Bazaruto Archipelago
Bazaruto Archipelago is a marine national park consisting of several islands that stretch from the coast of Mozambique to the Strait of Mozambique. Tourists come here for the secluded vacation, turquoise sea, clean sandy beaches, lush tropical greenery, ancient coral reefs and picturesque underwater world. The Bazaruto Archipelago is often called a tropical paradise for its natural beauty.
Video: Bazaruto Archipelago
” title=”YouTube video player” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share” allowfullscreen>Highlights
The five largest islands – Bazaruto, Benguerra, Margarucué, Bancué, and Santa Carolina – receive the most attention from travelers. Travelers seek the Bazaruto Archipelago for fishing and sailing excursions, walking and horseback riding on the sand dunes, and relaxing on secluded beaches. The Two Mile coral reef located here is considered the best place for scuba diving.
.
Margarukue has a single hotel, but there are just as many visitors as there are to the other islands of the tropical Bazaruto Archipelago. A picturesque sand spit runs along the entire eastern shore of Margarukue, and a small cove is home to long-legged pink flamingos.
.
The smallest island in the Bazaruto archipelago, Bankue, is well known among fishermen. It is low, so at high tide it can be flooded in its entirety. Santa Carolina has dimensions of 3 meters by 0.5 km. For its beautiful landscapes, this island is called “a place of paradise.”
The islands of Bazaruto and Benguerra
The largest of the islands in the archipelago, Bazaruto measures 37 by 7 kilometers. It is 800 kilometers away from the Mozambican capital and is characterized by diverse landscapes. Here you can see grassy lowlands and large plantations of cashew and coconut palms. Dunes stretch to the east of the island, and a succession of luxurious sandy beaches run along the coast.
.
In the north of Bazaruto stands the old lighthouse, built in 1914 by the Portuguese. Its observation deck offers a superb view of the blue expanse of the Indian Ocean. The largest island of the archipelago is considered a great place for marlin fishing.
Benguerra stretches for 10 km and reaches a width of 5 km. Since 1971, this island has had the status of a national reserve, which was created to protect the unique ecological system of the Bazaruto Archipelago. Travelers coming to Benguerra, await excellent beach recreation, fishing from the shore and aboard the boat, as well as exciting snorkeling and diving. Sand dunes rise in the south of the island, with several freshwater lakes at the foot of which are home to crocodiles.
.Two hotels, Marlin Lodge and Benguerra Lodge, have been built to accommodate travelers on Benguerra, and a campground for backpackers is also open. The hotels offer chalets, consisting of two rooms and a shower, with unpretentious thatched roofs. The views of the ocean and sandy coastline from the veranda of each lodge are superb.
> Benguerra is home to about 500 people who fish and cater to tourists. The islanders live in thatched huts. These “houses” also house the island’s only store and parish church. On Sundays a priest comes to the island from the mainland, and all Benguerra residents who are free from work come out to the sand dune to listen to a Christian sermon..How to get there
The Bazaruto Archipelago stretches about 10 kilometers from the African mainland. Benguerra is 900 km north of the Mozambican capital Maputo. The closest airport to it is located in Vilanculo, which can be reached from Johannesburg or Maputo. Tourists travel from Vilanculo to Benguerra by boat or small plane.
.
