Ana Chaves Bay

Port overview

Ana Chaves Bay (Portuguese: Baía de Ana Chaves) is a bay on the northeast coast of São Tomé Island in São Tomé and Príncipe. The capital city of São Tomé and its port are situated by the bay. It stretches from the Ponta Oque del Rei in the north to Ponta São Sebastião in the south. Forte de São Sebastião, now part of São Sebastião Museum, occupies Ponta São Sebastião. The port of São Tomé was built at the end of the 1950s on reclaimed land that extends 0.2 miles (0.32 km) north of Ponta São Sebastião; there is a 200 m quay at its north end, with a depth of 3 metres alongside. It is the main port of the country for solid goods; the port of Neves is the main point of entry for liquid fuels. The bay is generally shallow, offering anchorage for small vessels in depths of less than 5 metres (16 ft). There is a lighthouse at Ponta Oque del Rei at the northwestern end of the bay, built in 1994. Its focal height is 9 metres and its range is 6 nmi (11 km; 6.9 mi). Another light is the São Sebastião Lighthouse at the southeastern end of the bay, built in 1928. Its focal height is 14 metres and its range is 12 nmi (22 km; 14 mi). On 23 May 2006, Air São Tomé and Príncipe's only aircraft, a DHC-6 Twin Otter Series 300, crashed in Ana Chaves Bay in the north east of São Tomé Island during a training flight. There were four fatalities, and the aircraft was damaged beyond repair. In 2011, the government of São Tomé and Príncipe granted a long-term concession to Angolan state oil company Sonangol to control and develop the port in which Sonangol have been reported to have invested US$30 million in developing a free trade zone.

Cruise visitors arriving at Ana Chaves Bay disembark into a port that has been progressively expanded to handle larger ships and quicker turnaround. From the pier you can typically expect covered passenger processing, a clearly signed ground-transport area, and a transfer of just a few minutes to the principal in-town attractions. The exact walking distance from gangway to historic centre depends on the day's berth assignment, so checking the daily port map at guest services is worthwhile before you leave the ship.

Shore excursions in Ana Chaves Bay break down into three useful brackets. Short half-day options keep you within the immediate city or coast, a manageable choice if you want a guaranteed early return to the ship. Full-day tours reach inland or up the coast (the usual mix of viewpoints, vineyards, archaeological sites or beach clubs) and are best when the ship is in port for at least nine hours. A growing number of independent travellers also book private guides through reputable local operators, which gives faster transitions and more flexibility than the ship-organised tour buses.

Independent travellers often combine a self-guided walk through the historic core of Ana Chaves Bay with a short transit ride or taxi hop to a viewpoint. Local food markets, neighbourhood cafés and small museums consistently provide the most memorable stops between the headline sights. If you have a strong walker in your group, plotting a 90-minute morning loop on the way out and saving the harbour-side promenade for the end of the day works well.

Within walking distance of the cruise berth, Ana Chaves Bay typically offers a compact historic core of two or three landmark buildings, a working market, a waterfront promenade and one or two small museums. A pre-call review of the local tourist office's website will surface any temporary exhibitions, festivals or street markets that align with your call day.

Practical considerations for Ana Chaves Bay include the local currency (Dobra (STN); EUR widely accepted), the working language (Portuguese) and a tipping convention where 10% appreciated. Confirm shuttle availability if your berth is more than a kilometre from the city centre, plan your re-boarding window with at least a 60-minute buffer before the all-aboard call, and keep your ship card and a printed itinerary copy on you throughout the day.

Beyond the standard cruise itinerary stops, Ana Chaves Bay has a quieter character that rewards passengers who venture even a few blocks beyond the obvious tourist arteries. Residential streets, working fishing quays, secondary plazas and small religious or civic buildings often hold the architectural and cultural details that turn a routine port call into a richer experience. Even a brief detour from the announced excursion path can transform the day.

For navigation reference, Ana Chaves Bay sits at approximately 0.3500° latitude, 6.7333° longitude, useful for cross-checking the port against weather services, ship trackers and itinerary planning tools.

Top shore excursion ideas

Below are the most useful ways to spend a day ashore at Ana Chaves Bay, ordered roughly by how productive they are for a typical cruise call. Costs are USD per person and exclude tips.

Practical info for cruise visitors

Getting back to the ship

Most cruise calls at Ana Chaves Bay end the same way they began: a short transfer (or walk) back to the cruise berth, security re-screening, and a return up the gangway with your ship card. Pre-arranged tours; hire cars. If your excursion is taking you any meaningful distance from the port, take a screenshot of the cruise berth on a map and the ship's name in the local language. It shaves time off the return trip if you have to ask for directions.

Independent travellers should also note the location of the nearest hospital, the local emergency number, and the cruise line's port-agent details (printed on the daily programme). For all but the most polished ports, this small habit avoids one of the few genuinely stressful cruise scenarios: being separated from a tour group with no easy way back to the ship.