Words by Sarah Kingdom

The air was warm and faintly salty as we came down the steps of the plane. Climbing into a waiting vehicle, we bumped along a road that curved through Vilanculos. The town rolled past, dusty and alive, dotted with markets and slow-moving pedestrians. Kids in uniforms spilled from schoolyards, and stalls lined the roadside, where women, with bright capulanas wrapped around their waists, chatted beside buckets of vegetables, spare parts and curios. Shabby, but charming, Vilanculos has that laid-back atmosphere that immediately makes you feel you’re on vacation.

Soon, the town gave way to palm trees and occasional glimpses of ocean. And then there it was, Saudade. Perched above the beach, its clean lines and thatched roofs framed by bougainvillea and the sea beyond. It didn’t look like a hotel or a resort. It looked like a home, a sumptuous, stunning and stylish home. A luxurious villa perched high above the sea. I stepped out and inhaled deeply.

Saudade & the Soul of Vilanculos

Some places don’t just offer a view, they change your internal rhythm, and that’s precisely what happens at Saudade. 

There comes a point when travel stops being just a holiday and starts becoming something quieter, deeper. It happens when you stop checking your phone for signal, stop noticing the time, stop thinking of schedules. Arriving at Saudade, I reached that point. I found myself falling for this whole stretch of coastline—its people, its marine life, and its wonderful, wild simplicity.

Saudade: A Place to Pause

The villa itself is a harmonious blend of thatched roofs, natural textures, and cool, contemporary design. Think open-plan spaces, a palm-fringed infinity pool, and quiet nooks perfect for sunrise coffee or sunset reflections. It’s warm and elegant without ever feeling over-designed.

This is a place is designed for slow living. With its organic layout and open-plan spaces, it feels like it was shaped by the land rather than imposed on it. This is a place that blends understated luxury with an unmistakable emotional pull. Its very name, saudade, is a unique Portuguese word evoking a deep, nostalgic longing, often for something that can’t quite be put into words.

Into the Blue: Snorkelling the Archipelago

A short boat ride from shore, the Bazaruto Marine National Park revealed an underwater world of colour and vibrancy. Established in 1971, the marine national park protects five idyllic islands – Bazaruto, Benguerra, Magaruque, Santa Carolina, and Bangue, along with their surrounding coral reefs, seagrass beds, and turquoise waters. Renowned for its marine biodiversity, including dugongs, dolphins, and over 2,000 fish species, this is a tropical marine sanctuary. Out snorkelling, we drifted over gardens of coral bursting with life – electric blue parrotfish, surgeonfish, butterfly fish, and clouds of anthias.

Tired out from snorkelling, we picnicked on Magaruque Island under a billowing blue tent, while the tide slipped slowly out, exposing sandbanks dotted with ghost crabs. There was chilled wine, delectable food, and that particular kind of silence that only comes when everyone present knows there’s nowhere better to be.

Where The Land Meets The Sea

Back at the villa, I found myself drawn again and again to the beach. Beach walks in here are meditative. At low tide, the ocean retreats, leaving behind mirror-like flats where you can walk for what feels like hours, surrounded by the shimmer of sky reflecting off sand.

I’d head out early in the morning, barefoot, tracing a line along the water’s edge, passing herons, perched on long legs, waiting to catch their breakfast. Local fishermen greeted me with warm smiles and a “bomdia,” the Portuguese greeting that seemed to match the morning light. Unlike other beach destinations where vendors jostle for your attention, Vilanculos lets you be. You’re welcome here, but not chased. It’s a subtle, beautiful thing.

Away from the beach, I joined a local guide on a walk through the town and market, where stalls overflowed with fruit, vegetables, dried fish, and easy smiles. Mozambican Portuguese mixed with local dialects. No one was in a hurry. I wasn’t either.

Searching for Seahorses

One morning, we set out for the south side of town, where the seagrass beds are known for sheltering wild seahorses. With the tide just right, we waded through the shallow waters. Our guide moved with slow, practised ease. And then suddenly he spotted one. A tiny, yellow seahorse, wrapped around a blade of grass, nearly invisible to the untrained eye. We found more, some with rust-red bands and others pale like driftwood. No touching, just reverence. It felt more like a pilgrimage than a tour.

What Vilanculos Offers the Soul

Of course, Vilanculos has its thrills: scuba diving, dhow sailing, kite surfing, and horseback rides along the beach. But for all the activities on offer, Vilanculos also invites you to slow down. There’s space here – space to breathe, to be, to recalibrate.

Each day closed with the sound of the waves breaking on the shore, and a sense of quiet joy. I’d sit in silence, watching it all unfold, doing nothing, yet feeling entirely fulfilled.

That Lingering Feeling

By the end of my stay, I understood why the villa was called Saudade, that Portuguese word for a longing that lives in the bones. Saudade is not just a place, it’s a sensation, one of remembering something while still living it, of feeling homesick for a time and a place you haven’t yet left.

On my final morning, I woke to stillness. The sea was like glass, the sky a faint wash of pink. I stood barefoot on the beach, trying to commit the scene to memory. The soft hush of the waves, the calls of the fishermen.I didn’t want to leave, but I knew I’d take Vilanculos with me, in the way the sea still echoes in your ears long after you’ve dried off.

Where to stay: Perched along the shoreline of Vilanculos, Saudade is an idyllic beach hideaway. Book now on onhttps://saudademozambique.com/ How to get there:  Airlink operates daily direct scheduled flights between Johannesburg, South Africa and Vilanculos, Mozambique. https://www.flyairlink.com/en-zm/flights-to-vilanculos