Bazaruto Archipelago

The Bazaruto Islands have a long history of human occupation. Before the Portuguese occupation of the coast, the islands were almost certainly the site of East Africa's most southerly Muslim trading settlements. By the middle of the 16th century, the islands were lorded over by Portuguese traders, and the surrounding sea was known for producing high-quality pearls.

The Portuguese established their first settlement on Santa Carolina island in 1855. Initially an ivory trading post, the island was later used as a penal colony but was abandoned by the beginning of the 20th century. Interesting historical relics include a ruined 19th-century fort on Magaruque and a fully intact but non-operational 100-year-old lighthouse on Bazaruto.

In 1971, the archipelago's five main islands and the surrounding ocean became Bazaruto National Park, which extends eastward from the coastline between Vilanculos and Inhassaro to cover some 1430 km2. The three largest islands were formerly part of a peninsula that is thought to have separated from the mainland within the last 100 000 years.

Pansy Island

Not so much an island as a tidal sandbar situated a short distance south of Bazaruto Island, this famous landmark can easily be visited as an extension of a trip to Two Mile Reef. It is named for the so-called pansy shells (also known as sea biscuits or sand dollars) that are abundant in its inter-tidal shallows. This pretty shell-like object, with a distinctive five-petaled floral pattern on its flattened face, is not a shell but the endoskeleton of a burrowing sea urchin of the order Clypeasteroia. The living creature is usually black or purple and covered in bristles, but the endoskeleton is bleached white by the sun and saline water after it dies. The five petals are formed by a series of perforated pores through which the podia project from the body and reflect the fivefold radial symmetry associated with all sea urchins. There are also 2cm slits above the floral pattern, the relics of two grooves used for feeding. Any experienced guide can find examples of the pansy shell here, as well – with luck – the living urchin.

Bazaruto Island

A striking feature of the archipelago's largest island is its immense dunes rising from its southern shore. You can visit these in conjunction with Two Mile Reef and Pansy Island. Reputedly the highest point on the islands, rising around 100m above the surrounding water, the steep dunes can be climbed, albeit in something of two steps forward, one-step back mode, and with some serious sandblasting in windy weather. Once at the top, the views in all directions are exhilarating, with the open ocean and other islands stretching away to the south and a landscape of lakes and dunes running north. If you are staying at one of the lodges on Bazaruto, you should visit some of the lakes and other dune fields, some of which are spectacular, and meet local communities.

Benguerra Island

Like its more prominent northerly neighbor, Benguerra supports an attractive and varied landscape of marshes, lakes, and tall climbable dunes, well worth exploring on a guided drive if you are staying at one of the lodges. Wildlife includes plentiful monkeys, small antelope such as red duiker and suni, some impressive crocodiles in the lakes, and a superb mix of birds, with brown-headed parrots, African hoopoe, green pigeon, crowned hornbill, and various bee-eaters conspicuous. At the same time, flamingos and other waterbirds frequent the lakes. You can visit local communities.

There are numerous dive sites dotted around the islands. Still, the undisputed champion is Two Mile Reef, a barrier reef on the outer side of the archipelago between the islands of Bazaruto and Benguerra. Tides permitting, the best snorkeling spot is The Aquarium, a calm coral garden that lies on the inner reef and supports a dazzling selection of hard and soft corals, as well as reef fish of all shapes and colors, from tiny coral fish to mighty potato bass and brindle bass. It is also an excellent spot to see reef sharks and marine turtles, though neither is guaranteed, while lucky divers might see manta rays and whale sharks.

There are many dive sites on the seaward side of the same reef, with evocative names such as The Arches, Shark Point, Surgeon Rock, The Cathedral, and The Gap. Any dive center can advise on the site most suitable to your interests and current conditions. Still, suppose you are setting up a trip from Vilanculos. In that case, it is worth paying extra to visit Two Mile Reef instead of taking the cheaper excursion to Magaruque, which has no good reefs and thus offers vastly inferior diving and snorkeling.