Mozambique

Mozambique has the longest coastline in Southern Africa — over 2,500 kilometres of it — and some of the most extraordinary beaches on the continent. Palm-fringed sand, warm Indian Ocean water, coral reefs in water so clear you can see the bottom from a dhow, and island archipelagos where marine life has been protected for decades. For many Southern African travellers, Mozambique is the beach half of the perfect trip — a week of safari in South Africa, Zimbabwe, or Botswana, followed by a week on Mozambican sand.

The country's coastline splits into four broad regions. In the south, Tofo and its neighbours offer year-round diving with whale sharks and manta rays, a relaxed surf-town atmosphere, and easy access from Johannesburg. In the centre, the Bazaruto Archipelago is the country's most exclusive beach destination — five islands of protected marine sanctuary with some of the best big-game fishing and kitesurfing in Africa. Further north, the Quirimbas Archipelago is even more remote and unspoiled, with coral atolls and boutique lodges that feel a thousand miles from anywhere. Maputo, the capital, is a vibrant Portuguese-colonial-meets-African city with fresh prawns, live music, and some of the best street food in the region.

Beyond the coast, Gorongosa National Park — once devastated by the country's civil war — has become one of Africa's great conservation comebacks, with wildlife populations now being carefully rebuilt. Mozambique is not the cheapest country in the region, and its tourism infrastructure is still recovering in places, but for travellers willing to pair a safari with the best beach in Africa, nothing else comes close.