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Blue and yellow patterned recycled glass beads strung into a necklace, bracelet and earrings by the CVR on Príncipe

The Hands That Make Príncipe

A bottle arrives at a workshop on Príncipe and, before long, it is no longer a bottle.

It might become a string of coloured beads, a pair of earrings or a necklace. Another bottle may find its way into the hands of Flávia, who sees a glass, a jug or a bowl where someone else sees something to throw away. A piece of timber, destined for the firewood pile, becomes a bird, a mask or a small carved object. And in Terra Prometida, brightly patterned African fabric is cut, stitched and turned into bags, clothing and everyday pieces made to be used.

On Príncipe, making things by hand is often less about starting with the perfect material than knowing what to do with what is already there.

That instinct runs through the work of the island’s artisans. Four of them, in four small workshops, each with a story of their own.
 

Bela and Zinha, and the bottles that became jewellery

At the Cooperativa de Valorização dos Resíduos, Bela and Zinha collect discarded wine and beer bottles and transform them into jewellery. The glass is crushed, moulded and kiln-fired before each piece is finished by hand. For Bela, an empty bottle is never simply rubbish.

The work has changed more than the landscape around them. It has changed their own lives, giving both women an independent income and the ability to support their families. The cooperative has grown into one of Príncipe’s longest-established artisan initiatives, with ongoing support from HBD Príncipe and Príncipe Collection helping the women develop their work.

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Illustrated portrait of Bela and Zinha of the CVR cooperative, who turn discarded bottles into recycled glass jewellery

Flávia, and the workshop that began at home

A short distance away, another kind of transformation is taking place.

Flávia Andrade, the founder of Inovarte, began experimenting with discarded bottles after noticing how many were accumulating in a newly built neighbourhood. She started working from home, breaking bottle after bottle as she tried to understand what the material could become. There were plenty of failures. She laughs about how many bottles she broke. But she kept going.

Today, her workshop produces glasses, jugs, bowls, vases and decorative pieces, each one made by hand.

Discover Flávia
Illustrated portrait of Flávia, founder of Inovarte, who shapes discarded bottles into handmade glasses and jugs
HOTELS AND RESORTS BY HBD PRÍNCIPE

Ivo, and the offcuts that never reached the fire

Then there is wood.

For Emiliano “Ivo” Mendes Semedo, a piece of timber already has a story before he touches it. Working from the Terra Prometida community, he selects offcuts from HBD and other carpentry workshops, choosing pieces that might otherwise be discarded or used as firewood. There is no fixed design waiting for him. He looks at the wood and decides what it can become.

His workshop is filled with birds, masks, toy vehicles, ashtrays and other objects. Some pieces take a whole day to complete, particularly without specialist machinery. Ivo doesn’t seem troubled by the pace.

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Illustrated portrait of Ivo, the woodcarver at Terra Prometida who turns timber offcuts into birds and masks

Mana, and the course she almost didn’t take

Patience is part of Mana’s story, too, although her route into craft was rather different.

Lucineide “Mana” Soares never expected to become a tailor. When HBD Príncipe organised a tailoring course, she initially refused to go. She thought it would be too difficult. Eventually, with some encouragement, she gave it a try. After completing the training, she received her own sewing machine and began developing her skills.

Today, sewing gives Mana something she hadn’t had before: an income of her own. She makes tote bags, laundry pouches, amenity kits, napkins and clothing as part of The Tailors of Sundy & Terra Prometida. She particularly enjoys working with vibrant African fabrics.

Discover Mana
Illustrated portrait of Mana, the tailor of Sundy and Terra Prometida who sews bags and clothing in African prints

Small objects, long stories

These are modest workshops, and the objects they produce are often small. But the stories behind them are not.

Together, they reveal another side of Príncipe, one that cannot be understood simply by looking at the forest, the beaches or the old roças. It is found in the hands of people who have learned to make, adapt and create with what the island provides.

Some of the materials are old. Some are discarded. Some are familiar. What changes is the way they are seen.

Worth taking home

That is perhaps what makes these pieces worth taking home. A necklace made from a bottle, a glass shaped from discarded material, a carved wooden bird or a bag stitched in African print is not simply something made on Príncipe. It carries the story of the person who made it, the material it came from and the place that gave it meaning.

The creations of these artisans can be found in the boutiques across Príncipe Collection’s hotels, with more soon available at Casa Verde. Guests can also arrange visits to some of the workshops during their stay, meeting the people behind the pieces and seeing the work first-hand.

Because sometimes the best way to understand a place is to look at what its people make.

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Red and yellow patterned beads from recycled bottles, made into a matching necklace, bracelet and earrings on Príncipe
HOTELS AND RESORTS BY HBD PRÍNCIPE
Copyright 2026, Príncipe Collection by HBD Príncipe