Think of unexpected outliers, and Ilha de Mocambique should spring majestically to mind. A crescent-shaped island off Mozambique’s north coast, Mozambique Island marinades in the Indian Ocean with a delightful shimmer.
Ilha exists in its own little space. The entire island is barely two miles long and a few hundred yards wide. But it has wielded supreme influence over the years. Historically, the island stood as East Africa’s trading centre. European, Arab and Indian merchants passed through the island. So doing, they left behind a small token of their own cultures.
Today, visitors can see these remnants in the island’s mosques, its fortress and colonial stylings. It should come as no shock that UNESCO deemed Mozambique Island a World Heritage site.
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Perhaps the most iconic, certainly the most sultry, locale is Stone Town. Head for Ilha’s north and bask in the friendly welcome. The streets are wide, the air clean, the atmosphere bucolic. Come nightfall, the all-pervading peace takes on a more atmospheric tone. It’s hard not to imagine a plaintive saxophone tableau wafting in the distance, such is the noir quality of the deserted alleys. Here is a real treasure island with plenty of tranquil riches to unwrap.
(Honest Editor: Half-arsed, this.)
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