Azura Benguerra Island

Mozambique’s first luxury ‘eco’ boutique hotel, Azura Benguerra Island is a breathtaking hideaway steeped in African charm and blissful beachside relaxation. A community-based project where the local islanders help to operate it, you’ll be in your very own island paradise. Between relaxing at the African spa and dining on freshly caught seafood with your feet tucked into the sand, you’ll head off to explore the surrounding reefs after learning the art of scuba diving at the hotel’s PADI 5 Star Dive Centre. Let’s dive in.

LOCATION

Hidden away on the beautiful Benguerra Island of Mozambique’s Bazaruto Archipelago, Azura Benguerra Island is located within the mesmerising Bazaruto Marine National Park. On a quick ten-minute helicopter flight from Vilanculos, the nearest town and airport, you’ll marvel at the six islands below with their sweeping sand dunes and seagrass meadows, dotted across the clear blue expanse of the Indian Ocean.

YOUR ROOM

Just a few steps from the beach, each of the hotel’s 20 hand-built thatched villas blends modern chic with local African charm. With private plunge pools and spectacular ocean views, you’ll find your own secluded haven nestled within Azura’s indigenous gardens. A place of rest and relaxation.

WHY WE LIKE IT

One of our favourite elements of Azura Benguerra Island is its focus and celebration of the surrounding Indian Ocean. With multiple open-air areas boasting mesmerising views of calm blue waters, you can wander from the beach into the Star Bar, dine on gastronomic delights at the Jellyfish Restaurant, or enjoy a picnic on a remote sand island. From breakfast at the water’s edge to dining on a candlelit beach beneath the stars, the hotel also boasts a PADI 5 Star Dive Centre with top of the range Scubapro equipment and a training pool. Diving deep, you’ll head off to explore the dazzling nearby coral reefs.

SUSTAINABILITY

Mozambique’s first luxury ‘eco’ boutique hotel, Azura Benguerra was hand-built by the local community and is operated in partnership with it, with members of the local community acting as major contributors and stakeholders. With sustainable building materials such as locally made doors and window frames, heavily thatched ‘jekka’ roofing made by local women, and supporting beams crafted from trees felled by storms, sustainability is at the heart of the hotel’s operations. Azura Benguerra Island also operates fully on solar power.