TAP Air Portugal · TP · Star Alliance · Accra ⇄ Lisbon · Accra ⇄ São Tomé
The first Europeans to reach the Gold Coast were Portuguese. They landed in 1471 and in 1482 began building the castle they called São Jorge da Mina, today's Elmina. More than five centuries later, TAP Air Portugal links Accra with Lisbon several times a week, and flies on from Accra to the island nation of São Tomé. Here is what flies, when, where Lisbon takes you, and what to know before you book.
TAP, Transportes Aéreos Portugueses, was founded in 1945. Its network still follows the map of the old Portuguese world: Brazil, Angola, Mozambique, Cabo Verde, Guinea-Bissau and São Tomé. That makes Lisbon an unusual gateway for Ghanaians: Europe on one side, Brazil and the whole Portuguese-speaking world on the other. TAP also offers a free stopover in Lisbon or Porto on long journeys.
Key facts
TAP flies Lisbon–Accra–São Tomé and back three to four times a week. Accra and São Tomé are on GMT. Lisbon is on the same time as Ghana in winter and one hour ahead in summer.
| Leg | Times (local) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Lisbon → Accra | about 09:55 → early afternoon | Arrives in Accra after lunch. |
| Accra → São Tomé | afternoon → about 17:45 | About 1 hour 35 minutes. Can be booked on its own. |
| Leg | Times (local) | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| São Tomé → Accra | evening | About 1 hour 35 minutes. |
| Accra → Lisbon | 22:15 → about 05:15 next day | Arrives for the morning wave to Europe, Brazil and North America. |
Read this before booking
These times come from summer 2026 schedules. From late October the Lisbon times shift by an hour, and TAP also flies some São Tomé services without stopping in Accra. Departures from Lisbon on this route have often been late, by around 45 minutes on average. Always check your date on flytap.com.
Local time in both cities, the weather at this moment, and a converter between cedis, euros and the main currencies.
Say it in Portuguese, and the Portuguese already in your Twi
Five centuries of contact left Portuguese words on the Gold Coast. The Akan word for bread, paano, comes from Portuguese pão. "Elmina" comes from A Mina, "the mine". Even the English word "fetish" comes from the Portuguese feitiço, charm.
Portugal began the European age of sea voyages, and with it the Atlantic slave trade. In 1444, in the Algarve town of Lagos, the first large group of enslaved Africans was sold on European soil. A small museum there now marks the spot. Lisbon's monuments still celebrate the "Discoveries"; seen from Ghana, they tell a more complicated story. Today Portugal is relaxed, affordable by Western European standards, and home to large Cabo Verdean, Angolan and Brazilian communities.
Portugal in brief
An hour and a half south of Accra lie two volcanic islands in the Gulf of Guinea: São Tomé and Príncipe, one of Africa's smallest and least-visited countries. The Portuguese brought enslaved Africans here to grow sugar, then cocoa. There is a link to Ghana: cocoa reached nearby Fernando Po from these islands, and from Fernando Po Tetteh Quarshie brought it to the Gold Coast in 1879. Today the islands are known for rainforest, empty beaches, crumbling plantation houses called roças, and a slow pace of life summed up in two words: leve-leve, take it easy.
São Tomé and Príncipe in brief
Tours on São Tomé: the rainforest, the roças, the beaches of the south, and an airport transfer for your arrival. Entrance fees are included in the tour price; tips are not included but always welcome.
The overnight flight from Accra reaches Lisbon at dawn, when TAP's flights leave for Europe, Brazil and North America. Remember the transit visa rule above. These are the most useful onward routes, with their capitals.
TAP lands in Accra in the early afternoon. For Portuguese visitors, Ghana holds the start of their own Atlantic story: Elmina Castle, begun in 1482; Fort São Sebastião at Shama; and Fort Santo António on its rock at Axim.
ElminaCastle.info Accra International Airport
Airport pickup with free internet, private vehicle hire and a three-destination tour, booked before you land. Entrance fees are included in the tour price; tips are not included but always welcome.
Before you fly, tune in to the country you are going to. Live radio from all over the continent, in one place.
Every airline flying from Accra, each with its own timetable, routes and destination guide.
São Tomé is one of them. These city pages cover the airports and the routes that link them with Ghana.
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Ghana-Net.com · Forts and castles of Ghana · ElminaCastle.info · Cape Coast Castle Museum · Fort San Sebastian · James Fort and Jamestown · GhanaMuseums.com · GhanaTrails.com · BritainAdventures.com · AfricanIndependence.com
Updated and fact-checked: 28 October 2026. Timetables from published schedules for summer 2026; entry and transit rules checked in October 2026. Always confirm times with the airline and visa rules with the Portuguese authorities before booking. Text and research by Remo Kurka for GhanaFlights.info. This website carries no Google advertising.