Primeiras and Segundas Archipelago

The Primeiras and Segundas are two chains of small islands running along the coast between Zambezia and Nampula, and the environmental protection area declared over them in 2012 covers around a million hectares, which made it the largest coastal marine protected area in Africa when it was declared. It holds coral reef, seagrass, mangrove and turtle nesting beaches, and the islands are used seasonally by fishing communities from the mainland rather than permanently settled.

History

Europeans first saw the islands on 25 February 1498, during Vasco da Gama's first voyage to India, and they became a stopping place for Portuguese fleets bound for the East, often in need of repairs after rounding the Cape of Good Hope (Wikipedia, Primeiras and Segundas Archipelago).

What's there

• The island chains - ten low coral and sand islands in two groups along the coast.
• The reefs - coral around the islands, among the least disturbed on the coast.
• The turtle nesting - beaches used by green and hawksbill turtles.
• The seasonal fishing camps - mainland communities working the islands in season.

When to go

May to October is the cooler dry season and the calmest for boats. Cyclone season from December to March makes crossings unreliable. Turtle nesting runs through the warmer months.

Practical notes

There is no tourism infrastructure at all: no lodges, no organised trips and no facilities on the islands. Boat arrangements are made informally and safety standards are not regulated. Crossings are long and open-water.

Nearby

Angoche is on the mainland opposite, and Moma is south.

Key facts