The overwhelming reason to come to Tofo is the marine life in the bay. Whale shark encounters are the headline act — snorkelling or diving with these enormous filter-feeders is one of the more extraordinary wildlife experiences on the continent. Manta rays are present year-round at cleaning stations on the reef. Humpback whales pass through from June to November, and dolphins are common in the bay at most times of year.
On land, Tofo is a small place. The beach itself is the main attraction: broad, white, and backed by dunes covered in indigenous coastal vegetation. Surfing is popular — the bay has a consistent reef break, and several schools offer lessons. At the north end of town, a Toca do Tartaruga (Turtle Point) is where loggerhead and leatherback turtles come ashore to nest from October to February. You can join monitored night walks during nesting season.
The Barra Peninsula is a day trip that adds variety — a narrow sandbar between the bay and the Inhambane estuary, with its own beach, the lighthouse at Ponta da Barra, and good snorkelling off the tip.