Bazaruto Archipeligo- Picture by Jason Risley
A gigantic sand dune in the turquoise blue sea, that’s Ilha de Bazaruto, the largest and most spectacular one of the three islands that make up Archipelago Bazaruto.
If I did the trip again, I would sail out there in a dhow and use its engine to come back. Being on this island is the real experience. From the top of the sand dune the view is spectacular, with differently colored blue waters intercepted by sand bars. You can even make out the other end of the twenty-kilometer long island. Hard to believe, but about 2.000 people live out there. Since money can buy you everything, two very up-market lodges found their way onto Bazaruto. All islands are part of a national park and some locals are employed as rangers, who unfortunately seem untroubled by the trash that some people leave.
Not by dhow did I go out to Ilha de Bazaruto but in a fast motorboat. Being the island furthest out, that’s how everybody travels there and it still takes 45 minutes. This and doing some snorkeling can be done for 80 USD, but a lot more if you join those to go down under. Scuba diving was good, but not spectacular. However, like always with wildlife, it is a matter of luck. Some Dutch guys saw manta rays and even a sea cow, a manatee, the day before. Visibility on the archipelago was okay, but I started freezing as soon as we went down and was still shivering when the second dive was due, so I had to stay up. I found diving in Tofo much more rewarding, even though I missed the manta rays there by a heartbeat.
The smaller island, Magaruque, is also popular though less scenic, but a lot closer to Vilankulo: it can be done by dhow, a traditional sailing boat. I had my own way of making Bazaratu a unique experience. Being too cold to do the second dive, I crawled behind a small dune to get out of the wind and I fell asleep immediately, a unique experience because I have never been able to sleep on a beach.
Picture by Jason Risley.
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