Coral Lodge

Coral Lodge sits on a peninsula in the Nampula region of northern Mozambique, on the Indian Ocean. Ten villas — each one hundred square metres — face either the beach or the lagoon that winds through mangroves behind the property. Beach villas look east over open water; lagoon villas sit above the water and have an additional outdoor shower. Both villa types have a king-size bed, a private deck, and an en-suite bathroom with a separate bath and shower. Family villas in each category add a second bedroom — bunk beds in the beach version, two single beds in the lagoon version.

The lodge is thirty minutes by boat from Ilha de Mozambique, a three-kilometre island that served as Mozambique's original capital and now carries UNESCO World Heritage listing. The lodge provides daily transfers, and you can cover the island on foot in a day. Back at the property, the open-air restaurant on a wooden deck serves three meals a day, built around fresh local seafood and shellfish.

On the water, the activities include snorkelling in the lagoon, canoeing through the mangroves, kayaking, stand-up paddleboarding, sailing by traditional dhow at sunset, and deep-sea fishing. Humpback whales pass through between August and October; bottlenose and humpback dolphins are commonly seen from July to September. A resident therapist offers massages in your villa, on the deck, or on the beach.

The nearest community, Cabaceira Pequena, is a short walk away, and most of the lodge's staff come from there.