Pico de São Tomé

Pico de São Tomé rises to 2,024 metres in the middle of the island, the highest point in the country, and the climb from Bom Sucesso goes up through Obô rainforest that gets wetter and mossier with every hundred metres until the trees are dwarfed and hung with epiphytes near the top. It is done over two days with a camp in the forest. Pico Ana Chaves, at 1,630 metres the second highest point, stands about three kilometres to the south-east, and old maps name the summit after the aviator Gago Coutinho. The summit is in cloud on most days of the year.

Highlights

• The summit - 2,024 metres, the highest point in the country.
• The forest zones - rainforest thickening into mossy cloud forest with altitude.
• The epiphytes - the mosses, ferns and orchids covering the upper trees.
• The overnight camp - the stop in the forest partway up.

When to go

June to September is the gravana, the drier season, and the practical window. Rain falls in most months regardless. Cloud covers the summit most days.

Things to know

The trail is a mudslide in most conditions and the summit is almost always in cloud. A guide and park permission are required. The camp is basic and everything must be carried.

Nearby

Monte Café is below, and Bombaim is southeast.

Key facts