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Private 4x4 for the Tofo to Pomene transfer, Mozambique

Tofo and Pomene · ~4h20

Tofo to Pomene transfers

A Tofo to Pomene transfer is a private, door-to-door 4x4 drive up the coast from Praia do Tofo to the Pomene Estuary — about 198 km on the EN1 via Massinga and a final stretch of sand track, in our own high-clearance vehicle with a driver who knows the turnoff. There’s no public transport that finishes this journey, so the alternative is hiring a 4x4 and finding an unsigned track yourself. It runs both directions for the same fare, which is how most people use it: driven in, and driven back out. Tell us your dates and we’ll drive it.

$320 ≈ 20,000 MZN

Per private 4x4 · one way · same price in either direction. We confirm the fare, and quote a driver who stays, before you book.

Request your transfer on WhatsApp
  • A private 4x4 with driver — high-clearance, built for the sand, just your group
  • Door to door — collected at your Tofo lodge, dropped at your lodge on the Pomene Estuary, or the other way round
  • Both directions, same $320 — Tofo to Pomene or Pomene to Tofo, with a driver who stays quoted on request
  • Fuel and tolls included — the fare we agree is the whole fare, nothing added on the road

No hire car, no sand track to navigate

How the Tofo–Pomene
transfer works.

One WhatsApp message books the whole run up the coast — no rental 4x4, no unfamiliar sand track, no guessing at the turnoff. Here’s how it goes.

  1. 1

    You tell us your dates

    Your travel dates, group size, which direction you’re going, and whether you want one way, both legs, or a driver who stays for your visit. A sentence is enough to start.

  2. 2

    We confirm and quote it

    We check availability and send a fixed $320 one-way fare, the same in either direction — plus a clear quote for a driver who waits, with no surprises along the way.

  3. 3

    We collect you and drive

    Your driver picks you up at your Tofo door in our own 4x4, runs north on the EN1 towards Massinga, then takes the sand track in to your lodge on the estuary — or collects you there and drives it in reverse.

The route

How to get from Tofo to Pomene.

The drive from Tofo to Pomene is about 4 hours 20 minutes — roughly 198 km, and only the final stretch leaves the tar. You head in from Praia do Tofo to Inhambane, cross the bay to Maxixe and join the EN1, run north through Morrumbene and up towards the town of Massinga, then turn off the highway onto a run of sand and dirt track for the last leg in to the Pomene Estuary. As a private transfer it’s one high-clearance 4x4 and one driver the whole way, so there’s no hire car to arrange and no unsigned track to find yourself — and the run works identically in reverse, at the same fare, for the journey back down to Tofo.

Pomene is a near-deserted peninsula where a mangrove estuary meets the open ocean, with the shell of a 1970s beach hotel still standing on the point — the whole appeal is how little else is there. Most of the peninsula sits inside the Pomene National Reserve, established in 1964 in Massinga district and set aside for its vegetated dunes, savannah, mangroves and swamp rather than for big game: the land animals are wildebeest, klipspringer, steenbok, impala, baboon, bushpig and duiker, and the water draws flamingos and pelicans (ANAC, Mozambique’s national conservation authority). What accommodation there is sits along the estuary itself — a small handful of self-catering lodges and houses — and every one of them is reachable only by 4x4.

Public transport doesn’t finish this journey, which is the honest reason most people arrive driven. You can get as far as the Massinga stretch of the EN1 on a bus or chapa for a few dollars, but there’s no scheduled service down the track to the estuary — from the highway you’d be looking for a lift in a 4x4 heading the same way. A 4x4 isn’t optional on that final stretch either: the track is sand and dirt, and it gets heavier going in the rains from about November to April. The dry season, roughly May to October, is the easier window, and it’s also when the fishing the peninsula is known for is at its best.

Planning the wider trip? See our Tofo travel guide, our Tofo to Massinga transfer, our Vilanculos to Pomene transfer if you’re coming from the north, and all our transfer routes — then let us handle the road.

No surprises

What's sorted before you set off.

A proper 4x4, driven for you
A high-clearance 4x4 built for the sand and dirt into Pomene — no hire car to arrange, no unfamiliar track for you to tackle yourself.
Door to door, both ways
Collected at your Tofo lodge and driven all the way to your lodge on the Pomene Estuary — or back down again for the same fare. One vehicle, one driver, the whole run.
Local driver
Someone who drives the EN1 and the Pomene turnoff regularly, so you get there in one sensible run rather than guessing at a track with no signage.
Fixed $320 fare
Agreed on WhatsApp before you travel — per vehicle, one way, the same price in either direction, with a driver who stays quoted on request. Fuel and the road tolls are included.

