Villa Espanhola Bilene Mozambique

A warm welcome to Villa Espanhola Bilene Mozambique,here you will find affordable accommodation in tuscan style studio units or chalets. Self catering is available as well as breakfast and dinner. Enjoy a wonderful beach holiday or vacation.

Email for Reservations: book@go.mozbookings.com

Villa Espanhola offers stylish, but affordable accommodation in 8 Tuscan style studio units. Our open plan thatch dining area creates a homely atmosphere which overlooks Bilene’s lagoon with warm crystal clear water, a mini-Mediterranean in Africa. Breakfast is offered daily and a set dinner menu is available on request. Exclusive use of the lodge allows for self-catering accommodation.

Villa Espanhola is your choice holiday destination when it comes to location, perfectly situated away from the noisy town, but a stone’s throw away from the lagoon. The semi private beach is a mere 50m from the lodge offering safe swimming along the shallow calm shores.

The lagoon offers perfect conditions for any water sport and boating activities. We warmly invite you to come and enjoy our majestic sunsets, beautiful stars and tranquil beaches. We also offer self-catering accommodation in houses located in Bilene, away from the lodge.

Accommodation at Villa Espanhola, Bilene

A lovely holiday awaits you at Villa Espanhola, under the accommodating and friendly supervision of Murray and Michele Edgar.

The Villa is situated in spacious gardens with easy access to the calm and clear-water lagoon, only 2km from Bilene main village. The Villa offers 8 bedrooms and an open air dining room with a small lounge (with television), and kitchen.

The bedroom-units are built in a X-shape, with 4 bedrooms per building, which are serviced daily by our friendly staff. The two buildings are next to the dining area (all within walking distance).

The lodge offers 2 bedrooms with an interlinking door to the adjacent bedroom. Room 2 interlinks with room 3, and room 6 interlinks with room 7. These rooms are ideal for families with children.

Secure parking is available, suitable for buses and large coaches. The facilities are for the sole use of lodge guests and their visitors only.

Unfortunately credit cards are not accepted.

Check-in time:
Between 13:00 – 19:00

Check-out time:
Before 10:30

8 Stylishly decorated studios offer:
• 7 double-bed bedrooms and 1 twin
bedded room
• 2 units have interlinking doors to
the adjacent bedroom (ideal for families)
• All bedrooms air-conditioned
• En-suite bathroom with bath and shower
• Private veranda
• Laundry service
• Serviced daily
• No smoking bedrooms
• Dressing table with chair
• Supplied with linen and towels
• Cupboard

Lodge Facilities:
• 12 hour security (from 18:00 to 06:00)
• Communal Satellite Central TV
• Open secure parking on premises
• Laundry service
• Ironing service
• Units are serviced daily
• Spacious garden
• Braai/Barbeque available
• No pets permitted
• No credit card facilities
• Semi private beach 50 m from lodge
(accessible through garden)
• Fully equipped kitchen
(Fridge/Freezers, Microwave,
Kettle, Toaster, Oven, Stove)
• Lodge is supplied with Municipal Electricity
• and private borehole water

About the Semi- Private Beach
The highlight of Villa Espanhola is the accessibility to the lagoon, which provides a semi-private beach for safe-swimming. From the garden it takes only a short 50m sand-path to reach the calm clear water. Ideal for honeymoon couples looking for a romantic breakaway.

The lagoon is a paradise for water sports enthusiast, whether motorized or non-motorised sports. This mini-Mediterranean in Africa sets the perfect playground.

Dinning
A delicious breakfast is served in the thatched-roof diningroom. The open-air sides contribute to the island ambience and set a refreshing atmosphere.

A set dinner menu is available on prior request, but Bilene village offers a variety of Portugese and seafood restaurants. Health-conscious guests or special dietary requirements are catered for by prior request.

No wine list is available. Guests are welcome to bring their own liquor. No corkage fee charged.

Standard meal times:
Breakfast 07:00 to 09:30
Dinner 19:00 to 21:00

These can be changed by prior request.

The fully equipped kitchen can be used by self-catering groups that booked the lodge for exclusive use.

Electricity:
Electricity is supplied in the rooms and can cater for hairdryers, etc. South African (220V) style plugs with 2 circular metal pins above the large circular grounding pin is used in Mozambique without an adapter.

South African 3 pin plugs (2 small circular metal pins above one large circular grounding pin) requires an adapter. Gratuities Gratuities are not added automatically or included on the reservation account. It is not compulsory to give gratuities as well; but any contributions would be highly appreciated and may be given to the manager directly or to the staff individually.

Health:
This is a malaria area. Please contact your doctor. There are no medical facilities at the lodge. Please bring a fully equipped first aid kid and include any prescription medication, anti-malaria prophylactics and anti histamines.

Laundry service:
The bedrooms and lodge are serviced daily, and a laundry service is provided. Linen Bath towels are supplied, but kindly bring your own beach towels.

