Ilha Blue is an event company run by a wonderful couple named Pete and Gail. They are savvy and knowledgeable about all things Ilha and a few minutes chat with them will result in the perfect outing being arranged.
Thomas O
Wonderful experience
We booked two trips: the biking tour and the beach-baobab combo. The former trip was amazing. Perfect way to visit the island. The bikes are comfortable, the pace is relaxing and we learned a lot from our wonderful guide.
The visit to the beach was also good but we preferred the bike tour. The beach is very clean although do not expect big waves, the ocean is very shallow near the shore. There is an option to swim in a nearby lagoon but we definitely preferred the ocean.
Eric – Ottawa, Canada
An amazing, unforgettable day out
This was truly a day to remember. We started off watching humpback whales cavort in the water around our boat, then landed on a desert island where the crew gave us a delicious lunch and finally we sailed back to Ilha with the sun setting over the Indian Ocean. Everyone was extremely friendly as well as skilled at their jobs. You must do this if you are visiting Ilha!
Katherine H – Nampula, Mozambique
Fantastic dhow trip and snorkelling
Having planned an impromptu trip with Ilha blue the night before going on the snorkelling and dhow trip, the experience with Ilha Blue was nothing but great! We met up for the dhow cruise at 8.30 am and got a briefing on the what to expect, the plan was to go out hopefully in the search of seeing some whales and dolphins, but not to be to optimistic as we were right on the tail end of the whale migration.
We got onto the dhow, from the pier right outside the Palace and Chapel of São Paulo around 9 am and set sail north east round the top of the island with fantastic views of the Fortaleza de São Sebastião. The plan was to sail to the east into open water past the island Ilha de Goa a small outpost island with a old Portuguese built lighthouse and try and spot some whales. The cruise was nothing but magical, and after being out on the water for about an hour and a half, and not spotting any whales or dolphins the crew decided we’d sail back to the shores of Ilha de Goa to snorkel over a couple of shipwrecks. Although the water was choppy the water had crystal clear visibility and the variety of fish and starfish around the shipwrecks made for a super exciting snorkel. After being in the water for some time we then decided to head over the the beach on Ilha de Goa and sit on the pure white sand and relax and explore the vast variety of beautiful shells on the beach and lighthouse on the island.
We then sailed back to the pier from which had had left around 12.30 pm to get back onto the main island just in time for lunch.
A dhow trip with Ilha Blue is must when visiting Ilha de Moçambique. Take plenty of sun protection and a hat as the sun can be brutal.
Faraaz C – Nairobi, Kenya
Excursion sponsored by Ilha Blue
A lively group of 9 children aged 3-10 attend a learning center on Ilha de Mocambique. On Fridays one of the children’s parents are in charge of setting up a program for the kids. Upon hearing about this, Ilha Blue were so friendly that they offered to take the bunch out on a whale watching excursion as a gift. The group did not only see a family of whales at such a short distance that you could hear them breath, but the family decided to come and inspect the boat with its young “crew” up close. To see the whales so up close was already an amazing experience but when they started to “sing” and everyone could hear the unusual sounds coming from them, the children were spell bound. Ilha Blue took the group to Ilha de Goa where they climbed the light house to see the coast and Ilha from a new perspective. Ilha Blue’s crew were fantastic and the kids felt at ease during the entire journey. All children and also their parents would like to thank Ilha Blue very much for the fantastic experience they have provided to these youngsters. Muito OBRIGADO.
Marcus A – Ilha de Mozambique
Perfect
Super organised, well equipped, good lunch, sensational and lucky spot of whales!!! A perfect perfect day!
Cavi
Whale watching
My family went on a whale watching dhow ride. It was amazing to see the whales. They also stopped to serve lunch on one of the islands that has a whole canopy set up. The trip was lovely and fun.
Katie Walker – Florida, USA
Whales!
The crew was amazing, well organized and really nice during all the day. We also saw the whales really close to our boat, amazing experience. After we went to see some reef and we had the lunch on an incredible beach with white sand and crystalline water.
Giorgio – Milan, Italy
Amazing adventure!
