Vilankulo
Encyclopedia
Vilankulo is a coastal town in Mozambique
, lying in the Vilanculos District of Inhambane Province
. Vilankulo is named after local tribal chief Gamala Vilankulo Mukoke, and some of the "bairros" (suburbs) are named after his sons. During colonial times the name was changed to Vilanculos since the Portuguese do not use the letter K much, and commonly use the 'ssh' sound of the S. At independence the name was changed back to Vilankulo – with a K and no S. Today the district is called Vilanculos and the town Vilankulo, and many residents have Vilankulo as their last name.
Vilankulo has been growing extensively over the last decade, and has been the recipient of considerable inward investment into its tourism infrastructure
. The gateway to the archipelago is the town of Vilankulo Dhow
s travel between the town and the Bazaruto Archipelago
. The town itself is only about 5km long filled with all the amenities needed to make your visit comfortable yet local. The airport is based on the outside of the town with flights arriving and departing on a daily basis. Vilankulo has an array of options when it comes bars (barracas) and restaurants, if local is more your flavor work your way from The Market in the center of town towards the main beaches of Vilankulo. If you prefer something a little more exclusive there is a wide variety of exquisite lodges to visit.
It is home to an a new international airport
, which serves daily flights to several regional destinations, including Johannesburg
, Maputo
, Swaziland
,and elsewhere.
This is the first official club from Vilankulo that is recognized by the FMF
(Mozambican Football Federation). In November 2009 Vilankulo FC has been promoted to play the Mozambique 1st League in 2010.
Vilankulo or Vilanculos is the gateway to the Bazaruto Archipelago, ocean safaris and Padi dive and boat charter centre.
Mozambique
Mozambique, officially the Republic of Mozambique , is a country in southeastern Africa bordered by the Indian Ocean to the east, Tanzania to the north, Malawi and Zambia to the northwest, Zimbabwe to the west and Swaziland and South Africa to the southwest...
, lying in the Vilanculos District of Inhambane Province
Inhambane Province
Inhambane is a province of Mozambique located on the coast in the southern part of the country. It has an area of 68,615 km² and a population of 1.412.349 . The provincial capital is also called Inhambane....
. Vilankulo is named after local tribal chief Gamala Vilankulo Mukoke, and some of the "bairros" (suburbs) are named after his sons. During colonial times the name was changed to Vilanculos since the Portuguese do not use the letter K much, and commonly use the 'ssh' sound of the S. At independence the name was changed back to Vilankulo – with a K and no S. Today the district is called Vilanculos and the town Vilankulo, and many residents have Vilankulo as their last name.
Vilankulo has been growing extensively over the last decade, and has been the recipient of considerable inward investment into its tourism infrastructure
Tourism
Tourism is travel for recreational, leisure or business purposes. The World Tourism Organization defines tourists as people "traveling to and staying in places outside their usual environment for not more than one consecutive year for leisure, business and other purposes".Tourism has become a...
. The gateway to the archipelago is the town of Vilankulo Dhow
Dhow
Dhow is the generic name of a number of traditional sailing vessels with one or more masts with lateen sails used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean region. Some historians believe the dhow was invented by Arabs but this is disputed by some others. Dhows typically weigh 300 to 500 tons, and have a...
s travel between the town and the Bazaruto Archipelago
Bazaruto Archipelago
The Bazaruto Archipelago is a group of six islands in Mozambique, near the mainland city of Vilankulo. It comprises the islands of Bazaruto, Benguerra, Magaruque, Banque, Santa Carolina and Shell....
. The town itself is only about 5km long filled with all the amenities needed to make your visit comfortable yet local. The airport is based on the outside of the town with flights arriving and departing on a daily basis. Vilankulo has an array of options when it comes bars (barracas) and restaurants, if local is more your flavor work your way from The Market in the center of town towards the main beaches of Vilankulo. If you prefer something a little more exclusive there is a wide variety of exquisite lodges to visit.
It is home to an a new international airport
Vilankulo Airport
Vilankulo Airport is an airport in Mozambique that serves the city of Vilankulo in the Inhambane Province.-Modernisation:In 2009 a Chinese company called Anhui Foreign Economic Construction Corporation began construction work on the airport with an estimated cost of US$ 9 million...
, which serves daily flights to several regional destinations, including Johannesburg
Johannesburg
Johannesburg also known as Jozi, Jo'burg or Egoli, is the largest city in South Africa, by population. Johannesburg is the provincial capital of Gauteng, the wealthiest province in South Africa, having the largest economy of any metropolitan region in Sub-Saharan Africa...
, Maputo
Maputo
Maputo, also known as Lourenço Marques, is the capital and largest city of Mozambique. It is known as the City of Acacias in reference to acacia trees commonly found along its avenues and the Pearl of the Indian Ocean. It was famous for the inscription "This is Portugal" on the walkway of its...
, Swaziland
Swaziland
Swaziland, officially the Kingdom of Swaziland , and sometimes called Ngwane or Swatini, is a landlocked country in Southern Africa, bordered to the north, south and west by South Africa, and to the east by Mozambique...
,and elsewhere.
Sports
There is a local football club called Vilankulo Futebol Clube (VFC).This is the first official club from Vilankulo that is recognized by the FMF
Federação Moçambicana de Futebol
The Federação Moçambicana de Futebol is the governing body of football in Mozambique. It was founded in 1976, affiliated to FIFA in 1980 and to CAF in 1978. It organizes the national football league Moçambola and the national team.-External links:...
(Mozambican Football Federation). In November 2009 Vilankulo FC has been promoted to play the Mozambique 1st League in 2010.
Vilankulo or Vilanculos is the gateway to the Bazaruto Archipelago, ocean safaris and Padi dive and boat charter centre.