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Coral Islands of the Quirimbas
Cabo Delgado: History & Culture
Updated 10 October 2026
Cabo Delgado is the centre of an ongoing insurgency by militants linked to ISIL, who have attacked since October 2017. Government advisories in August 2026 advise against all or most travel here. This page gives the safety position first and the destination second, so you can decide with the full picture.
Read your own government’s current advisory and check your travel insurance terms before you consider any trip. Advisories change, and this page does not replace them.
Pemba is a port city on a peninsula in Pemba Bay, described as the third largest bay in Africa. In the 2017 census it had 201,846 residents. The Niassa Company founded it in 1898 as a trading port named Porto Amélia, after Portugal’s last queen. It became the capital of the new Cabo Delgado district in 1929 and was renamed Pemba in 1975.
Wikivoyage describes Pemba as the jumping-off point for the Quirimbas Archipelago, with light-aircraft transfers to the islands. Wikipedia also names whales, sunfish and sea turtles in the coastal waters, and diving and snorkelling are associated with the area. Pemba is the one part of the province that the UK advice treats with the lighter “all but essential travel” wording, so it is the place to start if you must travel for work or family reasons.
Pemba has a tropical savanna climate. The wet season runs from December to April, and March averages 202.2 mm of rain. The dry season runs from May to November (checked October 2026). On climate grounds alone the dry season is the sensible time to visit. We have no source that rates the best months for diving, whales or turtles, so we do not make those claims.
Quirimbas National Park was established in June 2002. It stretches about 110 km along the coast and covers the southern 11 of the Quirimbas islands, including Ibo, Matemo and Quilálea. Habitats include coral reefs, mangroves and coastal forest, and the park has 375 fish species. Wildlife on the mainland is sparse, with elephant, lion, leopard and wild dog recorded. Sources disagree on the park’s total area, so we leave it out until it is checked.
Ibo’s Fort of São João Baptista was completed in 1791. Wikivoyage describes a walkable island where local guides and bicycles are available. It also advises ordering meals in the daytime, or you may go hungry, a sign of how limited food service is on the island. Wikivoyage’s Ibo guide also lists guesthouses and lodges, but its prices are undated, so we do not repeat them. Ibo is covered by the “all travel” advice on our reading above.
A 2014 travel article lists snorkelling, diving, fishing, kite-surfing, birding and turtle watching on the islands. That article is more than a decade old and does not mention security. It also named several island lodges, and we cannot confirm whether they operate today, so we do not list them.
We have not verified any stay here against our rating standard, so we recommend none. Accommodation exists, mainly in Pemba and on Ibo, but we have no current, sourced prices, ratings or restaurant listings. Check each venue’s own operating status and your government’s advice before booking anything.
Facts on this page were checked in October 2026.
Last checked 10 October 2026.
Quirimbas Archipelago, Ibo Island, Pemba Bay, Rovuma Basin
Heritage & Landmarks
32 coral islands, an 11-island, 7,500 km² national park since June 2002
Historic Portuguese fort and a living silver-filigree craft town
Provincial capital on one of Africa's largest natural bays
Among the largest offshore natural gas discoveries in Africa
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