With its beautiful waters and striking beaches, Mozambique’s coastline is quickly becoming a go-to destination in the Indian Ocean, and nowhere personifies this better than sleepy Tofo. With expansive stretches of sand, towering dunes and a laid back vibe, Tofo is the place to go if you are looking for true escapism. On top of all that, it is one of the top diving and snorkelling destinations along the Mozambique coastline and if the underwater world is why you’re headed to Tofo, you can’t go wrong by visiting Liquid Dive Adventures, a scuba shop and small boutique hotel set up right on the beach.
Diving with Liquid Dive Adventures
So let’s start with the main event and (probably) why Tofo is on your radar in the first place – the underwater world. Put simply, in season, Tofo is one of the top places in the world to spot pelagics (larger fish and submarine mammals) under water, including whale sharks, manta rays and humpback whales.
Starting with the biggest, Humpback whales can be found off the coast of Tofo between June and December, when they are migrating to the cooler waters of the Antarctic. Whilst it is unlikely that you will see them whilst on a dive, you will almost certainly hear their beautiful songs ripple through the water as you explore. At Liquid you have two options of how to spot these magnificent beasts: you can chill out by the beach and spot them breaching from afar(sometimes as near as 50m from shore), or you can join one of their Whale Watching tours to seek out these incredible creatures on a boat. We were lucky to have two whales swimming alongside our rib on the way back to Liquid after a dive, be warned that they like the choppier waters so you’ve more chance of seeing them on a more uncomfortable journey!
If you’re looking to hit the water, you can, join one of Liquid’s daily diving and snorkelling tours. If you’re not scuba-qualified, the latter can be a perfect way to explore the waters off Tofo, especially to spot Whale Sharks. Liquid do also offer a full range of PADI courses from beginner to advanced if you’re up for becoming a full bubbler or improving your skills whilst in Tofo.
All of Liquid’s dives are done from one of their ribs, which are launched from the beach. All divers and staff are on hand to help out getting the boat into the water and you’ll get a full briefing on the procedure for this before your first dive. There are a wide range of dive sites off Tofo, some of which are only a 5 minute journey into the bay, and others are several kilometers down the coastline, meaning a 30-40 minute boat ride.
As you can imagine with the numbers of large fish you will find, most of the dive sites are deep and have a decent amount of current, so expect to start most dives with a negative entry (meaning no time to dawdle on the surface). When you’re below the surface, keep your eyes peeled for anything exciting to appear through the blue, from the majestic rays, whales and sharks, to the equally as impressive huge shimmering shoals of barracuda or giant trevally.
Exploring Tofo Beach above the water
Whilst it may not be something you’ve ever experienced (we certainly haven’t), the vibe around Tofo Beach is what you could imagine the likes of Bali and Phuket were before the days of mass tourism. The town largely revolves around beach life, with chilled bars, guesthouses and restaurants dotted along the edge of the great stretch of sand.
You can spend a good chunk of the afternoon wandering along the surf’s edge, occasionally bumping into a friendly local face offering you their wares (as politely as any you’ll come across on your travels!), then stopping at one of the bars to grab a quick cold bottle of 2M (pronounced Doish-Em) to marvel at beach life ticking by. Then carry on along the sand, passing a group of local boys playing football or learning to surf, and on to climb the dramatic dunes that tower above the town.
In what will probably be a surprise to you, one of Tofo’s other great assets is a string of delicious restaurants that are well worth exploring when you’re there. Happi, the in-house cafe and restaurant at Liquid, serves up vegetarian dishes such as aubergine lasagne. Branko’s, a completely unassuming spot which is hugely popular, offers up great pizzas and meat & fish cooked on a hot rock at your table! It’s so good that we went back here twice during our stay.
The guys at Liquid can also arrange a number of other activities for those days you don’t feel like hitting the water. Jump on a quad bike and explore the coastline, nearby villages and local markets. Alternatively, another truly special experience is a sunset Dhow cruise. Take to the calm waters of the Inhambane Estuary on a traditional fishing boat and soak up the tranquil surroundings as the light fades away.
Staying at Liquid Dive Adventures
Liquid is not only a dive and watersports centre, but can also fully host your stay in Tofo with one of their simple beachside cabins. They have 11 cabins which front out directly onto the beach, all with ensuite facilities which can be set up as double or twin occupancy.
With a strong Scandinavian influence from Liquid’s owners, expect minimalistic interiors, with your own private terrace complete with hammocks and swing chairs to relax in. Starting at EUR 85 per night, with breakfast at Happi included, this is the perfect place to roll out of bed and straight into the water from.
Key Information about Tofo Beach and Liquid Dive Adventures
What are the rates at Liquid Dive Adventures?
Prices to dive with Liquid start at EUR 50 for a single tank, with all equipment rental included (except for a dive computer). A PADI open water or advanced course is around EUR 400, with varying prices for other speciality coursesthat are on offer.
If you’re also looking to stay at Liquid, they offer a number of stay & dive packages, ranging from 3 nights and 6 dives for EUR 735 per couple up to 15 nights and 20 dives for EUR 2,875 per couple.
What do I need to bring to dive with Liquid Dive Adventures?
Under their standard dive prices, all equipment rental is included, so unless you’re a serious diver or have specialist equipment, you don’t really need to bring anything! If you do want to dive in your own kit, Liquid will offer you a small discount on the price of each dive. The only piece of equipment not included is a dive computer which, given the depth of most of the dives, is high recommended– if you don’t have one, you can still hire one here for a small cost from Liquid.
One other thing to bear in mind – the waters can get fairly choppy around Tofo and you could be spending a few hours on a rib. Even if you haven’t got seasickness before, you may well get hit with it (just like we did), so take anti-sickness tablets before you head out! You may also want to bring a dry bag with you to store anything you don’t wish to get caught by the waves.
What is the typical schedule at Liquid Dive Adventures?
Liquid’s usual schedule consists of a double tank dive in the morning, where you will either travel to one of the further dive sites away and then spend your surface interval whale and dolphin spotting, or you’ll dive at the sites in the bay and return to the shore for your interval.
In the afternoon, they run ocean safaris to go whale watching or snorkelling with whale sharks (depending on what you find!) and, if guests haven’t got their fill of diving they may launch a second boat for a single tank dive. In the evening you can chill around the town and enjoy the stunning sunset!
What is the best way to get to Tofo Beach?
Tofo Beach is located on the southern coastline of Mozambique, around 500km north of the capital, Maputo. The nearest other town, Inhambane does have a small airport around 30 mins away, which services flights from both Maputo and Johannesburg occasionally in the week.
Alternatively, the coastal town of Vilanculos offers more regular flights from within Mozambique and South Africa, and is around a 4-5 hour drive away. Going this way, you could add a more luxurious stop off in the Bazaruto Archipelago on the way through. Liquid can assist in arranging any transfers from either airport.
Our final thoughts on... Tofo Beach & Liquid Dive Adventures
Tofo Beach is almost the antithesis of many Indian Ocean beach resorts, which are drowned in tourists, private pools and butler service. Instead, expect picture perfect stretches of beach encapsulated in laid back Mozambique vibes. Staying and diving at Liquid only enhances that experience with the staff and facilities they offer making it such a joy to be there. Although the diving isn’t for the faint hearted the rewards can be spectacular with multiple whale, manta ray and dolphin sightings reported during peak season.
Find Out More…
Liquid Dive Adventures – https://www.liquiddiveadventures.com
Explore more from Mozambique.
Many thanks to Liquid Dive Adventures for hosting us during our time in Mozambique. As always, all thoughts and opinions expressed here are entirely our own, we wouldn’t recommend something if we didn’t love it!
