Rich cultural life in São Tomé and Príncipe

Cultural life, reflecting the mixture of the population

São Tomé and Príncipe has a rich cultural life, reflecting the mixture of its population. Some of the cultural traditions were brought to the islands by the inhabitants from the countries from which they originated.  Others developed when these different cultures met on the islands.

CACAU network

A number of actions are taken to preserve and promote local cultural traditions and art, mainly through the CACAU network.

The activities of CACAU include exhibitions by local plastic artists, local gastronomy, theatre, traditional dances and sports as well as activities relating to “Tchiloli” and “Auto de Floripes”, special forms of theatre from São Tomé island and Príncipe, respectively.

Delicious Gastronomy

The combination of a rich tropical vegetation, cultural diversity and bountiful seas has resulted in an interesting and delicious gastronomy.

Tropical fruits and vegetables accompany a great variety of (often) fish based dishes. Chicken and pork are other ingredients that are frequently used.

The main hotels offer more international cuisine, with imported ingredients.