Safety - beach All swimmers and beach goers are for your own safety. No lifeguards are available on the beach or lagoon

Telephones:
There are no telephones in the lodge’s bedrooms, but with international roaming activated your cellphone will be functional.

Mozambique has a state owned cell phone provider, Mcel and the South African owned Vodacom Mozambique. Telephone facilities are available at the local post office in Bilene, open from 7am – 7pm, where international call can be made.

Water:
Water from the lodge comes from a borehole and is fine for washing and bathing. Bottled water is recommended for drinking and is on sale at the lodge.

Things to remember to bring along:
• There is no need for an off road vehicle
• Any meat brought across the border should be vacuumed packed.
• Sun screen
• Beach towels
• Beach umbrella
• Insect repellents
• Camera, camcorder, binoculars and batteries.
• Torch
• International adaptors
• Small medical kit, note Hydrogen peroxide is very effective for insect bites and scratches.
• Pen to complete border crossing papers

BILENE
Villa Espanhola is situated on the outskirts of the village of Bilene, Gaza province, Mozambique. Bilene is nestled next to the wonderful 27 km long San Martin lagoon (Lagoa Uembje) and is easy accessible to visitors on good tarred roads. Turning off 160 km north of Maputo (Mozambique’s capitol) at the town of Macia you will travel a further 30km to reach Bilene. It is the closest Mozambican beach resort to Johannesburg, and attracts many South African visitors during the holiday seasons.

Although Bilene is an ideal Mozambique holiday destination on its own, it also serves as a good stop over point for those travelling to destinations such as Xai Xai, Inhambane and the Bazaruto Archipelago. The town has numerous restaurants and bars as well as a weekend disco. Petrol and diesel are both available at Praia do Bilene. There are also various simple shops and a small colourful market where very basic products can be bought.

Things to Do
The 27km long and 5 km wide lagoon is an ideal family spot with long white stretches of sand for beach games and shallow, calm water for safe swimming. The lagoon does plunge up to depths of 50 meters, but is so shallow near the shores that it’s perfect for children. Bilene is particularly popular for water sports enthusiasts, from jet-ski’s, water-skiing and parasailing, to non-motorized sports such as paddle-ski’s, and windsurfing.

The mouth of the lagoon, usually blocked by a massive sand bank, is best reached by boat but a long difficult 4X4 track does allow access to the beach. Yearly the mouth is opened manually by 300 locals, preceded by a ceremony where the chief of the area bless the ritual.

Other popular activities in Bilene include decent fishing, sailing, diving both in the lagoon and the open ocean, kayaking, hiking, canoeing, wake boarding, snorkeling as well as whale watching and boat rides. There are some lovely off road routes around the lake system as well, with great quad bike trails. A 35 km ride through villages and inland lakes go as far as the Limpopo River Mouth. Birders also enjoy the birdlife, with large populations of flamingos and various other water birds visiting the area in the summer months searching the shallow fringes of the water for food, adding a true tropical paradise feel to the region.

We will gladly provide information and maps to assist in planning and organizing your activities, but strongly advise to bring your own equipment for motorized sports.

Nature
Mozambique is an undiscovered gem, offering an island paradise with endless beaches, wonderful weather, pristine coral reefs and friendly people:

Birding: November to February
Mozambique has 600-odd bird species. Due to Mozambique's ecosystem, there is a range of habitats from forest, woodlands, rivers, marshland and wetland. For the avid bird watcher being there at the right time is very important. Late
November to February is the best time to see the various bird types. Special types of Cuckoo can be seen in November and December. February is best for rare migratory warblers that could appear.

Botany: January to December
Mozambique has a wonderful climate allowing various plants to flourish throughout the year. Mozambique has pristine coral reefs, clear blue waters, white sand beaches, dune forests and freshwater lakes, creating an ecological fortress. The vegetation along Mozambique mainly includes a variation of exotic flowers, woodland; wetlands open savannah, small forest areas, 21 vegetation types and 191 tree and shrub types.

Marine Life
Over 1200 species of fish have been recognised along the coast of Mozambique, most of which live along the coral reefs, mainly off Maputaland, around Inhaca Island, in the area of Inhambane and Pebane and along the Quirimbas Archipelago
is the far north. The reefs of Mozambique are on a par with the Great Barrier Reef of Australia. Marine life to be seen include: kingfish, mackerel, marlin, barracuda, dolphin, the infamous dugong, sharks and much more. Five species of turtle use
Mozambique as a breeding ground; it's a unique experience to see a sea turtle.

Islands
Mozambique is also a popular tourist destination due to its islands:
• Bazaruto Archipelago
• Inhaca Island
• Vilankulo
• Ibo Island
• Mozambique Island
• Quirimbas Archipelago

Wildlife
In far northern Mozambique you will find Niassa Reserve, one of the biggest protected Miombo Woodland Ecosystems. Niassa Reserve has some amazing features and lovely concentration of wildlife. Niassa is surrounded by many rivers and it's twice the size of Kruger National Park of South Africa. Wildlife includes: 12 000 Elephant, 9000 Sable antelope, Cape Buffalo, Hartebeest, Eland, Zebra, Kudu, Bushbuck, Impala, Wildebeest, Waterbuck, Reedbuck, Hippo, Duiker and Warthog. Lion, Leopard and Spotted Hyena can also be seen. Up to 200 endangered African Wild Dog can be found in Niassa.

