The island city, which also names the country, is a municipality in the province of Nampula connected to the mainland by a 3.80 km bridge. When Vasco da Gama arrived, in 1498, the Island of Mozambique was subordinated to the sultan of Zanzibar and used by the Arabs to trade with the Red Sea, Persia, India and the Indian Islands. Thanks to its strategic geographical position, it has become a lucrative trading post and a mandatory stopover for vessels between Lisbon and Goa.

The island is divided into two parts: to the north "Cidade de Pedra", a romantic mixture of semi-ruined or semi-restored buildings where the main monuments are built in stone and lime; to the south, "Cidade Macuti" (the traditional building material, coconut leaves), a cluster of cluttered junk houses that shelter the locals. Forgotten by international tourism, the small island (500 meters wide by 3 km long) remains a hidden treasure.