The port of São Tomé was built at the end of the 1950s[1] 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.

[1] The bay is generally shallow, offering anchorage for small vessels in depths of less than 5 metres (16 ft).

[2] There is a lighthouse at Ponta Oque del Rei at the northwestern end of the bay, built in 1994.

[4] Another light is the São Sebastião Lighthouse at the southeastern end of the bay, built in 1928.

[4] 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.