Imagine an unspoilt island within a Marine National Park, deserted beaches of pure white sand that extend for miles, sparkling turquoise seas crisscrossed by local dhows plying their trade, sunny days and star-studded nights. This is the enchanting island escape you always imagined. Azura Benguerra, the first eco-friendly resort in Mozambique, was hand-built by the local community and is operated in partnership with it.

Just 20 villas are nestled along with one of the last undiscovered stretches of beach in the world, with all the creature comforts you could wish for, sparkling private pools, Mozambican butler-hosts to look after your every need, fish and seafood fresh from the ocean, a fantastic range of activities and experiences, an African spa to relax in, all at a community-based project where the local islanders benefit as much as you. Azura Benguerra Island is paradise found. Experience the island as it is meant to be, always at its very best. Azura Benguerra Island, Mozambique, has been included in the 2020 Travel + Leisure magazine’s World’s Best Awards Survey. We are really pleased with the recognition. We’re also incredibly excited to be participating in the 2020 World Luxury Hotel Awards! Thank you to our loyal guests for the nomination.

Azura Benguerra Island’s public areas are right on the beach and open to the sea. We have created several different zones for your enjoyment and relaxation, from the comfortable lounge area to the vibey Star Bar, and our fabulous wine cellar offering a selection of the owner’s wines, specially flown in from their Chateau in France. The Jellyfish Restaurant offers breakfast and more formal dining. There is a media room for those needing TV and internet access, a boutique at reception, and our Padi 5 Star dive centre with top of the range Scubapro equipment. Azura on Benguerra Island is blessed with hot and sunny weather year-round. Temperatures are generally in the upper 20′s to low 30′s celsius and rarely fall below 20 degrees even at night. The water temperature is gloriously warm and ranges from 24-30 degrees plus. Benguerra Island tends to receive on average a quarter of the rainfall that the mainland does, and there can be several months of the year when there is no rain at all. This makes our landscape very arid and challenges our indigenous gardens and water supply, but usually makes our guests very happy!

VILLAS

Our hand-built villas blend modern chic with all that is traditional in Mozambique. Each of our 20 villas is just footsteps from the beach, yet designed with seclusion in mind. Nestled amidst indigenous gardens, we have created your own sanctuary, with a personal infinity swimming pool and spectacular beach-side view. A haven of rest and relaxation, where you can feel at one with the environment.

Infinity Villas – Azura has 10 Infinity Beach Villas. They are furnished in Afro-contemporary style and look out over a stunning infinity pool towards the beach and sea beyond. They have the best of our beachfront locations.

Beach Villas – Azura has 3 Beach Villas, set in a fantastic location at the end of the property close to the Spa, it is wonderfully private and perfect for honeymooners. The Beach Villas are the smallest of our villas, but still offers all of the creature comforts.

Luxury Beach Villas – Azura has 3 Luxury Beach Villas, furnished in contemporary style and just steps from the beach. They are slightly larger than the Beach Villas with a larger private undercover deck.

Royal Beach Villas – Azura has 2, Royal Beach Villas, they feature infinity edge pools and magnificent sea views. They are 172 square metres, making them the largest and most lavish of all the villas, with 30 metres of picturesque beach frontage on a large beautifully landscaped plot. They are located at the northern end of the property, ensuring the utmost privacy and uninterrupted views. They offer the next level of comfort for the discerning Azura guest to enjoy. The main bedroom and bathroom area are similar to the existing Infinity Beach Villas and guests can now delight in the luxury of their own lounge area connected together via a walkway with glass sliding doors. The lounge comprises comfortable sofas around a flat-screen television and has its own bathroom, as well as a tea/coffee area with a minibar and Nespresso. The sofas can be converted to two beds for any children that may want to share. Outdoor areas are astounding, offering a 10m rim-flow pool with a Jacuzzi on the one end, and a poolside sitting pavilion on the other, from which guests have access straight into the pool. The villa also has a double daybed under latte roof, as well as a single daybed on the deck, a dining area, and beachside sala, all of which are perfect for relaxing and enjoying your own private space.

Villa Amizade – Villa Amizade means friendship villa in our native Portuguese. This 2 bedrooms en-suite villa is located at the western end of the property, with fantastic views out to sea and towards the setting sun. It is perfect for families or couples requiring more space and facilities. It offers a sitting area with a flat-screen TV, DVD, Sound Dock and a selection of games, opening onto extensive decking, dining and relaxation areas, including a ‘wine bar’. You can opt for private chef service, available at a supplement. All the normal Azura design touches and finishes. Maximum occupancy 5 people including children.

Presidential Villa – The Presidential Villa at Azura has been described as one of the best villas anywhere in the Indian Ocean. It has a very secluded private location, some 150m down the beach from the main Azura, and comes with its own butler-host and private chef. It is the beach house of your dreams. The epitome of style and luxury, with its own unique décor, there are 3 en-suite bedrooms, indoor and outdoor bathrooms, a media room, a sitting/dining area with ‘wine bar’, and a huge infinity pool spanning the front of the villa. It is located just footsteps from the beach at the end of our property to ensure maximum privacy, with a fantastic treehouse to catch the afternoon breezes and panoramic views to Bazaruto Island and the Indian Ocean beyond.

