Pico de São Tomé, Volcanic peak in São Tomé Island, São Tomé and Príncipe.
Pico Santo Tomé is a 2,024 meter volcanic peak that forms part of a large shield volcano rising from the Atlantic Ocean floor. The mountain displays typical features of an extinct volcano with steep slopes and distinct erosion patterns.
The mountain was named after Portuguese naval officer Carlos Viegas Gago Coutinho, who completed the first South Atlantic air crossing. This name appears on early maps made during the period of European exploration.
The slopes are shaped by coffee and cocoa farming that locals have practiced for generations. Higher up, orchids and plants found nowhere else grow among the forest vegetation.
Visitors can choose between two main routes: one starting at Ponta Figo plantation and another beginning at the Bom Sucesso botanical garden. Both paths require good fitness and appropriate gear for changing altitude conditions.
Above 1,400 meters, an Afromontane cloud forest wraps the peak in constant mist and hosts vegetation completely different from the lower slopes. This isolated forest ecosystem provides habitat for specialized species adapted to the damp, foggy conditions.
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