Annobón Island

Annobón lies some six hundred kilometres southwest of the mainland, a volcanic island of around seventeen square kilometres with a few thousand people, and it is one of the most isolated inhabited places in the Atlantic. Its people speak Fa d'Ambô, a Portuguese-based creole, rather than Spanish or Fang. A crater lake sits in the middle and whales pass offshore in the southern winter.

Background

The island's Portuguese name, Ano-Bom, recalls its discovery by the Portuguese on 1 January 1473, New Year's Day. It appears to have been uninhabited until settlement began in 1474, mainly with enslaved Africans brought from Angola by way of São Tomé. Of the country's islands, Annobón alone lies south of the Equator, and with its islets it forms the smallest province by both area and population. The 2015 census counted 5,323 inhabitants. San Antonio de Palé, the main settlement, is on the north side, and Mabana, San Pedro and Aual are smaller villages. Fishing and forestry are the main industries. The island became a Ramsar site on 2 June 2003.

Source: Wikipedia, "Annobón"

Highlights

• The volcanic interior - craters and steep ground filling the small island.
• The Fa d'Ambô language - a Portuguese creole spoken nowhere else.
• The isolation - six hundred kilometres of open ocean from the mainland.
• The whales - humpbacks passing offshore in the southern winter.

When to go

June to September is the drier season and the whale window. Flights and ships are irregular in any month. Permits must be arranged well in advance.

Practical notes

Access requires a permit that is not routinely granted, and transport is irregular; being stranded for weeks is normal. There is essentially no visitor infrastructure. Photography restrictions apply across the country.

Nearby

Lago A Pot is on the island, and the mainland is far northeast.