São Tomé: how to get there and around
Airports, stations, ports, where the hotels are and what the numbers say, from public data rather than a brochure.
São Tomé is the capital of Sao Tome and Principe (São Tomé Island), 140 m (459 ft) above sea level. The nearest large airport is São Tomé International Airport (TMS), 5 km (3 mi) from the centre.
Key facts
Daylight in São Tomé runs from about 12 h 8 min a day in late December to 12 h 11 min in late June (computed for 0.34° latitude), which matters more than the forecast when a day is built around one flight or one crossing.
Getting there
São Tomé is served by one airport with scheduled flights. The closest large one is São Tomé International Airport (TMS), 5 km (3 mi) from the centre, with a longest runway of 7,283 ft, which limits it to short and medium-haul aircraft.
Flights to São Tomé: every airport, routes and times
Buses to São Tomé · Driving and car hire
Nearby cities, and how to get between them
- Libreville, 303 km (Gabon)
- Bata, 378 km (Equatorial Guinea)
- Port-Gentil, 257 km (Gabon)
Twin towns and sister cities: Lisbon, Kingstown, Luanda, Libreville, Accra.
Common questions
Which airport serves São Tomé?
São Tomé International Airport (TMS), 5 km (3 mi) from the centre.
How big is São Tomé?
About 53,300 people live in São Tomé, across 17 km² (GeoNames and Wikidata).
What time zone is São Tomé in?
Africa/Sao_Tome, currently UTC+0.
What currency is used in São Tomé?
The Dobra (STN). Traffic drives on the right.
Which cities are near São Tomé?
Libreville (303 km), Bata (378 km), Port-Gentil (257 km).
Where these facts come from
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, elevation, time zone, postal codes
- Wikidata (CC0): area, sister cities, visitor numbers, heritage listings, stations and ports
- OurAirports (public domain): airports, runways
- Natural Earth (public domain): map outlines
Data compiled 13 September 2026. Hotel figures are from our booking partner’s catalogue on that date. Journey times on this page are estimates from distance, not timetables; check the operator before you rely on one.