Tofo Beach lies 20 km east of Inhambane on the Indian Ocean coast, and for many travellers it is the main reason for coming to this part of Mozambique. The beach is wide, backed by low dunes, and the water is warm and clear. More importantly, the bay here is one of the best places in the world to snorkel with whale sharks and manta rays — the nutrient-rich waters bring these giant filter-feeders in season (roughly October to March for whale sharks; mantas are present year-round).
A number of dive operators based at Tofo run daily trips to the reef and offshore sites. Even without a dive certificate, guided snorkelling trips to see whale sharks are possible. Shared transport (chapas) runs between Inhambane town and Tofo throughout the day; the journey takes about 30 minutes. Accommodation ranges from backpacker camps to small beach lodges — it is also perfectly feasible to day-trip from Inhambane.