Surfing
Sao Tome & Principe - Going off the surf map
When I first started dreaming about surf spots outside of the mainstream destinations, my fingers were drawn to that tiny island nation off the coast of West Africa, Sao Tome & Principe. Sitting roughly directly on the equator, a couple hundred miles off of the coasts of Gabon and Equatorial Guinea, Sao Tome & Principe is wide open to any swell the Southern hemisphere kicks up. As you can see in the videos above and below, the place has been documented over a hundred years ago, and much more recently, to have a thriving local homegrown wave riding population, without any contact with their Polynesian brethren on the other side of the planet.
What I didn’t realize in my younger years when selecting Sao Tome & Principe almost randomly on the map on my wall, was just how difficult a place it is to get to. Several flights are available out of nearby African countries, or a much more expensive flight is available via Portugal. A former Portuguese territory, the island nation has been independent since 1975, and has weathered two coup attempts, one as recent as 2003. Quality hotels are few and far between, as the nation gets fewer than 20 visitors a week. Word is, that several entrepreneurs are in the process of building out eco resorts to bring wider tourism to the islands.
As for wave details, their is a little info available online and the islands are yours to explore. Bring a few boards to serve a variety of conditions, and be sure to bring a long some extras and gifts for the locals. Get out there, go off the surf map and explore.
Related Posts
Surf Central
WP Cumulus Flash tag cloud by Roy Tanck requires Flash Player 9 or better.
Daily Email from DailyStoke
Get DailyStoke right to your email once a day - Sign up here to stay stoked!
// Home // About // Subscribe // Editorial Policy // Advertise to Surfers // Surf Archives // Legal // Sitemap
Discussion
No comments for “Sao Tome & Principe - Going off the surf map”
Post a comment