At Azura, we care about making your stay special. That starts with providing hosts to look after you during your stay. They’ll take care of you during your time with us, including serving your meals, setting up your lunch table at the water’s edge, or serving the cocktail of the day to your beachside Sala as the sun goes down. Our hosts have a genuine warmth and are friendly, and will delight in looking after you. They have big smiles and even bigger stories to share with you.

Azura Benguerra Island Facilities  – Our public areas are open to the beach and sea with amazing vistas across calm blue waters to the Indian Ocean beyond. Furnished with cool contemporary cotton and the textures of Africa, they are open to the breezes, in harmony with nature. Comfortable, simple, spacious and chic. Wander in and out as you please. Find a quiet corner to read a book or a place to share the stories of your day with others. Sip the cocktail of the day on the beach with your feet in the sand, or relax in the Star Bar over a game of Bau. The mod cons are there too if you need them, with TV and internet discreetly tucked away in our library.

Family Holidays at Azura  – Azura Benguerra Island is a wonderful place for a family holiday, with Villa Amizade and the Presidential Villa being the best choice. Children and teens will be spoilt for choice when it comes to spending time here with us. Whilst we don’t have the traditional kids and activity clubs you find in larger hotels, we offer a host of activities for children and families to participate in. We do ask that younger children should dine ‘in villa’ to respect the privacy of our other guests, and our chef will meet with you on arrival to discuss any particular dietary needs you may have.

Azura African Spa  – Azura’s spa signature treatments are based on local ingredients and traditions, the treatments take their inspiration from the very heart of Africa. Try a ‘Butter me up’ wrap using a unique blend of African body butters and oils, including the highly prized Mongongo Nut Oil. Follow that up with a relaxing massage using the new beauty miracle, Marula Oil. Or try something different with our Tribal Traditions massage, where olive and shea butter is poured all over the body, and massage strokes mimic the beating of African drums. Nothing is hurried at the Azura Spa. Relax, lie back and be pampered.

Never Eat in the Same Place Twice – Our aim is for you to never eat in the same place twice. At Azura, dining is all part of the experience, from breakfast at the water’s edge, to a picnic on a remote sand island, to dining on a candlelit beach beneath the stars and romantic private dinners at your villa. Our hosts take huge pride in their innovative dining set-ups, and little touches to make your stay special. We have a fabulous wine cellar for special wine tasting events and themed dinners, and even offer a selection of the owner’s wines, specially flown in from their Chateau in the Loire Valley, France.

PERI-PERI BEACH CLUB

Azura Retreats introduces the new Peri-Peri Beach Club, encouraging guests to spend days lounging at the beach bar or pool, enjoying their favourite Mozambican cuisine, magnums of French Rosé wine, or creating their own cocktails through the specially designed mixology menu. The new beach club and bar incorporates a range of activities including an ocean-facing swimming pool, personal grills where guests can sizzle their own seafood and on selected nights an open-air cinema. The beach club also has a Spa pavilion for African-themed massages. It’s a great spot for our guests to have lunch or spend the day in a sociable beach club environment.

Azura Peri-Peri Beach celebrates Mozambique’s Portuguese history and Portuguese influences can be seen in both the décor and on the menu. We’ve always loved the famous beach clubs like Club 55 in the South of France and so wanted to create a similar space at Azura for people to enjoy our beautiful stretch of beach in style. It has a relaxed yet sociable feel so guests can spend the day just enjoying the space, with great cocktails and magnums of Rosé from our Chateau in France or dine on Mozambican specialities like Crab Casquinhas and Piri-Piri Chicken and Prawns. The tables open up to reveal personal charcoal grills for sizzling Steak and Prawns and we’ve also added a pizza oven for serving gourmet pizzas Azura style. Peri-Peri Beach Club is located about a kilometre along the beach from Azura Benguerra Island, Mozambique’s leading luxury beach hotel. It was built from the ground up which involved redeveloping the entire infrastructure, creating new facilities including a bar, rest-rooms, a new kitchen in which to recreate Azura’s renowned five star cuisine, pizza oven, lounging pavilions and raised sala areas – similar to those we have at each of the 20 Villas. The bar has been beautifully designed in that subtle yet stunning Azura way; with Portuguese tiles, natural furnishings and pure African elegance, and an alluring swimming pool and breath-taking views over the Indian Ocean.

Azura’s attentive staff have been one of the main attributes to Azura’s success work very closely with management and the kitchen brigade to ensure that guests continue to receive the notoriously impeccable service and cuisine. The mixology cocktail concept is a first for Mozambique, with 5 steps to creating everyone’s perfect cocktail: spirit, mixer, fruitiness, style and décor. Azura’s management is in place to ensure everything runs as smoothly as the rest of our operations.

Peri-Peri Beach Club will be open to the public with prior arrangements as in-house guests always take first preference. There are daily packages available which include access to the bar and pool, meals and beverages. There are also fly-in helicopter packages available for guests in the surrounding area to enjoy the Club and Azura’s world-renowned hospitality. Private use for parties and celebrations can be arranged on request. Azura Retreats and Peri-Peri Beach Bar look forward to welcoming guests to the hottest spot this side of Two-Mile Reef.