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Barra da Lagoa town,
the main fishing village on the island and still functioning in its
creaky old ways, snug between canal and beach, is your last chance to
buy provisions should you feel like a long walk along Barra da Lagoa
beach itself, which will lead you to Moçambique beach after ~
3 km, from where you can test your hiking endurance for another 11 km
to the hill at the end. During the summer season (Dec. - March) you
may encounter the odd hut selling refreshments along the first few kilometers,
but then it’s the smiling solitude of completely unspoiled nature
for a good 10 km. (The “two” beaches are actually one uninterrupted
14-km stretch of nature reserve, just with two names.) Barra da Lagoa,
with its gentle waves, is ideal for children and people learning to
surf, while the beginning of Moçambique, with waves approaching
2m, is frequented by more experienced surfers. |
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MOLE
BEACH |
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The T&A-watcher’s
Mecca, replete with famous surfers waving their stuff and the beach
crowd strutting theirs, twitching to the beat of beach bars and restaurants
- if you want it, here it is. Come and get it! |
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GALHETA
BEACH |
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The only nudist (clothing-optional,
actually) beach on the island, where it’s clothes off or on -
as you please! This practically virgin beach ( ~ 2 km long), secluded,
reached only by trails, is truly your place to just hang loose and let
it all hang out – aaah, my ding-a-ling! Just 45 min. from our
place by hiking trail, with a spectacular view of practically the whole
island from the hilltop. |
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JOAQUINA
BEACH
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Just a couple of
hundred meters past the sand dunes, this beach, which becomes Campeche
beach halfway along, is the second-longest one on the island. Great
for surfing and philosophical walks! |
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MOÇAMBIQUE
BEACH |
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This continuation of Barra
da Lagoa beach is in the protected forest area, replete with sand dunes
and shrubs mixed in with the largely untouched forest. Usually big,
agitated waves make stretches of the beach contested areas for serious
surfers, while few swimmers feel like braving the cold waters –
this really is the ideal beach for long, long philosophical walks! |
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| Located in the more bucolic south, it’s worth just the trip there – through hills and pastures, along a rugged coastline (whale-watching during the season!) – getting there is half the fun! |
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The canal, initiated
by the erection of a rock wall at the beginning of Barra da Lagoa beach,
is actually now a kind of natural, winding inlet of small river size,
green and lush, that ebbs and flows with the tides, thereby salting
the big lake ( ~ 12 km x 4 km). Very near Pouso do Marujo, you can dive
in and swim-float to the beach during ebb tide (watch out for fishing
and speed boats, though!) and return with the high tide. Many tour boats
also start from there on sightseeing trips past stately homes and fishermen’s
huts and waterfront bars and restaurants and nightspots along the canal
and lake. And of course, you can ship it alone on your rented tuk-tuk
or speedboat. Or, for the more athletic and thrill-minded, sail around
on catamarans or windsurfers, or better still, sail over the spectacular
lake-sea-canal-hill-scape in hang- and para-gliders - whoopee! |
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CAMPECHE
ISLAND |
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Famous for archaeological
sites (accessible through guided tours), this picturesque little island
less than 2 km off Campeche beach is a must-see also for its spectacular
diving spots. All-day boat trips leave every morning very near our hotel. |
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