Weather in São Tomé and Príncipe

São Tomé and Príncipe has two distinct dry seasons and two wet seasons, a consequence of its equatorial location. The longest and most reliable dry season runs from June through September, known locally as the gravana, offering lower rainfall, lower humidity, and the easiest conditions for hiking, beach visits, and wildlife observation. This is the peak period for tourists and the most comfortable time climatically, though "dry" on equatorial islands always means relative — brief showers can occur even during the gravana. July and August are the clearest months, with seas calm enough for boat trips to offshore islets.

A shorter dry season, the gravanito, occurs from mid-December through mid-January, offering a second window of reduced rainfall that coincides conveniently with European and American holiday travel periods. The wet seasons — October through November and February through May — bring heavy equatorial rainfall, particularly in the south of São Tomé, where annual precipitation can exceed 7,000 mm. Hiking becomes difficult during peak wet months, and roads in the interior can become impassable. However, the wet season brings extraordinary birdwatching as resident species are most active, and the waterfalls of Obo National Park run at their most spectacular.