Five islands — Bazaruto, Benguerra, Magaruque, Santa Carolina, and Bangué — make up the Bazaruto Archipelago, a national park protecting some of the richest marine habitat left in East Africa. The surrounding waters are shallow and warm, sheltering coral reefs, seagrass beds, whale sharks, manta rays, dolphins, and one of the last significant populations of dugongs in the Indian Ocean.
Snorkelling and diving here are exceptional. The coral gardens off Bazaruto and Benguerra Island are largely intact — the park has kept industrial fishing and development at bay. Two-Mile Reef, north of Bazaruto, is a favourite dive site for its sheer walls and dense fish life. Most visitors access the archipelago through day trips from Vilanculos by motorboat or traditional dhow, though staying on one of the islands gives a very different experience.