Roça Bombaim

Bombaim lies deep in the interior of São Tomé at the end of a rough track through the forest, a plantation that grew cocoa and cinchona in an area now largely reclaimed by the Obô forest, and the buildings stand half swallowed by it: the manor house, the terraces and the quarters with trees growing through the roofs. A small community still lives there and the surrounding forest is among the least disturbed on the island.

What to look for

• The overgrown buildings - the manor and quarters with forest growing through them.
• The interior position - an estate at the end of a track deep in the forest.
• The Obô forest - among the least disturbed woodland on the island.
• The small community - the families still living on the estate.

When to go

June to September is the drier gravana season and the track is passable. Rain makes it impassable. The forest is wet year round.

Good to know

The track needs four-wheel drive and is impassable after heavy rain. Buildings are unsafe and entering them is risky. Families live there and permission matters.

Nearby

Monte Café is northeast, and Pico de São Tomé is north.