São Sebastião Museum

São Sebastião Museum is a square-shaped fortress with pentagonal bastions at each corner, with two sides facing the ocean and one toward the beach. The building houses collections related to the islands' history and cultural heritage.

Portuguese forces built this fortress in 1575 as the first defensive structure on the island against threats from the sea. The fort became central to protecting the early settlement.

The collection displays farming tools, documents about slavery, and objects from the daily lives of workers on cocoa and coffee plantations. You can see what these plantations looked like and how people organized their lives there.

The museum is open on weekdays with reduced hours on Saturdays. Plan to arrive in the morning so you have enough time to walk through the exhibits at a comfortable pace.

Three statues of explorers stand in front of the fortress showing João de Santarém, Pêro Escobar, and João de Paiva. These monuments were moved here from their original locations around the city after independence.

Location: São Tomé

Inception: January 1, 1566

Address: Forte de São Sebastião, Avenida Marginal 12 Julho, São Tomé, São Tomé and Príncipe

Opening Hours: Monday-Friday 08:00-16:00; Saturday 08:00-13:00

Phone: +2392221874

GPS coordinates: 0.34596,6.73944

Latest update: December 6, 2025 19:04