Vilanculos Beach Lodge is situated in the small costal town of Vilanculos, in the subtropical province of Inhambane, Mozambique. Vilanculos lies 720kms north of Maputo and 500kms south of Beira. The town, with friendly people and a lively atmosphere, offers the perfect base from which to explore the picturesque Bazaruto Archipelago and the Bazaruto National Park.

The marine reserve includes five islands – Santa Carolina (also known as Paradise Island), Bazaruto, Benguerra, Magaruque and Bangue. The Archipelago offers some of the world's best snorkeling, diving and big game fishing. The islands are pristine in their natural beauty and diverse ecologies.

The coral reefs are profuse with a diversity of tropical fish and turtles, and are amongst the most pristine in the Western Indian Ocean. Dolphins are seen year round and whales are seasonal visitors to the Archepelago. The park is also home to the last viable population of dugong on the east African coast.

There is an abundance of bird species, including the crab plover and olive bee-eater that tunnels its nest into the sand dunes. Large flocks of migrant waders visit the fertile mud flats from September to April, and the nomadic Greater Flamingo arrive around
mid-October.

The town of Vilanculos has grown extensively over the last decade, and has been the recipient of considerable inward investment into its tourism infrastructure. Vilanculos has an international airport with daily flights from Maputo and South Africa. Tourists should be reminded to take malaria tablets and wear sunscreen.