2 Best Places to Shop in Southern Mozambique, Mozambique

When you shop here, you won’t only be buying lovely handmade things such as bags, hats, jewelry, bead and metal work, hammocks, carvings and handcrafted furniture, but you’ll also be helping to support over 60 local families, who, when fishing yields dramatically declined because of netting and trawling, learned to create unique and sustainable fair trade crafts. Sandy and Snowy Somerville, who lived in the village of Macunhe, 15 miles (25 km) north of Vilankulo, started the community uplift enterprise in 2002, training the local people, and giving them tools, raw materials, and design ideas. You’ll find it hard to go away empty handed.

Have your camera ready when you visit this bustling central market known as the "old market." It's hot, crowded, and a bit squalid in places, but it's worth visiting to buy lengths of colorful Dutch wax cloth called capulanas, which the local women wear as sarongs (be sure to barter), and packets of fresh cashew nuts (with or without peri-peri seasoning). But Mercado Municipal is basically a produce and fish market where you can eyeball freshly caught sardines, squid and other local fish.

If you are self-catering, or want to see the latest catch of the day, visit at 4pm.