Tofo
- Wide sandy beach, gentle beach breaks
- Dive shops, restaurants, the main square, the market
- Most lodges and accommodation
- Where most travelers stay
- Beginners surf here — see surf lessons
Tofinho, Mozambique's surf point.
Surf point. Cliffs. Two minutes from town.
Tofinho (Praia do Tofinho, or Tofinho Beach) is the rocky headland 1.5 km south of Praia do Tofo, on Mozambique's Inhambane coast — home to the country's most famous right-hand point break, the clifftop Monument of Fallen Heroes, and a quieter alternative to the main beach.
Two beaches, one bay
Tofo & Tofinho, side by side.
Tofinho
- Dramatic cliffs and tide pools
- The famous right-hand point break (south swells)
- Closest spot to the humpback migration corridor
- The Monument of Fallen Heroes on the clifftop
- Clifftop houses and small lodges
- Quieter — fewer people, fewer bars
The marine life is the same — both beaches sit inside Tofo Bay, fed by the same plankton-rich currents that keep whale sharks here year-round. The texture is what changes. Tofo is the lively side; Tofinho is the quiet one.
The surf
Mozambique’s most-recognized right-hand point.
Tofinho’s point wraps off the southern end of the headland on south swells. When it’s working, you get long, powerful right-handers — the kind of wave South African surfers drive across the border for. It picks up best from April through September, when the southern winter swells push north up the Mozambique Channel — Surf-Forecast rates April the most consistent month, with clean conditions about 38% of the time on southeast groundswell and an offshore wind from the south-southwest.
It is not a learner’s wave. The takeoff is over rock, the paddle-out is committing, and the wave moves quickly. Experienced surfers will love it — and the lineup is rarely crowded, which is half the reason people make the trip. The water sits around 23°C even in the surf season, so boardshorts or a shorty are all you need. If it’s your first time on a board, the right answer is a lesson at Praia do Tofo, ten minutes’ walk north — gentler beach breaks, sand bottom, and instructors who’ll meet you where you are.
The clifftop monument
A monument to fallen heroes.
The Tofinho monument — the Monument of Fallen Heroes, raised in 1989 — is a concrete pyramid on the cliff edge with an arm reaching out of it, breaking a chain: the African symbol for liberation from colonial rule. It honours the Mozambicans who were killed at this headland during the independence war, when the Portuguese colonial secret police, the PIDE, threw prisoners from these cliffs into a crevice in the rocks below — a place remembered locally as the Hole of the Murdered.
The headland’s place in the country’s history runs deeper still. In June 1975, days before independence, the Central Committee of FRELIMO — the liberation movement that became Mozambique’s ruling party — met at Praia do Tofo and approved Mozambique’s first Constitution, the same session that confirmed Samora Machel as the country’s first President. The republic was, in a real sense, drafted on this stretch of coast.
The monument stands in the open above the point break, and you’ll pass it if you walk from Tofo. It costs nothing to visit. Go for the surf or the view — but give the pyramid a quiet minute. It’s the reason this little headland matters to Mozambicans far beyond the lineup.
A half-day in Tofinho
More than just a surf spot.
Walk the headland
A path runs along the cliff edge — tide pools at the bottom, ocean spray on big days, the Monument of Fallen Heroes at the top, and the best vantage in town for spotting humpbacks (June–November) without a boat.
Watch the surfers
Even if you don’t surf, the lineup at Tofinho on a south-swell morning is the kind of thing locals turn out for. Bring coffee, sit on the rocks, watch.
Catch the sunset
The headland faces east — sunsets aren’t over the water — but the cliffs catch warm late light and the ocean stays glassy after the wind drops. The clifftop bars close earlier than Tofo’s; come for the light, head back for dinner.
Walk back via the beach
Time the return for low tide and walk Praia do Tofo all the way back to town — about 30 minutes, the kind of beach walk that’s the reason people come to Tofo in the first place.
Common questions
What people ask.
Where is Tofinho?
Tofinho is a small headland on Mozambique's Inhambane coast, about 1.5 km south of Tofo town and 22 km from Inhambane city. You can walk it through the dunes in 20–30 minutes, or drive in five. Same bay, same marine life — but a rockier shoreline, fewer people, and a famous right-hand point break.
What's the difference between Tofo and Tofinho?
Tofo is the long sandy beach and the town — dive shops, restaurants, lodges, the daily market. Tofinho is the headland just south — a small cluster of clifftop houses, a famous point break, and the dramatic rocky coastline that Tofo proper doesn't have. Most travelers stay in Tofo and visit Tofinho for the surf, the walk, or the sunset.
Is Tofinho good for surfing?
Yes — it's Mozambique's most famous surf spot. The right-hand point break wraps off the headland on south swells through the cooler months (April–September) and produces long, powerful rides for experienced surfers. It is not a beginner spot. Beginners learn at Praia do Tofo, which has gentle beach breaks ten minutes' walk north.
Can I see whales from Tofinho?
In humpback season (June–November, peak August–October) yes — the cliffs at Tofinho put you closer to the migration corridor than anywhere else in town. Bring binoculars and walk the path along the headland early morning or late afternoon. Sightings from the boat are still more reliable; the cliff is a bonus.
How do I get to Tofinho from Tofo?
Three options. Walk south down Praia do Tofo at low tide — about 20–30 minutes along the sand and dunes. Drive the inland road from the main square — five minutes by car or quad. Cycle on one of the e-bikes available in town. The walk is the right call if you have time; the views off the headland are worth it.
What is the Tofinho monument?
The Tofinho monument — the Monument of Fallen Heroes, built in 1989 — is a clifftop memorial shaped as a pyramid with a raised arm breaking a chain, a symbol of liberation from colonial rule. It honours the Mozambicans killed at this headland during the independence war, when the Portuguese colonial secret police (PIDE) threw prisoners from the cliffs. It stands in the open above the point break; you pass it on the walk from Tofo, and it costs nothing to visit.
Is Tofinho the same as Tofino?
No — one letter, two continents. Tofinho is a headland on Mozambique's Indian Ocean coast, just south of Tofo; the name is Portuguese for "little Tofo." Tofino is a surf town on Vancouver Island, Canada. Both are famous for waves, which is why searches mix them up — if you're after warm water and a right-hand point break in Africa, Tofinho is the one you want.
Where does the name come from?
"Tofinho" is the Portuguese diminutive of Tofo — literally Little Tofo. It refers to the smaller, quieter character of the headland compared to the main beach.
Is there accommodation at Tofinho?
A handful of clifftop and back-of-dune houses and small lodges, mostly self-catering, mostly booked direct. Tofinho is quieter than Tofo proper — more "house with a view" than "town with bars." Most travelers still stay in Tofo and walk over.
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Tofinho is walkable
from Tofo.
If you're heading to Tofo, Tofinho is a half-day side trip — walk the dunes, watch the point, see the cliffs. Tell us when you're coming and what you want to do. We'll help you fit it in.
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