Vilanculos is the finishing (or starting) point of Mozambique’s southern tourism circuit. It’s also the gateway for visiting the nearby Bazaruto Archipelago, separated from the mainland by a narrow channel of turquoise sea. During South African holidays, Vilanculos is overrun with pickups and 4WDs, but otherwise it’s a quiet, slow-paced town with some lovely nearby beaches.

Mozambique is a travel crush that I was fortunate to visit in October 2018 for my birthday. Moz wasn’t initially part of my travel plans but I wanted to celebrate my birthday in southern Africa after traveling mostly in the west, east and center of the continent earlier in the year. Besides, Mozambique is on the lists of 10+5 African countries I recommended visiting last year so it felt like a natural choice for my birthday trip. I spent 4 nights in Vilanculos and 2 in Maputo, the capital of Mozambique. In this post I share information to help YOU plan a trip to Vilanculos, the gateway to the Bazaruto archipelago and a preferred destination for fans of scuba diving, snorkeling and other water sports.

Key Resources To Plan Your Trip

I planned my trip to Vilanculos in three weeks. First I did basic research on safety and places to visit. I asked people in my network and followers on Instagram for advice (cheers to the ‘Questions’ feature!). Then I read many blog posts, and read entries on Lonely Planet and Trip Advisor forums.

Credit source: Lonely Planet