Fortaleza

With all the privilege that a tourist with means possesses, I can say that Ilha de Moçambique is idyllic. I feel it’s imperative to return and spend more time here and my mind is already whirring with the idea to spend a week here in between jobs at the end of January. I was supposed to spend that time doing practical things but this holds more appeal.

Today I went to the fort of São Sebastião. I agree with my guidebook which says it is ‘arguably the most formidable edifice of its type in Africa’. It was constructed using dressed limestone shipped from Lisbon as a result of the Turkish threat of the mid 16th century.

It is awe-inspiring to walk on the ramparts amongst the cannons, overlooking the turquoise waters of the Indian Ocean. There are some concrete renovations that are jarring and incomplete, but also some real gems. The Capela da Nossa Senhora do Baluarte (Chapel of Our Lady of the Ramparts) is the oldest standing European building in the southern hemisphere, dating from 1522.