Before you ask

The questions we get most.

How much is a transfer from Tofo to Pomene?
A private Tofo–Pomene transfer is $320 (≈ 20,000 MZN) per vehicle, one way — a high-clearance 4x4 with driver for the whole run, fuel and tolls included. The fare is the same in either direction, Tofo to Pomene or Pomene back to Tofo. Message us with your dates and we'll confirm it; no online payment, no obligation.
How long is the drive from Tofo to Pomene?
About 4 hours 20 minutes — roughly 198 km. You run in to Inhambane, cross to Maxixe and head north on the EN1 towards Massinga, then turn off the highway for the final stretch of sand and dirt track into the Pomene Estuary. It's most of a day's travelling by the time you've loaded and unloaded, so we time the pickup around your lodge's check-in.
Do I need a 4x4 to get to Pomene?
Yes — the final run in off the EN1 is sand and dirt, not tar, and a high-clearance 4x4 is essential, especially in the rains from about November to April. That's exactly what we drive, so you don't have to hire or handle one yourself. It's also why this fare is higher than our paved routes: it's a different vehicle, not just a longer drive.
Is there any public transport from Tofo to Pomene?
Not in any practical sense. You can chain a chapa to Inhambane, the ferry to Maxixe and a northbound bus up the EN1 as far as the Massinga area, but the last stretch to the estuary has no scheduled service at all — it's a sand track through the reserve, and you'd be looking for a lift with a 4x4 that happens to be going the same way. Almost everyone who reaches Pomene either drives a 4x4 or is driven in one.
Does the transfer run the other way, Pomene to Tofo?
Yes — same $320, same 4x4, either direction. Plenty of people use it as the way in and the way back out, and because there's no traffic to flag down at the estuary, booking the return at the same time as the way in is the sensible move. If you're heading back to catch a flight from Inhambane Airport (INH), give us your flight time and we'll leave early enough that you're not watching the clock.
Can a driver stay with us while we visit Pomene?
Yes. Instead of two separate runs, we can send a driver who stays for your visit and drives you back when you're ready — useful if you want to move around the peninsula rather than sit at one lodge. Tell us how many days and we'll quote it against the two-way option so you can pick.
What is there to see at Pomene?
Pomene is a near-deserted peninsula where a mangrove estuary meets the open ocean, with the ruins of a 1970s beach hotel standing on the point. Most of it sits inside the Pomene National Reserve, established in 1964 in Massinga district — a mix of vegetated dunes, savannah, mangroves and swamp, holding wildebeest, klipspringer, impala, bushpig and duiker on land and flamingos and pelicans on the water (ANAC). It's known for exceptional fishing and for having almost nobody else around.
Where do people stay in Pomene?
There's very little there by design — a small handful of lodges and self-catering houses along the estuary. Tell us where you're staying and we'll confirm the drop-off; access to all of them is 4x4 only, so the vehicle we send is the one that can actually reach your gate.
When is the best time to go?
The dry season — roughly May to October — is easiest for the sand track and most comfortable for fishing and time on the water. The rains from about November to April can make the final stretch slow or heavy going, so tell us your dates and we'll give you an honest read on the road.
Can we stop in Massinga or Inhambane on the way?
Yes, and it's worth it on a run this long. Massinga sits on the EN1 near the Pomene turnoff and is the last proper town for fuel, cash and supplies before the track — a sensible stop if you're self-catering at the estuary. Inhambane city is on the way out of Tofo. Tell us what you'd like to do when you message and we'll build it into the route.
How many people and how much luggage can you take?
The price on this page is for one private 4x4 with driver, carrying up to four passengers and their luggage. If you're a bigger group, or bringing fishing gear, dive kit or a lot of bags, just say so when you message: we'll put you in a larger vehicle or send a second car, and confirm the fare before you book. We'd rather size the car to you than squeeze you in.
Do you do other routes besides Pomene?
Yes — private transfers all over the region: Tofo to Massinga, Tofo to Maputo, Vilanculos to Tofo, our Vilanculos to Pomene run from the north, the Inhambane and Vilanculos airport transfers, and inland runs to Zinave and Gorongosa. Tell us where you're headed and we'll quote it.

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Tell us your dates
for Pomene.

One message and we'll confirm your driver, your pickup, and a fixed $320 fare in our own 4x4 — Tofo to Pomene or Pomene to Tofo, with a driver who stays quoted on request. No deposit to ask.

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