Mozambique Holidays to Vilanculos Beach Resorts
Choose where to stay in Vilanculos, Mozambique, with our comprehensive accommodation guide below. Discover the best places to stay in some of the finest Mozambique beach resorts, world-class hotels and private lodges. We also promise hot deals on all Vilanculos accommodation and we customise our best deals and special packages to suit your holiday needs and budget.
Vilanculos is not called the gateway to the beautiful Bazaruto Archipelago for nothing – welcome to this vibrant ocean-edge town with a deep sense of pride and cultural richness, endless horizon views and delicious seafood meals. Choose a unique, blissful island paradise for your life-changing honeymoon getaway, family holiday and special diving excursion.
You can go nightclubbing and shopping in Vilanculos, yet feel part of age-old fishing traditions and authentic organic marketplaces. Yes, observe how traditional life has remained unchanged for centuries as local fishermen pull in their nets at the edge of the sea and farmers continue to grow cashew nuts near their rural thatched villages.
Read our Vilanculos travel guide here if you need more information and sample our top choices on premium beachfront accommodation with idyllic ocean views!
Vilanculos Highlights
- Excellent scuba diving on day trips from Vilanculos to the islands with 2 tanks. Discover healthy coral reefs and clear waters offering some of the best diving in the world – dive sites are uncrowded and marine life is varied and abundant.
- Exhilarating ocean activities including big game fishing for Marlin, snorkelling, diving, kite surfing and swimming. Motor-boating and traditional dhow sailing trips add to the adrenaline rush in Vilanculos.
- Island-hopping cruises to the 5 exquisite Archipelago islands: Bazaruto, Benguerra, Magaruque, Banque and Santa Carolina feature rare wildlife, solitary beaches and untouched reefs.
- Adventures in the best Black Marlin destination in the Eastern Indian Ocean where fishermen descend during the season, October through to the end of January.
- Magnificent kitesurfing location with reliable winds and great conditions so get your gear and advice from one of several kitesurfing schools along the beach.
- Delicious Mozambique Portuguese-inspired local food – sumptuous prawns and lobster, freshly grilled catch of the day and spicy chicken peri-peri.
Vilanculos Facts and Figures
- This bustling Mozambique tourist region boasts a new international airport and is part of the wonderful coastline of Inhambane.
- Vilanculos is named after local tribal chief, Gamala Vilankulo Mukoke, and today the district is called Vilanculos and the town Vilankulo.
- Local people deliver their own home-grown vegetables and fruits and fish to the lodges within the Vilanculos Sanctuary.
- The Vilanculos Coastal Wildlife Sanctuary, south of Vilanculos, is one of the most biodiverse reserves in Africa and covers an area of 30,000 hectares. It comprises coastal dunes, mudflats, bush and wetland, as well as miles of pristine beaches that shelter both deep and shallow reef ecosystems. Sightings of eland, Burchell’s zebra, wildebeest, giraffe and eland are common.
- Spot the largest remaining population of the endangered dugong in this African region grazing the sea grasses on the seabed.
- Vilanculos is the gateway to the Bazaruto Archipelago, Mozambique’s only underwater national park.
Abundant Holiday Activities at Vilanculos
Heralded for its fantastic white beaches, coconut palms, clear azure ocean, warm weather, and island-style adventure and pampering atmosphere, Vilanculos is also that paradise where you can still watch dhows travelling between this port and the islands all day. Stroll around the numerous local markets to buy fresh fish or other necessities.
Mozambique Travel tailor-makes your once-in-a-lifetime beach or island holiday for selected diving, spa pampering, honeymoon specials or family breaks. Everything is possible with our special deals and best-selling packages. View all our Vilanculos beach accommodation options below.
Contact us for more Vilanculos information and holiday deals so we can help you plan your getaway.