Maputo & the South Coast, Mozambique

Maputo, Mozambique's capital, is famous for its Afro-Latin culture, tree-lined avenues, Portuguese colonial and Art Deco architecture, vibrant markets and music, and some of Africa's finest seafood — especially peri-peri prawns. It's a lively, characterful city on the Indian Ocean.

Yes. The warm reefs of southern Mozambique, especially around Tofo, are among the world's most reliable places to encounter whale sharks and giant manta rays year-round, with a peak from around October to February.

The dry season from April to November offers warm, sunny days, calm seas and excellent diving, with humpback whales migrating past from June to November. December to March is hotter and wetter but often the most reliable time for whale sharks.

Maputo has direct flights from Johannesburg, Lisbon and regional hubs, and is an easy drive from South Africa's Kruger region. The southern beaches (Ponta do Ouro, Ponta Mamoli) are a scenic drive south; the central coast is served by Inhambane and Vilankulo airports.

Maputo National Park, expanded and renamed in 2021, protects a rare coastal wilderness of grassland, wetland and forest south of the capital, with recovering elephant, hippo and antelope populations and pristine, protected beaches that are important turtle-nesting sites.

Absolutely. You can combine a Kruger or Gorongosa safari with Maputo's culture and the southern beaches, or hop to the Bazaruto and Quirimbas islands — making Mozambique's south an ideal beach finale to an African safari.