Things to Do in São Tomé and Príncipe in September

September's morning mist clings to this 663m (2,175 ft) needle of hardened magma, creating the photogenic conditions that make the climb worthwhile. The trail from Roça São João dos Angolares starts cool at 6am - by 9am you'll be sweating through your shirt as you ascend 500m (1,640 ft) through secondary forest where endemic orchids bloom in the humidity.

Leatherback turtles nest here year-round, but September nights offer the best odds - guides from the nearby fishing village know the beach's rhythms like their own heartbeat. You'll walk 1.5 km (0.9 miles) of black sand while guides scan for tracks, the Atlantic crashing so loud you whisper without realizing.

The 19th-century cocoa plantations feel different in September - morning fog hides the decay at places like Roça Água Izé, making the 200-year-old hospital buildings seem mysteriously intact rather than crumbling. You'll walk 3 km (1.9 miles) through shade-grown cocoa trees where the air smells faintly of fermentation.

September seas around Príncipe are typically glass-calm in the mornings, good for circumnavigating this 19 km (12 mile) volcanic island. You'll pass Baía das Agulhas where phonolite towers rise 200m (656 ft) straight from turquoise water, then snorkel at Praia Boi with its underwater volcanic arches.

September's markets overflow with breadfruit and the last avocados of the season - perfect timing to learn calulu, the national stew that layers smoked fish with fresh okra and palm oil. Classes happen in family kitchens around Santa Catarina, where the wood smoke from outdoor stoves perfumes everything you cook.