About Mozambique
Congratulations on choosing Mozambique as your holiday destination. Mozambique has to be considered one of the world’s best tropical holiday destinations, with miles of unspoiled coastline and untouched natural areas. You will be pleasantly surprised at how friendly and open the people are, they have truly put the war behind them.

However, Mozambique is a third world African country and time is generally on a different wavelength to what most westerners are accustomed.

If you approach the country for what it is, you will love …..the land of smiles!

Mozambique (Moçambique) was named after Muça Alebique, a sultan, and is a country in southeastern Africa. Mozambique is bordered to the:
- North by Tanzania - East by the Indan Ocean
- Southwest by Swaziland and South Africa
- West by Zimbabwe
- Northwest by Zimbabwe and Zambia

It is a member of the Community of Portuguese Language Countries and the Commonwealth of Nations, and an observer of the Francophonie. The capital city is Maputo (formerly Lourenco Marques).

Mozambique has many beautiful, pristine beaches along its 2.700Km coastline. Top Cities in Mozambique are:
- Maputo
- Quelimane
- Beira
- Xai Xai
- Lumbo
- Inhaminga
- Nangade
- Naçala
- Tete
- Pemba

About Maputo (formerly known as Lourenco Marques)
In Maputo you are never far from the coast. Visitors to the city can enjoy the many restaurants serving locally caught seafood,
or visit the fish market, along the marginal, where you will find fresh fish for the barbeque without all the effort of catching it. Only a day trip away is the beaches of Macaneta and Island of Inhaca, a popular spot for diving and snorkeling.

Hop-on-hop-off City Tours are available to explore the architecture, history, culture and cuisine. (Railway station, Steel House, Natural History Museum,Municipal Building, Natural History, Wooden Arts, Central Market, Seafood.

DIRECTIONS FROM JOHANNESBURGH
Take N4 (Witbank highway - very good condition) from Johannesburg to Nelspruit. Budget for tollroad cost of approximately R150. Continue on the N4 to Komatipoort (the last town on the South Africa side). +/- 50 km from Komatipoort you will go through the last SA tollgate.

Just past Komatipoort is the Lebombo/Ressano Garcia Border Post. Once you are on the Mozambique side, follow the N4 (now called the EN4) for another 100 km (62.1 miles) to the capital city of Maputo. 35km’s after the border you will come to the 1st Mozambique toll road (95 Mts /R 25/5$). +/- 45 km after the tollgate you should turn left at a set of traffic lights in Matola (Shoprite on left-hand side).

To shop at Shoprite or eat at the restaurant, you will have to turn left into the parking before the traffic lights, no entrance after traffic lights to Shoprite/ toilets /restaurant.)

After you turned left at traffic lights, travel 6km to another tollgate (19 Mts/R 5.5). Through tollgate (only Mts change). After 3kms you will see a sign to Xai-Xai (EN 1), just before you cross over a large bridge. Turn left to take Xai-Xai off ramp. (Turning right will take you to Maputo.)

Follow directions to Xai-Xai for 165 km to a town called Macia. You will be going through a lot of robots, traffic circles and
small towns.

• After about 15 km on EN1you will pass a weighbridge (Traffic cops/inspectors).

• After about 50 km on EN1 you will get the first and only Ultra City. (Good stop for clean toilets and food - no fuel). On route to Bilene you will go through the following towns: Maluana, Manhica, Machia, Palmeira, Mimbini, Magul, Mauzir, Traffic control center, Macia. +/- 165 km from Maputo at Macia (BP fuel station on left) turn right off the main road to Bilene (R453).
There is a sign “Praia do Bilene”.

Travel+/- 33 km to Bilene, you will see a river on the left and reach a traffic circle. Leave the traffic circle (3:00 position) so that the Hotel (yellow building) is on your left hand side. Follow road for 2km to the T-junction and turn right. After 500m the tar ends and becomes a sand road.

After 500m take the 1st road left (at grass island with tree stumps). Follow the road, it will turn to the right. Villa Espanhola’s gate will be on your left hand side.

GPS coordinates: S25’ 17.436, E 033’ 14.305’

Flights to Mozambique available from:
• South Africa: Durban, Cape Town and Mpumalanga
• Portugal: Lisbon
• Tanzania: Dar es Salaam
• Kenya: Nairobi
• Zimbabwe: Harare International Airports Mavalane International (MPM), five miles (8 km) north of Maputo. Beira (BEW), eight miles (13 km) from the city Beira. Inhambane, Lichinga, Nampula, Pemba and Vilanculos.

Email for Reservations: book@go.mozbookings.com