Banana Beach

Banana Beach curves along Príncipe's southwestern coast below the Belo Monte estate, a crescent of pale sand between forested headlands with the shape that gives it its name, and it became widely photographed after appearing in a coffee advertisement. Access is down a steep path from the estate above. The water is clear and the forest comes right to the back of the sand. Turtles nest on the sand in season, and the estate above runs the access in a way that keeps numbers on the beach low.

What you actually see

• The curved sand - the crescent shape the beach is named for.
• The forested headlands - the points enclosing the beach at both ends.
• The clear water - the sheltered conditions on this stretch of coast.
• The steep path - the descent from the Belo Monte estate above.

When to go

June to September is the drier gravana season. The island is wet in most months. The path down is slippery after rain.

Honest expectations

Access runs through a private estate and is controlled. The path down is steep and slippery. There are no facilities on the beach.

Nearby

Roça Belo Monte is above, and Santo António is northeast.