"I come from a soap bubble on the Indian Ocean", wrote Virgilio de Lemos, a native of the island. A bubble with a bridge to get on. Well, let's say a pontoon, almost a dike, which impresses more by its length than by its width - since two cars can't pass each other on it. Then there's the bridge, with people crossing on foot. The island is waiting to be discovered, and you enter gradually. The island is the widow of colonial Mozambique. The country left it with so many debts that today it is ruined, but stoically, it holds on. The island fell into oblivion as soon as it lost its status as the country's capital (Lourenço Marques became the capital of Mozambique in 1898, taking the name Maputo), then its status as a province (Nampula stole it in 1935). So it gave up, and Unesco's projects were not going to change a thing. The idea was a good one: to classify it as a World Heritage Site (in 1991), to try and give a new lease of life to an old lady, but investors have not responded to the restoration project. The few investments in architecture either began before the arrival of the Unesco project (museum), or were made by private Mozambican companies. A few private individuals are also getting involved - there are still some wealthy Europeans who love old stones - supported by a few passionate architects. Sometimes, Unesco funds arrive at the right place and result in a few works... In the surrounding seabed, vestiges of all the battles fought for its conquest are sunken. Dozens of English, Dutch, Arab and Portuguese ships plied the seas with their sometimes precious cargoes (porcelain, gold, pearls...); some have remained here. A private company has inherited the rights to this precious booty, which has given rise to controversy in Mozambique when archaeologists salvage relics that are confiscated. The tourism sector is upset by this sidelining of the windfall, which could have been displayed in local museums to attract more visitors.Today, it's mainly private investors who are embarking on renovation projects. The island life goes on here, with its good restaurants, night markets and cafés with their feet in the sand. You'll enjoy strolling through the streets of this town, which has retained its old-fashioned charm despite the decrepitude of its buildings. New addresses are opening to suit all budgets, others are closing, while others remain unchanged.

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Palais de São Paulo. Koubatian - iStockphoto
Île de Mozambique. Africa - Fotolia
Ilha de Moçambique et sa forteresse. Elisa Vallon
Ruelles d'Ilha de Moçambique. Elisa Vallon

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