There is more to a family vacation in Mozambique than sea, sun and sand. Mozambique Island, Ilha de Moçambique in Portuguese, is a World Heritage Site and architectural treasure. Occupied by Arab maritime merchants as early as the 10th century, Mozambique Island was already a well-established trade center when Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese explorer, landed here in 1498. Under Portuguese rule, Mozambique Island flourished for roughly 200 years. Stone Town, as the island’s Portuguese settlement is known, was the colony’s first capital as well as a primary port and missionary center in Portuguese east Africa. Yet by the early 18th century, Stone Town’s fortunes were in decline. Slave trade revived the economy for a period but by the early 19th century Mozambique Island’s importance had once again waned. As you stroll the narrow streets of Stone Town and tour the island’s many historical sites weave tales of Arab merchants, Indian traders and Portuguese explorers and help the kids envision life on the island island in its heyday.