolas, you can swim or walk from the northern to the southern hemisphere, as the island straddles the equator. A mosaic floor depicting a map of the world marks the line. Full of coconut forests, it is a magical place.

But the Garden of Eden is São Tomé’s neighbouring island, Príncipe. It takes an hour for the small propeller plane to reach the “Island of the Prince,” 90% of which is covered with virtually untouched rainforest that ends at golden palm beaches on the turquoise Atlantic Ocean.

The island’s population of just under 8,000 lives from fishing, cocoa cultivation and nature tourism.

Alongside a few modest guesthouses in the main town of Santo António with its 2,000 inhabitants, South African IT millionaire Mark Shuttleworth runs three luxurious eco-lodges here under the name HBD Príncipe. That stands for “Here be dragons,” which is how early sailors marked unexplored regions on maps when they did not use the more common Latin “Hic sunt dracones.”

The flora and fauna are still largely unexplored. No wonder UNESCO designated the island a world biosphere reserve in 2012.
IT money for the natural paradise

Shuttleworth has invested €150 million to date to preserve this natural paradise. We go by jeep through the rainforest up to Roça Sundy.

The colonial mansion of the former Roça Paciência is now a beautiful boutique hotel. Guests can watch how the hotel’s own organic chocolate is made on the cocoa finca.

The estate, situated on a hill, is surrounded by rainforest where cocoa, mangoes, bananas and papayas grow. These can be enjoyed at breakfast in the morning along with a view of the coast.

Down below, the luxurious tented villas of Sundy Praia Resort blend harmoniously into the rainforest that stretches down to the beach. Here, the quiet is only interrupted by parrots and monkeys.

Meanwhile, further north, Bom Bom Príncipe Resort is surrounded by two picture-perfect palm-lined beaches.

The resorts offer visits to the social and animal welfare projects of Shuttleworth’s foundation, as well as rainforest treks and boat trips to countless dream beaches such as Macaco or Banana, where Bacardi shot one of its famous commercials in the 1990s. At Burra Beach, you can experience the hustle and bustle of a small fishing village.

Untouched natural environment

Today, however, Argentino steers the boat south towards Agulhas Bay with its mystical rock needle Pico Papagaio and the imposing Table Mountain. There is no more civilization here in the south. Being almost alone in this natural environment is the great luxury of the island.

Corallo also runs one of his cocoa plantations here. Looking out over the bay, I recall the taste of his chocolate. It is pure, different, surprising and addictive – just like the islands of São Tomé and Príncipe.