Mozambique · Indian Ocean coast & islands
The Bazaruto Archipelago.
Bazaruto is a national park of five islands with dunes, reefs and one of the last viable dugong populations in the western Indian Ocean.
Photo Nathalie Lays / Unsplash
The islands are sand rather than coral, which gives them their extraordinary dune landscapes and the pale water between them. Diving and snorkelling on the reefs is excellent, and the archipelago is the easiest island destination in the country to reach from South Africa.
It is the standard finish to a Kruger or Sabi Sand safari — a short flight rather than a long journey.
How do you get to the Bazaruto Archipelago?
Fly to Vilankulo, which has scheduled flights from Johannesburg and Maputo, and then cross to the islands by helicopter, light aircraft or boat. The whole journey from Johannesburg can be done in a morning.
Which islands make up the Bazaruto Archipelago?
Bazaruto, the largest, Benguerra, Magaruque, Santa Carolina and the small island of Bangué. Together they form Bazaruto National Park, protected since 1971 and one of the oldest marine parks in the Indian Ocean.
What can you do in Bazaruto?
Snorkel and dive the reefs, including Two Mile Reef; sail between the islands by dhow; walk or sandboard the high dunes on Bazaruto and Benguerra; and look for dugongs, dolphins, turtles and manta rays in the channels.
Bazaruto or the Quirimbas?
Bazaruto is in the south, a short flight from South Africa, with sand islands, dunes and more places to stay. The Quirimbas are coral islands in the far north, reached through Pemba, with Ibo's historic town and more remote water. Bazaruto is the easier connection after a Kruger safari.
How long should you spend in Bazaruto?
Four or five nights is usual after a safari, and three is the shortest that makes the transfer worthwhile.
What is there to see in the Bazaruto Archipelago?
What does the Bazaruto Archipelago pair well with?
- Greater Kruger and the Lowveld, South AfricaThe Greater Kruger is South Africa's principal safari region: the national park itself plus a belt of private reserves sharing unfenced boundaries with it.
- The Quirimbas ArchipelagoThe Quirimbas are thirty-odd coral islands off the far north, and among the least developed island destinations in the Indian Ocean.
- The southern coast and MaputoThe mainland coast south of Vilankulo is road-accessible from South Africa and quite different in character from the islands.
- Cape Town and the Cape Peninsula, South AfricaCape Town is the city most itineraries are anchored to, and the Peninsula gives it a coastline, a mountain and a wine region within an hour of the centre.
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