Cabaceira Grande
A small village on the mainland across from Mozambique Island, with a 16th-century Church of Our Lady of Remedies, the ruins of a governor's summer palace and huge baobab trees.
Cabaceira Grande lies on the north shore of Mossuril Bay, across the water from Mozambique Island. During the colonial period it was a summer retreat for wealthy islanders and the governor, and it lies within the buffer zone of the World Heritage site. The village preserves the Church of Our Lady of Remedies, built at the end of the 16th century, and the ruins of the governor's summer palace, old houses and a water reservoir. Around them are giant baobab trees, cashew groves and mangrove forests, and villagers make their living from fishing and farming. Most visitors go by single-masted sailing boat from Mozambique Island, which takes about 30 to 60 minutes depending on the wind, and then walk around with a villager as guide. The round trip takes about half a day. Facilities are very limited, so bring your own drinking water and cash. A community tourism project can arrange a guide and simple meals.
Opening hours
Daytime (boat trips depend on tides and wind)
Nearby sights
- Chocas-Mar Beach
- Fortress of São Sebastião
- Chapel of Nossa Senhora do Baluarte
- Palace of São Paulo
- Church of Misericórdia & Museum of Sacred Art
- Stone Town
- Main Mosque of Ilha de Moçambique
- Colonial Hospital of Ilha de Moçambique