Obo National Park covers most of the southern half of São Tomé Island, protecting the island's primary rainforest and the unique ecosystems that develop from sea level up to the 2,024m summit of Pico de São Tomé. The park is one of the most biodiverse places in Central Africa, with an extraordinary concentration of endemic species — birds, reptiles, amphibians, and plants found nowhere else on earth.
Access is typically from São João dos Angolares on the south coast, where local guides can be arranged for hikes into the forest. The trails are not well-maintained and the forest is dense and wet; this is not casual walking. But for serious birdwatchers and naturalists, the park is a genuinely exceptional destination — worth a multi-day stay on its own terms. The drive south from the capital through the old cocoa plantation estates is itself rewarding, with roças in various states of romantic decay lining the road.