Tofo is a tiny little village at the Indian Ocean and most people haven’t heard from it just yet. An eight hours drive away from Mozambique’s capita Maputo, it is pretty hard to get there. Those, who do endure the long journey, are rewarded with pristine beaches, unique underwater life and world-class waves – all by yourself on most days.

Get ready for some serious relaxation in the village. Tofo time follows its own rules. Everything is relaxed and follows a much slower and peaceful pattern. The power goes down regularly, the internet is so lame that you quickly give up your social media updates and the heat does the rest. There is only a tiny supermarket, a public market and a lot of nature.

The locals in Tofo are incredibly relaxed and hospitable. They laugh a lot and in no time you feel like you know the entire village. Most visitors come to this sleepy coastal village to swim or dive with the impressive megafauna: In Tofo you are almost guaranteed to see the giant whale sharks, two species of mantas as well as sharks, dolphins, turtles, sting rays among many other underwater creatures.

✓ Beware: There are no ATMs in the town or the traffic lights; no tarred roads but only a few sand paths. Bring plenty of cash with you from Inhambane.

For such a small town, Tofo does more than its fair share to protect the incredible nature and marine life. Tofo is home to the MMF organization, the Marine Megafauna Foundation Research Center. Its goal is to explore the wildlife of the ocean by working with local governments and communities to protect endangered marine life and educating local fishermen. Three times a week, MMF volunteers give great talks about whale sharks, manta rays and other fishy favorites in the city and the talks are extremely educational.

Tofo attracts scuba divers from all over the world for its stunning megafauna: In Tofo you can observe whale sharks and dolphins on an almost daily basis. In addition, Tofo is one of the very few places in the world where Reef and the up to nine meter Giant manta rays coexist. Most of them are pretty chilled and curious and swim long hours with you.

✓ Best dive spots: Manta Reef, Giants, Marble Arch

✓ Best season for whale sharks and mantas: All year round

✓ Tip: Do take seasickness pills before the boat trip as the waves are big in Tofo

On an Ocean Safari you get the once in a lifetime chance to get really close to the normally very shy and rare to see whale sharks and mantas. For two hours a boat cruises along the shore to search for the gentle giants. Once the boat spots an animal, the snorkelers put on their gear and jump in the water for a close encounter with young whale shark males up to six meters in general, Giant Mantas up to nine meters, Reef Mantas, Dolphins and humpback whales in season. Most times, the boat is accompanied by a marine biologist from the local NGO MMF to do research but also to answer your questions.

✓ Best season for whale sharks and mantas: All year round

✓ Best season for Humpback Whales: June – October

✓ Available for all ages

The bay in front of Tofo offers a nice little wave of beginners. Ten minutes walk away experienced surfers will find heaven in Tofinho. Crystal clear, warm water, a perfect barrelling right-hander point, uncrowded, and if you get lucky, a whale shark is swimming pass you while you’re out there! This is also one of the areas with fewer sharks than most the rest of the country.

✓ Best time: June – October

Tofo basically consists of a beach and a few streets leading away from it. Right on the beach you will find the market where you can buy fresh fish, fruits and vegetables and souvenirs. The markets are also the place where the locals celebrate as if there was no tomorrow. Only a few wooden stalls big, the cheap beer and sound of ghetto blaster attract the tourists and locals alike almost every evening – but the big night out here is Friday. Throughout the week there are also some fixed events in Tofo that offer live music and good food.