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BEACHES
BARRA DA LAGOA BEACH
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
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
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
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
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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ARMAÇÃO
BEACH
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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LAGOA DA CONCEIÇÃO
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!
CAMPECHE ISLAND
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.
