Pomene a forgotten paradise Escrito por: Miguel
Peral
We are driving along the N1, after our departure from Barra. We are taking this road for the first time, and right from the start, it offers us a fantastic landscape. From Maxixe, we can see the beautiful city of Inhambane. It's worth stopping by for a few minutes and contemplating this picture.
Following in the direction of the sign, we enter a dirt road for the next 53 km, which will take us to our destination. It is important to note that the road to Pomene is hard, with sections of compacted earth that are in bad or very bad condition, with a lot of loose sand, so it takes an hour and thirty minutes to reach Pomene. The truth is that the road requires a robust and strong 4x4, good tires and skillful and attentive driving. Approximately 32 km after our turn-off in Massinga, we arrive at the entrance to the Pomene National Reserve. The guard, who greets us with a smile and very calmly, approaches us to ask if we are going to Pomene – since we are the first visitors in two days. We take care of formalities, name, registration, identification documents and payment of entry fees: two hundred meticais per person (Mozambican national or resident) and four hundred meticais per car. We talk a little about the Reserve's native species, which, in the absence of large animals, are quite diverse. We continue our way towards Vila de Pomene (Village of Pomene). Another 20 km to go until we reach our destination. We begin to see a huge dune to our right, then take a curve, climb, descend, always driving on sand, always with fantastic views... Suddenly, the Indian Ocean! Ahhhh... the Indian Ocean is beautiful, and in Pomene it looks even more spectacular. We arrive at Vila de Pomene and, among some signs, we see the one for the Shipwreck Lodge, where we are headed to and where we will find a fantastic smile waiting for us: Elvis! It is impossible in to put into words everything we felt during our three-day stay. It was simply unforgettable. What we report next are just some impressions of Pomene. Let me now explain the reason for the title of this article: Pomene is, without any doubt, paradise on earth, a place where, wherever we look, we only see beauty! A place full of smiles, full of the desire to please and seduce those who visit. A paradise hardly touched by
12 - Setembro/September 2021 • Revista Xonguila © ™ Ed. 40
humans, but the few who do touch it, do it with utmost care, affection and love, tending to it and keeping it a true natural paradise. However, although paradisiacal, Pomene is a forgotten place. Forgotten because there is no electricity, except for the one supplied by generators and solar panels. Forgotten because the road to reach it is only accessible to a few cars and to drivers sufficiently experienced in negotiating difficult terrain. Forgotten because it stopped in time, without anyone to give it greater meaning. Forgotten because few of us go there. Forgotten because, in lacking the comfort we have in cities, makes us prefer going to places where we have the same amenities as in our city homes. Nevertheless, to a certain extent, we are grateful that Pomene is “forgotten” – otherwise, we might have felt less peace that the one we found there. Let us make of Pomene a less forgotten paradise with our visits! But visits that will be an asset to that wonderful place and to its people, they of the beautiful and easy smiles. What to see/visit Where to start? That´s just it – as soon as we arrived in Pomene, we realized that three days might not be enough time to delight in all that paradise has to offer. In reality, we were able to do and see many things, but didn’t have enough downtime. We suggest a five-day stay, to allow time for resting, too. Here are our tips: 1. Gruta de Pomene (Pomene Cave) – A cave excavated by the sea that has an opening at the top. A beautiful place, but only accessible at low tide. A “must visit” for the natural beauty, the smell of the sea, the experience. A great backdrop for beautiful photos! 2. Pomene Beach or “Praia do Hotel de Pomene” (Hotel de Pomene´s Beach) – A small and idyllic beach facing southwest, that is, with strong sun exposure from early to mid-afternoon. It is absolutely unmissable, to spend a few hours on this beach with calm waters, excellent for snorkelling or simply floating in the transparent waters. It is an absolutely beautiful place and extremely calm. The hours we spent there were the most peaceful. 3. Pomene “Pool” – A rock formation that is accessible from Pomene Beach or Hotel de Pomene´s Beach (also located there), which appears to be a generously sized natural swimming pool. The space that surrounds
Fotografia: Miguel Peral
We continue on our way, anxious to reach Pomene. The road is in excellent condition, passing through a few villages and hardly has any traffic. A short time later, about 45 minutes, we arrived in Massinga and, on the way out, we found the sign we were looking for: POMENE!
