Tofo Beach ( pt: Praia do Tofo) or simply Tofo is a small town in southeastern

Mozambique Mozambique (), officially the Republic of Mozambique ( pt, Moçambique or , ; ny, Mozambiki; sw, Msumbiji; ts, Muzambhiki), is a country located in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi ...

. The town lies on the

Indian Ocean The Indian Ocean is the third-largest of the world's five oceanic divisions, covering or ~19.8% of the water on Earth's surface. It is bounded by Asia to the north, Africa to the west and Australia to the east. To the south it is bounded by th ...

coast, on

Barra Beach Barra Beach ( pt, Praia da Barra) or simply Barra is a tourist beach in southeastern Mozambique. This holiday settlement lies on the Indian Ocean coast, on the Ponta da Barra peninsula in Inhambane Province, 25 km drive from Inhambane city. ...

peninsula in

Inhambane Province Inhambane is a province of Mozambique located on the coast in the southern part of the country. It has an area of 68,615 km2 and a population of 1,488,676 (2017 census). The provincial capital is also called Inhambane. The climate is trop ...

, Jangamo District, 22 km drive from

Inhambane Inhambane, also known as Terra de Boa Gente (''Land of Good People''), is a city located in southern Mozambique, lying on Inhambane Bay, 470 km northeast of Maputo. It is the capital of the Inhambane Province and according to the 2017 census ...

city.Inhambane Province » Cities and towns » Tofo Beach
2008 Go2Africa Pty (Ltd). A major Mozambican tourist destination, Tofo is a home to culture and sealife, with tourists drawn by a long Indian Ocean beach front and nightlife with amazing artists international or locals, Tofo is a hotspot for tourists from around the world to come and see the culture and sealife.

Tourist center

Historically a small coastal fishing village, Tofo has grown into an

international tourism International tourism is tourism that crosses national borders. Globalisation has made tourism a popular global leisure activity. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual en ...

center. There is a small vegetable and African market, 4 diving centers, a small hotel, and several lodges offering various types of accommodation, from backpackers to 5 star luxury. There are also horse riding stables and many bars and restaurants. The tourist center also includes the nearby settlement known as

Tofinho Tofinho Beach ( pt: Praia do Tofinho) or simply Tofinho is a tourist Beach, Monument and Residential area in southeastern Mozambique. This holiday settlement lies on the Indian Ocean coast, on the Ponta da Barra peninsula in Inhambane Province, ...

("Little Tofo"), a 10-minute drive out of town with scenic views. Whale shark tofo mozambique 2007

Tofo's tourist industry is built around its exceptional opportunities to see

manta ray Manta rays are large rays belonging to the genus ''Mobula'' (formerly its own genus ''Manta''). The larger species, '' M. birostris'', reaches in width, while the smaller, '' M. alfredi'', reaches . Both have triangular Pectoral fin#AnchPect ...

s and

whale shark The whale shark (''Rhincodon typus'') is a slow-moving, filter-feeding carpet shark and the largest known extant fish species. The largest confirmed individual had a length of .McClain CR, Balk MA, Benfield MC, Branch TA, Chen C, Cosgrove J, D ...

s which are permanently resident in these waters. Diving centers run snorkeling trips to swim with the whale sharks and diving trips to see the manta rays (these dives are below 20 metres). Tofo is not otherwise a good location for those who wish to snorkel to see coral reefs and fish as these are too deep. A resident ecological center for local sea life has been created by hotels to manage and guide responsible tourism. Tofo Beach, running from a rocky point in the south up much of the length of

attracts surfers and bathers.Mary Fitzpatrick
Mozambique
Second Edition. Lonely Planet, (2007) pp.89-92 Along the coast are a number of other small tourist centers, including

Bazaruto Archipelago The Bazaruto Archipelago is a group of six islands in Mozambique, near the mainland city of Vilankulo. It comprises the islands of Bazaruto, Benguerra, Magaruque, Banque, Santa Carolina (also known as Paradise Island) and Shell. Nyati Island i ...

to the north, Praia de Zavala, Praia de

Zavora Zavora is a beach, north east of Maputo in Mozambique, in the district of Inharrime District, Inharrime, province of Inhambane Province, Inhambane. It is located 420 km north east of Maputo, the capital of Mozambique, and 27 km east from ...

, Baia dos Cocos,

and Pomene.High Commissioner of the Republic of Mozambique in London
Tourism. School holiday periods tend to be busy with many South Africans and others visiting Tofo during this time.

Transport

Inhambane Airport Inhambane Airport is an airport in Jangamo District, Inhambane Province, Mozambique . The airport is operational Monday to Friday from 07:00 to 17:00, Saturdays from 08:00 to 17:00, open by advance request on Sundays. Customs and Immigration c ...

is operational Monday to Friday from 07:00 to 17:00, Saturdays from 08:00 to 17:00, open by advance request on Sundays. Customs and Immigration can be organised in advance of arrivals. Fees and taxes apply. Direct flights to Inhambane from

Johannesburg Johannesburg ( , , ; Zulu and xh, eGoli ), colloquially known as Jozi, Joburg, or "The City of Gold", is the largest city in South Africa, classified as a megacity, and is one of the 100 largest urban areas in the world. According to Demo ...

have enabled this industry. Otherwise Tofo is about 6 hours drive north of

Maputo Maputo (), formerly named Lourenço Marques until 1976, is the Capital city, capital, and largest city of Mozambique. Located near the southern end of the country, it is within of the borders with Eswatini and South Africa. The city has a popul ...

. From the north, Tofo is about 5 hours drive from

Vilankulo Vilankulo (or Vilanculos) is a coastal town in Mozambique, lying in the Vilankulo District, Vilanculos District of Inhambane Province. Vilankulo is named after local tribal chief Gamela Vilankulo Mukoke, and some of the "bairros" (suburbs) are nam ...

References

External links

Website
{{coord, 23, 50.965, S, 35, 32.616, E, region:MZ_type:waterbody, display=title Populated places in Inhambane Province Tourism in Mozambique

Tourist center

Transport

See also

References

External links