If you are planning a vacation in Africa, Mozambique should be somewhere on your to-see-list. Mozambique has a very welcoming people and their culture is fascinating. Their food and drinks are an excellent compliment to the atmosphere of the vast sandy beaches. There is plenty of opportunity to admire the big five and other species of the Savannah.

If you love adventure then this place would be the ideal place to go hiking on rocky terrain and exploring ancient caves. Crown it all with a visit to Mozambique’s ancient towns. These are towns that have survived hundreds of years.

Mozambique Tourist Attractions

Mozambique islands

The Island of Mozambique sits on the northern part of the coast of Mozambique. It is connected to the mainland by a two-kilometer bridge stretching over the Indian Ocean. The island was a maritime trading center for the Arabs for five centuries before Vasco da Gama first docked in 1498. Four years later, he returned with Portuguese settlers who built their first fortresses.

The island played a significant role in the Portuguese campaigns to take over trade with India. The island has maintained it’s vintage architecture that portrays homogeneity of structure and building materials. The city was declared a world heritage by UNESCO in 1991.

Suggested Tour: Mozambique Tours and Activities

Quirimbas Archipelago

The Quirimbas Archipelago is a series of 32 islands on the northern coast of Mozambique. The Archipelago boasts one of the best beaches and offers deep sea diving. This place is uninhabited. It therefore maintains it’s ecology. It has a remarkable diversity of wildlife, fish eagles, mangroves, turtles on the banks of the beaches, and whales.

The Quirimbas Marine Park lies on the eleventh south most island and offers a splendid array of marine life. Restaurants serve up a melange of Mozambique’s best cuisine with Arab and European flavors. This is one of the African countries that are ideal for honeymooners.

Lake Niassa

Lake Niassa, also known as Lake Malawi is a spectacular show of nature on the south of East Africa’s Rift. It is located between Mozambique, Malawi, and Tanzania. The lake has breathtaking beaches and a virgin forest.

It is fresh, clear water with beautiful fish. Manda Game Reserve is right on the shores for the purpose of restoring game stocks and preserving the nature. It is filled with a great variety of flora and fauna. Visitors could go on a picnic walk around the lake or venture on canoe safaris.

Gorongosa National Park

On the Southern end of the Rift Valley lies the Gorongosa National Park. It includes the valley floor and parts of the plateaus. The Grandeur Morombodzi falls on the slopes of Mount Gorongosa will take away your breath.

The Park has forests and savannah that harbor lion’s elephants and hippos. The valley is frequented by floods and waterlogging on its mosaic soils which creates a varied ecosystem. The park narrowly survived the tragic civil conflict at the end of 20th century. As much as 90 percent of its wildlife was swept away; this includes carnivore’s herbivores and over 500 species of birds.

Just when all seemed lost, American philanthropist Gregg Carr together with the American and Mozambique government came to its rescue and established a multimillion-dollar restoration program.

Chimanimani Mountain Hiking

This has been described by many as hikers’ paradise. It is located on the Zimbabwe-Mozambique border. It is the best experience for breathtaking views, fresh air, and body workout. The weather is perfect which allows you to go for days and sleep in one of the over a hundred caves available.

The park avails spectacular rocky overhangs that appear to be multiplying the more you stare at them. The park also has an Eland sanctuary which is located on a mountainous terrain with a 2400 high peak. Emanating from this sanctuary are lashing streams and natural falls. Going through the terrain, you’ll get to see amazing rock paintings that have been dated way beyond modern man’s history.

That is not all, the park has species such as Bushbuck, Eland Sable, Blue Duiker and the occasional leopard.

See Also: Mountain Climbing in Africa

Inhambane

Inhambane is an ancient historic city in southern part of Mozambique. It is 470 kilometers northeast of Maputo. The architecture of Inhambane shows diverse Arab, Indian, and Portuguese influence and is considered by many people to be one of the prettiest towns in Mozambique.

The Persian and Muslim traders were the earliest visitors who arrived in dhows. They traded pearl and ambergris. Vasco da Gama arrived in the town in the 15th century to replenish his stocks. He fell in love with the place and even called it Boa Gente which means ‘land of good people.’ The Jesuit missionaries came to inhambane in 1560.

The port grew due to ivory and slave trade during the 18th century. The 170-year-old cathedral of Our Lady of Conception is also in the city. Inhambane has the Bazurato Sea Park which is Africa’s largest sea park and plays home to a variety of wildlife.

Bazurato Archipelago

The Bazurato Archipelago, also known as the Pearl of the Indian Ocean consists of six idyllic islands lying off coastal town of Vilankulo. The islands are Bazurato, Benguera, Magaruque, Bangue Paradise Island and Pansy Shell Island. Bazurato was declared a Marine National Park in 1972 to protect its habitats and species which include dolphins, humpback whales, and turtles.

These islands have expansive clean beaches with clear water. It also has a grandeur three kilometer long coral reef and dive sites as deep as 30 meters. Visitors have the opportunity to sail on dhows around the coast.

Every year from early October to late January the island is full of fishing enthusiasts trying to catch bonefish or marlin. Off the shores you could also ride on a horseback or go bird watching. Bazurato is definitely a heaven on earth. A visit to Mozambique is not complete without a visit to Bazuruto.

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