Inhambane Town

Inhambane has been a trading port for at least a thousand years, first in the Swahili network and later under Portuguese rule. It is small, shaded and unhurried — a grid of low colonial buildings around the Cathedral of Nossa Senhora da Conceição, with a waterfront where dhows load passengers and cargo for Maxixe across the bay.

The crossing itself is the town's best-known experience: a short, cheap dhow or ferry ride with the bay opening on both sides. Climb the cathedral tower for the view over the tin roofs and palms.