Mozambique Holidays

If you dream of wild beaches and gin-blue sea, Mozambique offers that rare type of paradise.

Your starting point is the cosmopolitan capital city of Maputo. While its rich colonial architecture and spice markets might be tempting, a speedboat ride south takes you to the beautiful untouched coastline of the Machangulo Peninsula where thick dune forests meet rambling gold-sand beaches. It’s virtually impossible to access by road. With no neighbours in sight, aside from a local fishing village, it’s all too easy to slip into laidback life with little to do but roll out onto the beach and stroll for miles lapping up the ebbing waves. Much of the peninsula is part of the Machangulo Reserve encompassing winding emerald waterways, peaceful lagoons and mangroves which you can explore by kayak or paddleboard. Further offshore dolphins and humpback whales breach the tumbling waves of the Indian Ocean while below the surface you can snorkel around barely visited coral beds alive with shoals of exotic fish.

In the Bazaruto Archipelago, you almost have to shield your eyes from the shimmering turquoise water and icing-sugar white sand. Sandbar swirls mix into the Indian Ocean like creamy gelato providing good castaway spots for seafood beach picnics. Toes nudging the glistening shallows, you can reminisce about the 16th-century Portuguese ships, trawling the horizon. If you can tear yourself from the beach, the sea holds top-notch diving territory frequented by hawksbill turtles, manta rays and occasionally the rare dugong bobbing along the seabed. On land, enormous dunes rear out of the sand, which you ascend on horseback for dreamy ocean views before wading through the azure water to cool off.

From rustic lodges to swanky resorts, Mozambiques beach retreats offer some variety. It’s worth speaking to our team who can help you decide how and where to stay in this unblemished paradise.

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Mozambique Hotels

Our recommendations for the best places to stay in Mozambique

Machangulo Beach Lodge

With just nine villas in a stunning natural setting, at Machangulo you’ll feel like you’ve been l...

Azura Benguerra

This remote retreat sits on miles of pristine white sands within the Bazaruto National Marine Par...

Anantara Bazaruto

A resort-style island escape in Mozambique’s jewel-like Bazaruto Archipelago.

andBeyond Benguerra Island

Cast away to a romantic rustic-luxe haven in the protected Bazaruto Archipelago.

Dugong Beach Lodge

A remote setting on a golden beach backed by a wildlife sanctuary and fringed by marine-rich wate...

Polana Serena Hotel, Maputo

Designed by English architect, Sir Herbert Baker, the Polana Serena is the ‘Grand Dame of Africa’...

Explore Mozambique’s rustic beaches, historic capital and national parks at your own pace with a tailor-made tour

Our independent itineraries combine natural wonders, classic safari and relaxing beach stays in rustic lodges or beautiful hotels where snorkelling is the only thing on your to-do list. You can visit rich national parks, or take some time to wander around the historic colonial capital of Maputu and charming small beach towns along Mozambique’s untouched coast.

Our recommended Mozambique itineraries




Snorkel Indian Ocean reefs from Machangulo Beach Lodge

Machangulo Beach Lodge is surrounded by pristine beaches, turquoise channels and bays and beautiful offshore islands such as Inhaca Island, which is known for its snorkelling and there’s good humpback whale-watching opportunities between June and September.

Machangulo Beach Lodge is surrounded by pristine beaches, turquoise channels and bays and beautiful offshore islands. From the lodge you can see Inhaca Island, which is known for its snorkelling and village. To reach the village it’s a 25-minute boat ride from to the jetty. The lodge will call ahead to the Inhaca Lighthouse to arrange for you to climb to the top for amazing views over the Machangulo peninsula. You can sometimes see whales from the top and there’s good humpback whale-watching opportunities between June and September.

There are plenty of shops, a small market and lunch in the village at Lucas’s offers a seafood platter with juicy crayfish, prawns and calamari, or the local piri-piri chicken. There’s time for a little bit of shopping and a visit to the marine-biology research station and its small museum which has some amazing specimens.

If you like snorkelling, the island’s main appeal is the marine reserve and the colourful reefs off the west coast. You can access the reserve from the beach, where you’ll see plenty of fish, including many types of angelfish. For coral, you’ll head out into the blue where you can jump into the warm Indian Ocean from the boat.\

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