Things to do in Quirimbas Archipelago
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Quirimbas Archipelago
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Peak cyclone and rainy season, hottest and wettest months, rough seas and disrupted boats, the worst window on weather alone.
Rest of the November to April cyclone season, heavy rain and flood risk, with turtle nesting starting on Vamizi in December.
Dry season with the calmest seas and the historic diving and sailing season, whales passing roughly June to October, but the security risk applies exactly as in the rains.
Best things to do in Quirimbas Archipelago
Fortaleza de Sao Joao Baptista do Ibo
The star shaped 1790s fort at the harbour mouth, second fortress of Mozambique, with silversmiths working in and around it.
Fortim de Sao Jose do Ibo
The first fort on Ibo, built in 1764 by the harbour, smaller and older than Sao Joao Baptista and the start of the town story.
Ibo Island
The stone town walk: crumbling mansions, mosques and churches, and a Swahili trading history a good guide tells in full.
Ibo Island silversmiths
Filigree silversmiths working by hand at the fort, a craft passed down for generations and the souvenir that supports Ibo.
Quirimbas National Park
The biosphere reserve framing the southern islands: reefs, mangroves and seagrass, dugongs and turtles, people living inside it.
Where to stay in Quirimbas Archipelago
Ibo town
future window base and essential work stays
The only town in the archipelago, with the mid and budget guesthouses, the forts, the market and the harbour.
Private lodge islands
future window splurge only
Medjumbe, Quilalea, Vamizi and Matemo each held one luxury lodge and nothing else. All four lodges are closed.
Think twice about
- Quirimbas Archipelago for leisure travel
An active insurgency operates in Cabo Delgado, and the archipelago lodges have been closed since 2020.
- Mainland coast and landing points opposite the islands
Quissanga, Macomia and the coastal mainland sit inside the same conflict area, with active insurgency and checkpoints in 2026 reporting.
- Roads through Cabo Delgado to island boat landings
Road movement crosses conflict districts and is an organisational security decision, never a visitor drive or public transport plan.
Best restaurants in Quirimbas Archipelago
Cinco Portas
The best regarded kitchen in Ibo town, seafood and Mozambican dishes in the guesthouse garden at guesthouse prices.
Miti Miwiri
The boutique hotel restaurant in Ibo town, seafood and international dishes with vegetarian options, by arrangement for visitors.
Ibo Island Lodge rooftop terrace
Dinner on the lodge rooftop over the harbour at sunset, fresh fish and prawns in the set piece meal of the operating years.
Mercado do Ibo
Market stalls and small local kitchens serving grilled fish, rice, beans and matapa at local prices, arranged via your host.
Outdoor things to do in Quirimbas Archipelago
Neptune's Arm
The signature Vamizi dive in a marine sanctuary, dramatic reef with sharks, turtles and large groupers in operator accounts.
Lighthouse Reef
The house wall dive off Ibo, coral tables from about 10 metres dropping to 21, with turtles commonly seen in the operating years.
Quilalea Island
House reef snorkelling in a fully protected marine reserve, with mangrove kayaking and baobabs on the island itself.
Ibo Island Lodge dhow safari
The classic multi day dhow voyage north from Ibo, sleeping simply on uninhabited islands and snorkelling as you go.
St Lazarus Bank
An offshore seamount famous for game fishing, marlin, tuna and wahoo, reached historically by liveaboard from Matemo and Ibo.
Vamizi Island
Green turtle nesting monitored by a conservation team, plus samango monkeys, coconut crabs and rich birdlife on guided walks.
Quirimba Island
The low tide walk or short boat hop from Ibo to the island that names the archipelago, fishing village and dhow building.
Best hotels in Quirimbas Archipelago
Anantara Medjumbe Island Resort
Twelve adults only beach pool villas on a tiny private island. Closed since 2020, so confirm it has reopened before planning around it.
Azura Quilalea Private Island
Nine villas on an uninhabited island in a marine reserve, the southern luxury island. Closed since 2020, no verified reopening.
andBeyond Vamizi Island
Six private villas with their own staff in a marine conservation area. Closed since 2020, so confirm it has reopened before planning around it.
Matemo Island Lodge
The larger resort island north of Ibo, diving and St Lazarus Bank fishing in its years. Closed, no verified tourist operation.
Ibo Island Lodge
Rooms in restored mansions on Rua Bela Vista with a rooftop terrace, historically the base for diving and dhow safaris.
Miti Miwiri Boutique Hotel
A small design led hotel in Ibo town near the forts, with a pool and gardens, at the top of the town price range.
Cinco Portas
The long running Ibo guesthouse in a historic house with a garden and a well regarded kitchen, the cheap characterful base.
Baobibo - Casa de Hospedes
A small locally run guesthouse with its own dhow in the operating years, tours and low tide walks arranged through the house.
Is Quirimbas Archipelago expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | MZN 4,500 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | MZN 12,000 a person |
| Splurge | MZN 75,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Neptune's Arm: months ahead
- Quilalea Island: months ahead
- Ibo Island Lodge dhow safari: months ahead
- St Lazarus Bank: months ahead
- Vamizi Island: months ahead
- Anantara Medjumbe Island Resort: months ahead
- Azura Quilalea Private Island: months ahead
- andBeyond Vamizi Island: months ahead
- Nothing is bookable as a normal tourist product as of October 2026. If lodges reopen, confirm directly with them before you plan.
- In the operating years the private islands and dhow safaris booked months ahead and Ibo houses weeks ahead in dry season.
Is Quirimbas Archipelago safe?
- An active insurgency operates in Cabo Delgado, including around the Quirimbas islands, with no exception for offshore islands.
- Islands off the coast are among possible indiscriminate attack locations, offshore islands are not policed, and the kidnap threat in Cabo Delgado is particularly acute.
- Malaria is present year round and island medical care is basic to nonexistent, so serious cases are evacuated by air.
Quirimbas Archipelago travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Lodge websites, old rate sheets and 2015 refurbishment press still circulate for closed resorts. A live website is not an open lodge.
- Do not photograph military, police, government buildings or airports, and ask before photographing people in Ibo town.
- Hotel and operator pages do not reflect the security position. Check current security reporting, not the booking sites.
Getting around Quirimbas Archipelago: public transport and more
- The gateway is Pemba. Ibo was reached by light aircraft in about 25 minutes or by the long chapa route to Quissanga plus a boat crossing.
- On the islands movement is on foot and by boat only. Private islands used their own aircraft, boats or helicopters from Pemba.
- Carry your passport at all times. Checkpoints are common and copies are not accepted.
Who Quirimbas Archipelago suits
| Solo travellers | OK |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Not ideal |
| Couples | Not ideal |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Not ideal |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Quirimbas Archipelago your trip
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