Vilankulo (or Vilanculos) 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 Dhows travel between the town and the Bazaruto Archipelago. The town itself is only about 5 km 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.
