Six so-called roças in São Tomé and Príncipe are now designated as UNESCO World Heritage Sites. And you can visit all of these places—you can hike there, explore, visit a museum, meet small business owners, but also go swimming, dine, enjoy a cocktail, stay overnight, or even bring some chocolate home. That’s because some of these roças now offer tourist attractions.
More importantly, however, São Tomé and Príncipe’s roças are an essential part of the country’s identity. This is where wealth was generated during the colonial era. This is where slaves and indentured laborers worked, and where the administrators lived in stately homes. The roças were self-sufficient agricultural estates, often with their own harbor and sometimes a railroad—a system created to efficiently grow sugar, coffee, cocoa, coconuts, and similar crops locally and export them directly to Portugal.
The designation of the Roças of São Tomé and Príncipe is viewed within the country as a recognition of its history. Furthermore, the World Heritage status is, of course, a special honor, made possible by a long process of collaboration between the government, UNESCO, and private initiatives in São Tomé and Príncipe.
The six UNESCO World Heritage Sites in São Tomé e Príncipe:
– Roça Água Izé: Cocoa cultivation was introduced here in the 19th century. Today, the Roça is best known for its impressive hospital building with a massive grand staircase. The simple, mass-housing quarters for slaves—and later “contract workers”—are clearly visible.
– Roça Diogo Vaz: Organic cocoa is currently grown and processed here. An excellent chocolate is available under the brand name of the same name, and a café in the capital invites visitors to enjoy chocolate and ice cream made right here.
– Roça Sundy: With a breathtaking view of the sea in the north of Príncipe Island, this is where Albert Einstein’s theory of relativity was first scientifically confirmed in 1919. Today, it is a stylish hotel with a bar and restaurant.
– Roça Belo Monte: This location boasts what is arguably the most spectacular view in the country. From the “Beautiful Mountain,” the lookout point stands more than 100 meters above the picturesque “Banana Beach” with its turquoise waters and white sand. Today, Belo Monte is also a hotel.
– Roça Monte Café: High up in the mountains lies the “Coffee Mountain,” usually shrouded in mist, with an imposing central assembly square beneath the bell that once rang every morning to call workers to their tasks. A museum in the former workshops commemorates the arduous labor and displays workers’ contracts signed with fingerprints. A small business offers local coffee and a good restaurant.
– Roça São João: Located halfway to the southern tip of the island of São Tomé, this roça is always a great place to stop. You can stay at the restaurant or in one of the approximately 8 guest rooms. The food is prepared by a chef known from Portuguese television. Artists work on site.
Source for the UNESCO publication:
https://whc.unesco.org/en/list/1750/