Directly accessed via Johannesburg, and often tacked onto itineraries based wholly in southern Africa, the Bazaruto Archipelago has long been a favourite haunt for those in the know, looking for the ultimate luxury holiday in Mozambique.
Shopless, roadless, consisting of five islands – of which only Santa Carolina is real rock, the rest being sand – it sits off the coast of southern Mozambique, and offers its guests one of the finest ocean experiences in Africa. The beaches of Bazaruto are excellent, this and Benguerra, the largest of the islands (large enough to hold fresh water lakes), are home to a range of wildlife – including 150 species of bird, crocodiles, turtles, antelope and monkey.
Declared a national park in 2000, Bazaruto Archipelago continues to sustain a particularly rich and diverse range of plant life, and its coral pink reefs, unspoiled and home to dugong, giant lobster, dolphin (to name a few), are its true treasures. The dugong, which in the past were numerous and often mistaken for a kind of saltwater hippo, are now an endangered species throughout coastal east Africa, and the seas around Bazaruto Archipelago are said to support the area’s last viable population.
Traditionally, the archipelago has supported a number of small fishing communities, and their knowledge of the seas has proved invaluable. Deep-sea fishing is consequently a well-run and popular option. Accommodation-wise, all the lodges are thoughtfully located (leeward, windless, weak currents), and offer a fantastically high standard of service.
Easily matching any of the other archipelagos on our portfolio, Bazaruto is the perfect counterfoil to weeks spent in the parks. Alongside fishing, guests can expect in indulge in dhow safaris, scuba diving, and yachting.
See below for accommodation in this area.