The Sanctuary is a 43 900 ha marine and terrestrial conservation area situated on the San Sebastian peninsula along the Indian Ocean coastline of Mozambique, 20km southeast and across the bay from Vilanculos. The Sanctuary falls within the Great Bazaruto Key Biodiversity Area and the Inhambane Seascape Hope Spot, both of which recognise the exceptional biodiversity value of The Sanctuary, and forms the southernmost portion of the Bazaruto Archipelago.
The reserve incorporates a rich mosaic of wetlands, mangrove swamps, coral reefs, small islands, tidal mud flats, salt marshes, fresh water lakes, an estuary, and tree and shrub forests alongside coastal dunes, tree savannah and Miombo woodlands. These habitats support an abundance of wildlife, including a number of large and small herbivore species which were reintroduced to The Sanctuary, as well as an impressive inventory of birds. Our three core functions are conservation, community upliftment and eco-tourism development.
The Sanctuary is the product of pioneering vision by The Mozambican Government who declared it a Fully Protected Area under private management in 2000. Since then a progressive symbiotic alliance between Government, homeowners and the local community has led to The Sanctuary being recognised as a leading example of successful cooperative development and a prime example of the private sector contributing substantively to authentic biodiversity conservation.
Only 54 residential (maximum 12 beds each) and 3 commercial sites (120 total beds) have been approved for development on The Sanctuary. This serves to ensure extremely low density development in order to keep the lightest possible footprint and to maximise exclusivity of The Sanctuary as a tourist destination.