We were two 28-years-old girls backpacking the country for two weeks and we had just an awesome day discovering the secret spots of Ilha de Mozambique and its surroundings. We chose the Ocean Safari option, which offered us the chance of seeing whales, discovering the fairy underground world of the region by snorkelling near Goa Island and having a very tasty picnic on that island. They took care of everything, so we only had to wear our swimwear and sun cream. And this all was thanks to Gail and her local workmates who, in a very intimate atmosphere since we where just 4 visitors, showed us their natural paradise by sailing with a typical dhow. Furthermore, they helped us plan the following days further north, by giving us contacts and good tips. Definitely I recommend them to anyone who is interested in discovering and enjoying the area.
Marta C – Barcelona, Spain
Fun things to do on the island
I love Ilha de Mozambique with all its history. One of the best ways to learn about it is to go on a gentle cycle tour with Ilha Blue around the Island, visiting all the historic places. The bikes are old Royal Mail delivery bikes which make the trip more unique.
Ilha Blue organise other trips such a day trip on a local dhow picnicking on one of the nearby Islands and snorkeling in the pristine waters.
They are organised and efficient and well worth using for Island entertainment.
Alice F – Mkushi, Zambia
Ocean Safari
The safari was well organised, in a nice boat, we enjoyed the experience as a group had a lot of fun, the team was very professional and we felt safe.
Elias – Nampula, Mozabique
Ilha Blue is the best!
Ilha blue makes the tour experience personalised and fun. The food was delicious, the staff were friendly, and the places we visited were stunning — highly, highly recommend doing a tour with them on Ilha!
TM Fox – Boston, USA
Underestimated
I highly recommend staying for more than just a few days, which most people tend to do, I was fortunate enough to stay for a month. The adventures I’ve had are mind blowing from little walks where I have found old and beautiful buildings from the area of the Portuguese, to the joy of the locals, some of the happiest people I’ve met in my travels happy to show you and sell you things, or even teach you how to run a long with a tire and a plastic bottle. (not as easy as the kids make it look.)
A great way to get a first hand look in to the locals way of life and the history of the island is to go on a bicycle tour, the guide (Salamani) is very knowledgeable and friendly, its well worth it’s weight in gold.
If you are here during the season of the humpback whales, (late July/August) then the whale tour I also did was fantastic!
We where lucky enough to get very close to the whales, a little bonus was that we were sailing in the local and traditional Dhow so we didn’t have the noise of the motor.
Highly recommend. 🙂
Finn
Beautiful Ilha das Cobras
Cannot recommend Ilha Blue enough. Pete, Gail and the whole team were fantastically helpful and accommodating. We did the overnight dhow and camping trip on Ilha das Cobras and it was superb – the lagoon with its nesting cormorants and illuminated cave systems was otherworldly and the whole atmosphere was perfect. Ayuba and the other guides were very helpful and friendly throughout. The welcome did not stop at the end of the tour and we often spent time with Pete, Gail and the other members of the team once we were back on the main island. A lovely experience.
Sam B – Dubai, UAE
Excellent daytrip
The dhow trip from Moz Island was fantastic. The Ilha Blue team are great and the food was excellent. Once you are in Ilha, please organise with them. Highly recommend.
Antonio – Maputo, Mozambique
A great relaxing trip on a beautiful deserted island
We spent two nights camping on Ilha das Cobras – it was definitely the highlight of our visit to Ilha de Mocambique. The island was a lovely place to relax, kayak and swim in the lagoon. The food was also absolutely delicious! The Ilha blue team were great and organised a fantastic trip for us!
Joanna – London, UK
Beautiful sunset boat tour!
We did the sunset boat tour around Ilha with Ilha Blue and had a wonderful time. The Ilha Blue staff was very warm and professional, and showed us around the beautiful island. Sunset is also a great time of day to be out on the water. All in all, I would highly recommend using Ilha Blue for exploring Ilha de Mozambique.
DN – Los Angeles, USA
Stunning view of Ilha at sunset on a gorgeous dhow… with the best people!!
I’m pretty sure the title says it all… I thoroughly enjoyed every minute of the sunset boat trip around Ilha with Gail and Pete from Ilha Blue. Especially at the end, jumping off the boat and taking a swim and then having drinks by the fortaleza. Magical experience and a must-do!
