Of the many coastal towns of Mozambique, Vilanculos has the largest cluster of tourist facilities and services. There are plenty of cafes, restaurants and shops that look after visitors and locals alike, and the town is also the gateway to the Bazaruto Archipelago. Dhows, the traditional sailing boats, run daily and overnight safaris between the town and the islands of the archipelago.
The town itself is only about 5 km long, with all the amenities you need to make your stay comfortable. The airport sits on the outskirts, with flights arriving and departing every day. From here you can discover the unspoilt charm of the Bazaruto Archipelago, made up of five tropical islands: Bazaruto, Benguera, Margaruque, Banque and Santa Carolina.
The area is made for a once in a lifetime holiday, with unspoilt coral beaches, scuba diving, snorkelling, top notch deep sea fishing, spear fishing and saltwater fly fishing. Once you have been in Vilanculos for a few days and the big city starts to leave your system, do not go looking for other restless souls. Take off your watch, slip on your flip flops and tell yourself three times in the mirror each morning, 'Today I am going to achieve nothing.' It is hard, but we know you can do it.
Nine tips to get you onto the slow track
- 1. Travel only by foot or by tuk-tuk. This way you become part of the sights, sounds and smells of this colourful little village.
- 2. Visit the Balinese-style Casbah Restaurant and Bar for a cocktail on the beach every afternoon. While there, try the locally produced Piripiri Saboroso, a tasty chilli sauce that packs a punch for those who love the heat.
- 3. Watch the locals play football and practise martial arts on the beach and, if you are up for it, join in. This happens every Sunday afternoon on the main beach.
- 4. Eat a pizza and chocolate pancakes at Casa Gucci and laugh until your sides hurt at Valerie's outrageous humour.
- 5. Go on a dhow safari with Sail-a-way Dhow for the day, spot dolphins, whale sharks and endangered dugongs, snorkel off the island of Margaruque and let the gorgeous island scenery cast its spell.
- 6. Watch a rugby game on the big screen at Frutos do Mar, preferably a morning game so you have a reason to start on the beer nice and early.
- 7. Walk down to the fisherman's market at around 3pm each afternoon on the beach and buy fresh calamari, prawns and fish straight off the dhow.
- 8. Ask a local lady to make you a pot of crab matapa, a delicious stew of crushed cassava leaves, coconut milk, peanuts, minced prawns and whole crabs. Eat it all under a palm tree with a glass of chilled white wine. This is one of those experiences you did not know you wanted until you actually had it.
- 9. Choose something completely weird to ask for at the Mercado Municipal, the local open air market, like an electric toothbrush or a small Elvis doll, and see if they can rustle it up for you. It is fascinating to walk through the multicoloured aisles and challenge your own ideas about shopping and, well, life in general. This is a place where even time has its own agenda. Have fun.
These nine tips were shared with us by our friend Larry Lardner M, and honestly we could not have put it better ourselves.
Frequently asked questions
How do we get to Vilanculos?
You can rent a car in Maputo and drive straight up, about 700 km, to Vilanculos. It takes around 11 hours because of the many speed restrictions, but you will enjoy the drive across communities, palm forests, lakes, colourful markets and baobabs, those huge trees. You can also leave it to us. Sit back, let us take care of the adventure and watch the road for you, so you can enjoy the views and have a nap whenever you need one.
Public transport? That is a big adventure, and you never quite know if you will reach Vilanculos on the same day. You can try the buses (xapas or maxibombos) heading to Beira, hop on one and get off at Pambarra, then hitch a ride or take a minivan (xapa) or an open vehicle (a mylove). You can also book a flight from Maputo with LAM. They fly there every day, and even though it looks like a short trip, if you run into delays you might wish you had taken the car. Better still, if you are after a truly immersive experience and want to tick off all the best things to do in Vilanculos, take a look at our tour.
Where does the name Vilanculos come from?
Vilanculos is named after the local tribal chief Gamela Vilankulo Mukoke, and some of the bairros, the neighbourhoods, are named after his sons. Known as Vilanculos in colonial times, the name was changed to Vilankulo at independence. Either way, Vilankulo, or Vilanculos as we call it in this article, sits in the Province of Inhambane, the terra da boa gente, the land of good people. The locals are friendly and always smiling while you work your way through your list of things to do in Vilanculos.
Which island do you recommend?
That is an easy one: Bazaruto and Santa Carolina. Bazaruto is the biggest island. You can climb its giant dunes all the way to the top, and from there you will see dunes on your right, towards the rising sun, in different shades of blue, and on your left a sand cliff dropping down into the palm trees. It is a proper wow moment. Take a look at our tour to Bazaruto Island.
Santa Carolina has been renamed Paradise Island by the locals, and it is easy to see why. We, however, prefer to call it Ghost Island, because you travel back in time and lose yourself among its buildings looking out over the blue sea, with only the wind and the sea breeze for company. If you have enough time and can visit all the islands, Benguerra will welcome you with endless beaches that turn into natural jacuzzis inland at high tide, Magaruque is the one for a calm day of snorkelling, and Bangue is your gateway to spotting humpback whales, as it lies far and deep enough to host these amazing animals.
Can I go fishing myself?
Going back to tip number 7, Larry suggests the fishermen's market, right? You can do exactly that, or you can go one better by waking up early, especially on Sundays, and walking along the beach to look for fishermen hauling their nets in from the shore. If you find them at it, it means they are pulling in the net they set a few hours earlier to see how much they have caught. Go over and ask if you can join in. They will say yes for sure, because there is always someone missing after the parties the night before. They will happily let you help so you can take your photos. Just tell them you will take pictures and also a few fish as your wages for lending a hand. It will be great fun, and very tiring.