It’s definitely worth flitting about Inhambane (pronoun. Inyambarn) province. Inhambane, the provincial capital is situated in the south along with the beautiful beaches; Tofo and Barra. All are characteristic of the gentle, easygoing Mozambican way of life, a lovely level of no hurry.
Inhambane Town
The oldest city in Mozambique, Inhambane is such a quaint historical town and because I had only breezed through after getting the ferry across from Maxixe (the provinces financial capital) I made sure to go back and have another look. The history is wonderfully portrayed in the architecture. There’s also an awesome second-hand clothing market where you can pick up designer labels for a few dollars. You might even be lucky enough to get the expats to tell you the location of this cherished, closely guarded secret if you ask nicely.
I had the only latte I’ve managed to find in Inhambane and a delicious goat curry at Pescador Restaurant that sits to the right of the pier as you’re coming off, in a beautiful, very green-lawned spot.
Barra Beach
This is where I stayed and loved it. It’s a beautiful golden sand beach that stretches for miles in both directions. I walked 40 minutes in each direction and still it stretched on for miles ahead of me. The accommodation which runs along the back of the beach for 4-5 km’s before finishing at the estuary includes; camping, mid-range casitas, high-end resorts, and one house on AirBNB for 550 Mt ($10 USD) a night, NO dormitories.
It’s a peaceful, very safe community with lovely helpful expats and locals. I stayed at Neptunes Lodge & Beach Bar which has awesome, beautifully decorated casitas with sand at the door, outdoor bathrooms, a brai and seated, sunbathing areas on the roof with beautiful views of the Indian ocean.
Neptunes always has great music playing, a friendly lovely staff and a good menu of seafood, burgers, paninis, a few salads and peri-peri chicken. They also have a pizza oven for yummy pizzas. Definitely, try the bacon feta and rocket waffles though – delicious! They have loads of seating and sun loungers right on the beach where you can watch the locals fisherman bringing in the catch. An additional benefit at Neptune’s is Tanya, a very warm soul with a great positive energy that does sensational massages in a massage hut on the beach. Let all your tension drift away on the sound of the waves. Here’s Tanya’s number to book your massage: +258 84 841 3074
Tofo Beach
If something a bit more upbeat is what you’re after then Tofo is your place. It’s a laid back sleepy hollow during the day and provides a more boisterous party lifestyle at night. Expats and travelers gather here at night for a drinking in the beach baraucas (pronoun. barakas) vibe or for hearing live bands on the weekends.
The beach is made up of a bay with great surfing waves and although not long its very wide with very fine, light “sand” coloured sand. You can walk to the point of Tofinho, a great surfing spot (or so I’m told) via some easy climbs over rock and hillocks and then you can loop back to Tofo with an easy 20-minute walk along the road. There’s a monument in Tofinho and I got mixed answers to my question of what it represents. None of it was very positive but all were unanimous in the fact that people died here. Whether is was slaves flinging themselves onto the rocks below in a desperate bid to escape or a place criminals were thrown as punishment you can decide for yourself.
Accommodation varies from camping to a high-end hotel. There are a few backpackers places with dorms as well eg. Fatimas. Costs here tend to be more expensive than Barra and in my opinion very overpriced in regard to quality, at least at the lower end, even in the off season.
Local Transport
Local transport, Chapas and the occasional bus run between all three locations throughout the day, from about 6 am until 6 pm. They seem to have more or less regular pick-up/drop off points but then it also looked like people got dropped off wherever they asked. More info below on costs and timeframes.
To get between Barra and Tofo you need to get the Chapa/bus to the Babalaza “interchange”. I use interchange very loosely.You get off, cross to the opposite side of the road and for seating or cover, you can utilize a shack’s step/roof or find a tree post. If in Barra you can wait in the small local shop watching the Africa music videos – my fav! Waiting for transport is a great chance to watch the people or better still interact.
There are also private car owners who provide taxi services. Ask the people where you’re staying to provide you with a recommendation.
You can get a ferry from Maxixe to Inhambane and from there it’s a 10-minute walk to the bus/Chapa/Tuk Tuk station. Or you can get a Tuk Tuk from the pier to the bus station. I got offered a Tuk Tuk for 50 Mt but walked instead. Check out my earlier post re my ferry and Chapa rides.
Transport Time frames
- I never had to wait more than 30 minutes for a Chapa/bus (maybe I was just lucky)
- Inhambane to Barra or Tofo
- Chapa takes about 30-45 minutes to either destination
- Buses can take a lot longer because of the number of people it can carry and therefore the more stops it makes
- Barra to Babalaza
- Chapa takes about 20 minutes
- Babalaza to Tofo
- Chapa takes about 15 minutes
- Ferry Maxixe to Inhambane 45 minutes (this includes the waiting for the boat to fill up time)
Costs
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