The capital
Maputo is a relaxed, walkable capital of wide avenues, jacaranda trees, art deco and modernist buildings, a lively fish market and a music scene built on marrabenta. It has the main international airport and is the natural start and end of most trips.
The southern beaches
About seven to eight hours north by road, Tofo and Inhambane pair a laid back surf and dive village with a sleepy colonial town on a mangrove bay. Tofo is famous for whale sharks and manta rays.
Islands and dhows
Further north, Vilankulo and the Bazaruto Archipelago are the postcard Mozambique: turquoise sandbanks, dunes, dugongs and dhow sailing in a protected national park.
The historic north
Ilha de Moçambique is a small coral island and UNESCO World Heritage Site, the old Portuguese capital, with a stone town of churches, mosques and a great fortress, plus the reed houses of Makuti Town.
Wildlife in the centre
Gorongosa National Park is one of Africa's great conservation comebacks, with floodplains full of antelope, lions, elephants and birdlife, plus community projects on Mount Gorongosa.
How to combine them
A first trip of ten to fourteen days often looks like Maputo, Tofo and Vilankulo, using a mix of road transfers and short flights. Ilha de Moçambique and Gorongosa each work best as an added flight leg. Use the free trip planner to map your route, and see places to visit for food, stays and activities in each area.