Roça Ribeira Palma

Roça Ribeira Palma, located in the north of São Tomé island, was a significant plantation in the colonial agricultural landscape. Its founding in the 19th century was part of the large-scale transformation of the island into a center for cocoa cultivation. The Roça was a complex social and economic entity. At the top was the Portuguese owner or his administrator, below them a hierarchy of overseers, and finally the mass of contract laborers, the serviçais. The architecture reflects this hierarchy: a stately main house, often on a rise, overlooked the functional processing facilities and the densely packed, simple workers' quarters (sanzalas). The plantation had its own infrastructure, sometimes even a small railway line to transport the sacks of cocoa to the nearest port. After 1975, Ribeira Palma shared the fate of many other Roças: nationalization, mismanagement, and eventual decline. The ruins that can still be seen today are a powerful testament to a former wealth that was based on a system of exploitation.

Nearby cities

Neves

Neves, the industrial powerhouse of the west, is a port city where the echo of history resonates loudly.

Diogo Vaz

Diogo Vaz is a place that dreams of chocolate, for here one of the best cocoas in the world is processed with care and love.

Henrique (Plateau)

The Henrique plateau offers a sublime view over the west of São Tomé, a place of cool air and wide vistas.

Ponta Figo

Ponta Figo is a place of encounter between sea and land where the cliffs watch over the west like stone guardians.

Henrique

Henrique is situated high on the slopes of the Lembá district, where the view stretches across emerald forests to the sparkling Atlantic.

Henrique (Lembá)

This settlement in the Lembá highlands is characterized by mountain wildness and the hard work of farmers wresting fertile fields from th…

Generosa

Generosa rightly bears its name, for the earth here is so bountiful that the orchards bear fruit almost all year round.

Santa Catarina

Santa Catarina marks the end of the paved road on the west coast, where civilization shakes hands with the majestic Obô forest.

Nature

Rio Contador

Rio Contador is a wild mountain river in northwestern São Tomé, crashing through spectacular gorges into the sea.

Rio Lembá

Rio Lembá is the most significant river in the west of the island, a symbol of nature's untamed power.

More places

Contador Hydroelectric Plant

The Contador Hydroelectric Plant harnesses the natural energy of the river of the same name to cover a significant portion of São Tomé Is…

Humpback Whale Observation Station

Off the west coast of São Tomé, near Neves, lies an important area for observing humpback whales during their annual migration.

Industrial Port of Neves

The industrial port of Neves in the northwest of the island specializes in the handling of fuels and industrial goods.

Rosema Brewery

The Rosema Brewery in Neves is the most important beverage production facility on São Tomé and a symbol of national industry.

Neves Fish Processing Center

The Neves fish processing center specializes in refining and preserving catches from the west coast.

Neves Construction Materials Plant

The construction materials plant in Neves specializes in manufacturing cement blocks, prefabricated parts, and other vital building mater…

Neves Adventure Playground

The adventure playground in the industrial city of Neves offers the region's children an exciting place for physical activity and communa…

Henrique Vanilla Farm

In the cooler highlands of Henrique lies a specialized farm dedicated to growing precious Bourbon vanilla.