Name and Location

The Chiloane Island Lighthouse, also referred to locally as the Chiloane Lighthouse, is a small navigational aid located in Sofala Province, Mozambique. Its official designation is not formally recorded. The lighthouse marks the approaches to the Pungwe River and the adjacent coastline.

• Coordinates: 20°42′49.3″ S, 34°59′39.7″ E
• Address (plus-code): 7XPV+GP Chiloane, Mozambique
• Island/Municipality: Chiloane Island, Machanga District, Sofala Province, Mozambique
• Map link: https://www.openstreetmap.org/?mlat=-20.713706&mlon=34.9943513#map=17/-20.71371/34.99435

Construction and History

The date of construction for the Chiloane Island Lighthouse is not documented in readily available sources. The construction era is unknown, possibly mid-20th century (speculative). There are no recorded shipwrecks or historic visits specifically tied to this structure.

Architecture and Materials

The architect/designer of the lighthouse is not recorded. The structural type appears as a small “man_made=lighthouse” feature in satellite imagery and OSM data, with details unconfirmed. The construction materials are likely masonry or concrete, typical of minor coastal lights.

Light and Navigation

Focal height, tower height, range: not available

Light characteristic (flash pattern, colour, period): not recorded

Automation: assumed automated since no keeper’s quarters are visible

Radar/AIS: no known radar or AIS installation on site

Accessibility and Visiting

The lighthouse is reachable by small boat from the Machanga mainland. Site access is limited, with no visitor facilities or formal tours; landing depends on local tides and permissions.

Notable Views and Landscape

The setting is low-lying mangrove fringes and sandy shorelines, backed by coastal forest. Nearby features include small fishing villages on Chiloane Island, Pungwe River mouth to the north. The view is panoramic coastal outlook toward the Indian Ocean and the river estuary.

Anecdotes and Folklore

There are no widely recorded local legends or anecdotes about the Chiloane Island Lighthouse.

Technical and Operational Details

Status: believed active as a minor navigational light for local fishing and coastal traffic

Managing authority: Mozambique’s Instituto Nacional de Hidrografia e Navegação (INAHINA) or Port Administration of Beira (unconfirmed)

Nautical charts: likely charted on Mozambique coastal charts in the Sofala approach series—chart numbers not publicly listed

Further Information

Google Maps satellite view and user reports

Instituto Nacional de Hidrografia e Navegação (INAHINA) publications—contact for up-to-date light lists

Mozambique coastal navigation charts