6 Inhaca Island

Inhaca Island

is situated in the Bay of Maputo and is a 45 minute boat ride from the capital by speedboat.

You get the boat at the harbour or Porto Once you have reached the harbour and you set about procuring local currency. Banks to exchange currency are available except on Saturday and Sunday. Street vendors are always willing but not always honest and exchanging with them should be a last resort. Rands and Dollars will be accepted for most purchases and fares but the exchange rate cannot be guaranteed and it tends to be difficult to negotiate in Portuguese .

Once a willing interpreter has found you, negotiations for a boat can commence. In the time before you actually sail, it is possible to buy curios, eat LM prawns at a price that can't be beaten anywhere else and savour the potent local beer (cerveja) which is excellent value for money and comes in decent 550 ml bottles.

At last, the pre-determined time arrives and with a sudden flourish of activity everyone starts heading towards the right boat,

The skyline of Maputo takes forever to disappear Soon enough a landmass becomes apparent and with an appreciable sigh of relief you realize that trip is now almost over.

Conservation measures on the island are fairly intense and the penalties for breaching them are particularly severe. It is advisable to check with the Maritime Authority or the Marine Biological Station what the current requirements are before you attempt to fish in the reserve or use spearguns. Two main potential areas are available to fishing namely the southern point, Ponto Torres (also known as Santa Maria) and the northern point, Cabo Inhaca (between the lighthouse and Portuguese Island). It was suggested however, that the northern point tended to be more dangerous in terms of the number of thieves around.