The Quirimbas Archipelago, Mozambique: 32 Islands off the Northern Coast

The silversmiths on Ibo Island still work the Portuguese filigree technique taught from father to son for generations, in workshops on a street of stone-and-coral buildings that were already old when Mozambique was a Portuguese colony. The island was a significant Swahili and then Portuguese trading post for centuries; the three forts built across its 5-kilometre length tell the story of who wanted to control the Indian Ocean trade when it ran through this channel. Fort Santo Antonio, the 18th-century star-shaped fortification that is the most intact, is visited by a fraction of the people who go to the more famous historical sites in southern Africa. This is one of the reasons to come.

The Quirimbas Archipelago is 32 islands strung along 250 kilometres of coastline in Cabo Delgado province, northern Mozambique. The islands divide into two groups: the southern, more accessible, centred on Ibo and Quirimba; and the northern, which are less visited and have fewer facilities. The southern islands sit within Quirimbas National Park (designated 2002, covering 11,000 square kilometres of sea and coast). Getting here requires a flight to Pemba, the provincial capital, and then a 2 to 4 hour boat journey or a short charter flight to island airstrips. The infrastructure is minimal and the cost is among the highest in southern Africa.

Ibo Island

The town of Ibo, about 600 residents, is a series of stone and coral-block buildings from the colonial period, many in varying states of decay. Some have been restored by the Ibo Island Lodge. The population is predominantly Makua and Mwani, with a Swahili cultural heritage from centuries of Indian Ocean trade. The island has no cars, no tarmac roads, and no shops in any conventional sense. The silversmiths’ workshops are the most specific reason to spend time here rather than passing through.

Ibo Island Lodge, three restored colonial villas with 14 rooms, is the main accommodation. Rates run around USD 500 to 700 per person per night full board including activities. The lodge’s direct connection to the town’s history and community is part of what makes it worth the price.

Marine Life

The reefs of the Quirimbas are among the healthiest in the Indian Ocean. The northern group, around Vamizi and Medjumbe islands, sees minimal fishing pressure and has high fish biomass. Manta rays, whale sharks, and dolphins are regularly encountered in season. The whale shark aggregation occurs from November to March; snorkelling with them is the primary water activity during this window. Diving visibility averages 20 to 30 metres in the dry season.

The channels between islands are navigated by traditional dhow, the wooden sailing vessel that has worked this coast for a thousand years.

Getting There and Security

Fly into Pemba Airport (POL) from Maputo (about 2.5 hours). The Mozambican visa is available on arrival at Pemba for most nationalities; check current requirements. The conflict in Cabo Delgado province, which intensified from 2017 in the far north around Mocimboa da Praia, did not directly affect the southern Quirimbas islands around Ibo and Pemba as of 2025, but the security situation in the province should be verified with your government before travel.

The dry season from May to October is the best time to visit: lower humidity, calmer seas, reliable sunshine. Currency is the Mozambican metical; USD and EUR are accepted at lodges, but metical is needed in Pemba and on the islands.