Paradise on the African Coast: A Weekend in Machangulo Mozambique
Located about an hour’s boat ride from the bustling capital of Maputo, but feeling a lifetime away, the beach communities of the Cape of Santa Maria, directly across Maputo Bay, are relaxed, warm, and welcoming. The peninsula is lined with white sand beaches, tiny villages, and exciting ocean fun.
We landed in Mozambique’s capital city of Maputo and after a week in Europe and an overnight flight from Dublin, we were pretty wiped out and looking to relax. And while the people of Maputo were kind and welcoming, some beach time was in order. Mozambique is famous for its white sand beaches lining the Indian Ocean coast.
We were surprised by how cool Maputo was though. We found a nice, cheap hotel with a view of the bay…
and then strolled the tree-lined streets to the waterfront. You can definitely see the Portuguese influence in the architecture and city lay out. There is a waterfront promenade where locals stroll, chat, laugh, and sell things. We found the people very warm and helpful. When one restaurant’s menu didn’t jump out at us, we were directed to another one just around the corner that turned out to be perfect. We watched a bit of soccer… *ahem* football… with the locals and then called it a night.
The next morning, a short stroll brought us to a well-stocked super market with fruit stands outside so we could stock up on supplies before heading out to the peninsula that juts out from the south of Maputo and buts up against Inhaca Island. The fruit sellers were hysterical and loved interacting and having their pictures taken!
Then, we headed to the harbor for a one-hour boat to Machangulo Beach Resort where we found our little bit of paradise.
After crossing a bay which was traversed by local fisherman in felucca-style sailing vessels and populated by pink flamingos that looked almost statuesque in the morning sun…
we arrived at our hotel. We were greeted by the beautiful smiles and singing voices of the staff who proceeded to unload the boat assembly style tossing each suitcase and food box down the line towards the hotel. The open air living spaces at the resort were beach modern with thatched roofs, natural ocean decor and rich African textiles.
After dining on a scrumptious lunch of local fish and tropical cocktails, we headed to our room…and boy what a view we had over the bay! The ocean seemed glassy and busy with locals on the bay side, and never ending waves on the ocean side.
Our room had one queen bed and two twin beds, a modern bathroom complete with outdoor shower, a spacious balcony with dining area, closet, mini-bar and all the other amenities you would expect from a first class hotel back home.
After settling in, we decided to plan our stay…starting with a scuba dive and fishing the next day and Stand Up Paddle Boarding straight away.
We finished the evening watching the sunset over the bay and enjoying the sound of….nothing!
To see more on our stay at Machangulo Beach Resort, check out this video.
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