Quirimbas Archipelago

North of Bazaruto lies a largely undeveloped Swahili-flavoured shoreline, studded with historic treasures from Portugal’s colonial days. Pemba is typical of many of Africa’s original colonial towns and represents the gateway to Ibo Island and the Quirimbas Archipelago, which stretches for 250kms north and consists of 27 offshore islands dotted with innumerable castaway beaches.

Thanks to regular flights from Dar es Salaam and Johannesburg to Pemba, there has been a recent upsurge of barefoot ‘island-chic’ places to stay in this remote northern region. Also in northern Mozambique is the new conservation zone of Maluane – a unique mix of virgin inland safari territory and untouched coral-ring islands.