Mozambique’s Bazaruto Archipelago was declared a national park in 1971 and for good reason. The archipelago, comprising six islands and a great expanse of ocean, was specifically designated to protect dugong, marine turtles and their habitats. The fauna and flora, coral reefs and marine birds on the islands are also protected.
With all the protected marine life, this national park is the perfect place for a diving retreat. Here are Dana Tour’s top picks for dive sites and places to stay within the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park…
Underwater utopia
The Bazaruto Archipelago is home to no fewer than 19 dive sites where divers can explore a colourful diversity of hard and soft corals with anemone fish peeking out of their rocky abodes.
Wonder at the schools of brightly painted reef fish such as fusilier, coachman and surgeon and see such large pelagic and reef fish species such as potato bass, barracuda, guitar fish, and several ray species.
Perhaps the most famous of the many dive sites is Two Mile Reef (14m), a barrier reef in front of the narrow channel between the south side of Bazaruto Island and the northern point of Benguerra Island.
If you’re an avid underwater photographer, Baluba Reef (10m) with its flat-topped reefs and caves 
is an excellent choice. This reef is a hub of colourful activity and is an ideal site for nudibranch lovers and open-water divers.
Fossil Reef (13m) is located right off Benguerra and is an unusual dive site named after the
fossilised remains of trees rising from the sea floor. Moray eels and lionfish often come out for a peak so keep your camera ready!
South Point Reef (20m) is a shallow, rocky reef south of Bazaruto, ideal for snorkelling and resort courses. The area has lots of boulders, little caves and green tree coral. Here you may encounter a variety of different species such as kingfish, fazilias, blue spotted rays, green turtles and whitetip and blacktip sharks.
Luxury lodging
You’ll have an abundance of options when it comes to choosing where you want to stay within the Bazaruto Archipelago National Park.
Casa Rex is a small hotel with luxurious rooms and a great view of the archipelago. Guests here dive with (PADI) Odyssea Dive.
The Vilanculos Beach Lodge offers luxury accommodation, state-of-the-art diving facilities and experienced staff.
Benguerra Lodge is an established lodge with personalised service and a fully PADI certified dive operation diving at six top dive sites.
Azura at Gabriel’s offers luxury accommodation as well as a five-star PADI dive centre which will take you to varied reefs with many species of turtle , shark, pelagic, dolphin, moray eels, rays and an astounding variety of reef fish and corals.
Dive off Bazaruto Island and stay at the Pestana Bazaruto Lodge which also offers guests dives in the Bazaruto Archipelago.
The Anantara Bazaruto Island Resort and Spa is not just a luxury accommodation with a spa, but a PADI centre as well. At least seven top sites are within the area of Indigo Bay.
Book Bazaruto
Since it’s impossible to cover all the dive sites and accommodation options within the scope of one article, we highly recommend that you contact Dana Tours to discuss a package that will perfectly suit your needs. Happy diving!
