A beautiful abandoned island off the coast of Africa is now the perfect holiday spot

Ibo is one of the Quirimbas Islands in the Indian Ocean off the coast of northern Mozambique, which has recently become more popular as a beach destination.

In the late 18th century, Portuguese colonialists built the Fort of São João, which still survives. As a slave port, the town became the second most important in the region after Mozambique Island.

The island was suddenly abandoned by Portugal in 1974 as a remnant of a long-past era, with merchants’ houses and whitewashed forts left to the elements.

The island is now a far quieter place, known for its silversmiths. This is another link to it’s past, when artisans arrived to the trading route hub, bringing their skills of wrought-iron work, hand-crafted furniture and decorative handles.

Hand-operated canvas bellows and charcoal fires are still used to smelt raw silver in hand-cast crucibles, with local lime used to clean the filigree jewellery the makers have become known for

Ibo forms part of the Quirimbas National Park, stretching 68 mi along the northeast coast of Mozambique, and containing the southernmost 11 of the Quirimbas islands.

The park has a tropical climate with a rainy season from December to April

There’s superb scuba diving to be had, and equally good deep-sea fishing on the outer reefs and deep channels. Three hundred and seventy-five species of fish have been identified in the park, including threatened pipefish and seahorses.

The island is linked to the mainland at Tandanhangue by dhows, a traditional sailing vessel with one or more masts with lateen sails, used in the Red Sea and Indian Ocean. They are primarily used to carry heavy items, such as fruit, fresh water, or other heavy merchandise

Telegraph travel correspondent Chris Leadbeater said of the islands: “They would continue to fall apart for the next three decades, but are now being reclaimed as artists’ studios, small shops and boutique hotels – of which Ibo Island Lodge is perhaps the most special.”

Tourists can get to Mozambique through connecting flights from UK airports. The Foreign Office advised against all but essential travel to most of Mozambique and all travel to parts of the north.