The Portuguese established a port and naval base in 1507 and built the Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Baluarte in 1522, now considered the oldest European building in the Southern Hemisphere.

It withstood Dutch attacks in 1607 and 1608, in a successful defense led by captain-general Dom Estêvão de Ataíde,[4] and remained a major post for the Portuguese on their trips to India.

The hospital, a majestic neo-classical building constructed in 1877 by the Portuguese, with a garden decorated with ponds and fountains, was repainted white after the Mozambican Civil War.

The majority of the residents live in reed houses in Makuti Town at the southern end of the island.

The island is also close to two tourist highlights: Chocas Mar, a long beach about 40 km north of Ilha de Moçambique across the Mossuril Bay and Cabaceiras.