Denny – Ilha de Mozambique
History, culture and fabulous island life
Local knowledge is a blessing when travelling to new territory and the crew at Ilha Blue are generous with theirs which made my brief trip to Mozambique Island complete with blue water fun – kayaking, sailing and snorkelling – coral island exploration, historical tours and great local food (best seafood ever… and I mean ever!) . Without the guidance of these wonderful people I would never have made the peaceful dhow sail to Ilha das Cobra with its amazing tidal lagoons and network of ancient and swimmable coral caves, nor ventured into the smallest laneways on the island where the history and lives of the islanders comes into focus. I’m a bit of a chicken on the water but the experience, skills and support of the Ilha Blue team kept me focused on the fun and incredible ocean creatures and not my phobias. What a great break!! Thanks to Pete, Gail, Pilale, Abdul, Ambasse, Selemane and Ayupa and Renti for showing me the best of Ilha de Mozambique!
Paula – Melbourne, Australia
Great day out! Not to be missed!
We try to adventure with Ilha Blue whenever we can. The boat trips are fantastic, the bike trips are fabulous. Don’t miss the awesome adventures with these guys. Best way to relax and see the island and it’s surrounds!
TripAdvisor reviewer
Adventures in Ilha
I had the pleasure of going to Ilha recently and was quite impressed with the variety of tours offered by Ilha Blue. Although I only had time for the boat, snorkelling and kayak activities, it was clear that these tours were well organised, the guides were very knowledgeable of the area and the waters, and these activities are reasonable priced. It felt great to give back to one of the few local companies that is attempting to restore tourism in Ilha.
I highly recommend Ilha Blue for anyone that is looking to explore the turquoise blue waters and fascinating history in Ilha de Mozambique.
Mark – Washington DC, USA
The best way to see the Island!
I can’t recommend Ilha Blue enough! We went out on their dhow with another couple, and had an absolutely incredible morning sailing out to the coral reefs, snorkelling in the clear blue ocean, and beach-combing on one of the small islands. The team sailing the boat was experienced and knowledgeable, Pete and Gail were an absolute pleasure, and we got to know the island a little better. They have other great tours as well, and seem very open to tailoring experiences to match your interests. There is no better way to see the island than with Ilha Blue!
Kate G
Excellent!
What a wonderful way to tour the island. There were lots of options, land and sea. The guides were terrific and personable.
Anthony – Toronto, Canada
Great time!
Review: Barco e Baobab Dhow TourReview: Discover Ilha by BicicletaReview: Ocean Safari Whale WatchingReview: Sunset SailReviews
I traveled solo in Ilha de Mocambique. Ilha Blue tours were part of a great experience. Going on a guided tour on bike around the island was a great way to enter inside the historical atmosphere. Seeing a beautiful sunset from the dhow, going to see the whales and having lunch on a beautiful little island or snorkelling around the Discovery ship made my stay on the island memorable. I only missed a trip to Ilha das Cobras. Next time!
Emanuela – Suceava, Romania
Adventures with Ilha Blue
Ilha Blue is without doubt one of the best tourism operators whose services me and my family have requested during our trips. With a broad offer of activities for all tastes and budgets Ilha Blue allows one to unveil the beauty of the marvellous Mozambique Island in way one could not do by himself. The activities as well as the staff and Pete (by lack of words – “the boss”) can only be rated with 5 stars being needed to point out that from our 15 days journey in Mozambique (from Maputo to Pemba) the three days spent on the Ilha were the most fun and interesting ones.
From the several services provided by Ilha Blue we must recommend the bicycle tour around the island which will allow one to better understand the place and locals and the three fortalezas loop which provides delightful snorkelling spots and the possibility of one to say he has circumnavigated the island. Accessible, affordable and run by kind and helpful people Ilha Blue must be praised and be in your top choices when choosing to better know the Ilha.
Pedro and Cristina – Marinha Grande, Portugal
Great snorkelling outside Ilha de Mocambique and Goa Island!
We took two trips with Ilha Blue. First was the kayaking combined with snorkelling around the Island. The snorkelling was actually surprisingly good, especially outside the eastern part of Ilha de Moçambique, where the corals had great colour! The second trip we took was to Goa Island for snorkelling on an old wreck. The snorkelling was amazing and you can see big parts of the ship and its engine! There are also lots of fishes in the corals growing on the wreck! Thanks Gail and Peter for two great days!
Eric S
Highly recommended if you’re visiting Ilha
We went on two trips with Ilha – snorkelling on a shipwreck near Goa Island and a kayaking/snorkelling trip. Both were excellent – the former in particular was a wonderful experience. We really liked Peter, Gail and their team – laid back but efficient, strong emphasis on building local capacity and skills and the things we did with them were just a lot of fun.
Ed – Sydney, Australia
