Lying some 30 to 35km off the mainland coastline of Mozambique, the Bazaruto Archipelago is made up of five islands: Bazaruto, Santa Carolina, Benguerra, Magaruque and Bangue. Within this relatively small area, you will find diverse habitats, from coral reefs (supporting diverse and important populations of fish), extensive tidal flats, mangrove communities and salinas to sandy beaches, sand dunes, coastal thicket, swamp forests, savanna grassland and freshwater lakes.

The warm, shallow, crystal-clear waters of the archipelago feature extensive seagrass beds that support the most important population of dugongs in the western Indian Ocean. Spinner, bottlenose, common and humpback dolphins as well as right and minke whales are found in deeper waters, while five marine turtle species (leatherback, loggerhead, green, hawksbill and ridley turtles) breed on the islands’ pristine beaches.

To protect this fragile ecosystem, exclusive low-impact coastal resorts work closely with local people to offer visitors authentic experiences that further conservation goals and benefit communities.