Grab your sunglasses, towel, binoculars and camera and go for walk under the hot sun and blue skies, whilst admiring the beautiful Bazaruto Archipelago islands in the distance as you sink your feet in the white beach sand. That's exactly how it is!! Vilanculos Beach is absolutely stunning with so much to see and enjoy watching, just by taking a simple stroll along the beach!
Whether you start your walk from the North or South beaches of Vilanculos, you will find yourself walking for kilometres and kilometres without a sweat. The best time to start your walk is during low tide, especially in the Northern beaches of Vilanculos where the tide goes quite far out leaving clear and shallow waters like a sparkling swimming pool. As you walk along the beaches, always keep an eye out for beautiful sea shells where you may be lucky to find a few Panzy Shells that often wash up on the shores of Magaruque Island, which happens to be the closest Island to Vilanculos!
Whilst many of the locals go out on their Dhows to catch fish, you may spot a few fisherman building, repairing or painting their dhow boats on the beach under a makeshift marquee for shade, which some may find quite interesting. Some of the locals may even approach you with buckets of freshly caught king size prawns to buy, which usually go at a bargain price considering how large the prawns are and what we usually pay for smaller prawns in our local supermarket! A few kilograms of prawns will certainly satisfy the taste buds later in the evening whilst enjoying local portuguese beer.
You'll notice quite a few rusted boats and bargs platforms (mini shipwrecks) along the beaches in Vilanculos, which immediately creates a real rustic feel to the old town that dates as far back as the 16th century. During low tide, a lot of the fishing boats that aren't in use, lay flush on their hull and at a slight angle on the beach, which doesn't necessarily mean that they are stranded or shipwrecked but, only temporarily stranded. This is normal and an every day occurance in the small harbour of Vilanculos, as it is, with many coastal fishing towns in Mozambique. During low tide, local fisherman dock their boats close to shore to "rest" while they wait for high tide to come in, where their boats will once again, be afloat and ready to use for another fishing excursion.
On the other side of the beach along both Northern and Southen beaches of Vilanculos, you'll find a variety of luxury and affordable lodges & resorts lined up behind tall coconut trees, providing adequate accommodation for holiday makers and people passing through the town. During the holiday season, these lodges are usually fully booked, so if you're planning your next holiday in Vilanculos, be sure to book in advance!
Vilanculos's Quaint little harbour is home to many local fishing boats with the odd Catamaran parked here and there. Locals have set up a little market on the harbour selling freshly caught fish and sea food, with a large hotel just behind the market overlooking the point and harbour.
Whilst walking the beaches, you may see a guided group of horse riders trotting along the beaches. These are actually Horse Safaris, an activity you can also do in Vilanculos! Horse Safaris in Vilanculos is a very popular activity and is a fun and faster way of exploring the beaches all along Vilanculos. So if it's not done by foot, then do it by horse! Another type of Safari that HAS to be done when in Vilanculos, is a Dhow Safari. Dhow Safaris will take you through the magnificent Bazaruto Archipelago Islands! Some Dhow Safari packages include an onboard chef that will prepare a delicious meal for you and your partner whilst en-route to the Islands!
So just by walking along the beaches, you'll get an idea of what activities you'd like to do in Vilanculos and at the same time, you'll get to explore the beautiful beaches, purchase a few items, see how the locals operate and catch a tan!
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