Things to do in Maputo
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Gianni Sorvetaria
We think the home-made ice cream at the Hotel Polana Tea Room is the best, but this comes close.
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Mundo's
Burritos, burgers, pizzas and other hearty fare - all served up in large portions on wooden tables set around a streetside veranda and cooled by a misting system in the summer months. Mundo's also has all-day breakfast and a play area for children.
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Casa de Ferro
Just off the Praça de Independência is the Casa de Ferro, which was designed by Eiffel in the late 19th century as the governor's residence, though its metal-plated exterior proved unsuitable for tropical conditions.
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Fortaleza
The old fort was built by the Portuguese in the mid-19th century near the site of an earlier fort. Inside is a garden and a small museum with remnants from the era of early Portuguese forays to the area.
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Praça de Independência
This wide plaza is rimmed on one side by the soaring white spire of the Catedral de Nossa Senhora da Conceição and on the other by the hulking, neoclassical Conselho Municipal (City Hall).
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Museu Chissano
Works of the renowned sculptor Alberto Chissano are displayed in his family's residence at the Museu Chissano, together with the works of other sculptors and painters. It's outside Maputo in the Matola suburb in an area called Bairro Sial: take Av 24 de Julho towards Matola. Approaching Matola, watch for some grey warehouses on the left side of the roadway, and turn right onto a small tarmac road branching off the main road roughly opposite the warehouses.
Follow this for 1.2km and then turn right again. Continue about 1km past the police station. Take the first left after the police station and continue 100m to the T-junction; the Chissano Museum is in the large white ho…
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Praça dos Heróis Moçambicanos
The large Praça dos Heróis Moçambicanos, along Av Acordos de Lusaka near the airport, is notable for its 95m-long mural commemorating the revolution. The star-shaped white marble structure in its centre holds the remains of Mozambique's revolutionary and post-independence heroes, including Eduardo Mondlane and Samora Machel, as well as those of national poet José Craveirinha.
Photographs are prohibited. Except on 3 February, when it's open to the public, you'll need to get permission to visit (including to walk across the praça) from the Bureau de Informação Pública (Public Information Bureau).
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Mercado de Xipamanine
Not exactly a tourist attraction, but a Maputo institution nonetheless, is the enormous and chaotic Mercado de Xipamanine. The market, which sprawls over the length of several football fields beyond the termination of Av Eduardo Mondlane, is the place to go to buy everything from used appliance parts to mattresses and sofas. More interesting is the enormous selection of traditional medicines and remedies, including an array of animal pelts, bird claws and more.
Xipamanine is also notorious as the hub of the local underworld, with an impressive assortment of stolen items for resale.
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Cafés
The café tradition is one of the nicer things left behind in Maputo by the Portuguese, and the city's cafés have become somewhat of an institution. Most of the older ones have a staid feel to them, and the faded ambience and worn furnishings that you'd expect from places that have been around for decades, while the newer ones tend to be young and lively.
All serve a selection of tasty bolos (cakes) and light meals, plus café espresso and chá (tea), and make good spots for a break while walking around town.
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Train Station
Maputo's imposing Train Station is one of the city's landmark buildings. The dome was designed by an associate of Alexandre Gustav Eiffel (of Eiffel Tower fame), although Eiffel himself never set foot in Mozambique. Also impressive are the wrought-iron lattice work, pillars and verandas gracing the exterior. Inside are some old steam engines, and the Chez Rangel Jazz Café (see Drinking), one of the city's best night spots.
Although the station is still in use, trains run infrequently and it's often deserted.
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Núcleo de Arte
This long-standing artists' cooperative is a focal point among Mozambican artistic circles. It has frequent exhibitions featuring the work of up-and-coming artists (some of which is for sale), including pieces made in the 'Guns into Art' project (check their website for more). There's also a pottery area, and a garden where you can talk with the artists and watch them at work. It's in a dilapidated colonial-era house near the Hospital Central.
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Chez Rangel
This jazz café at the train station is one of Maputo's best night spots, with intimate surroundings and the atmospheric architecture of the train station as a backdrop. There's live music on Saturdays, and otherwise your choice of a large collection of old jazz gramophone records. An ideal spot to sip a caipirinha while taking in afro-jazz beats.
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Casa e Museu Malangatana
It's possible to visit the house and studio of Malangatana, Mozambique's most renowned painter. It is filled with dozens of his own paintings as well as several sculptures of Alberto Chissano. Call ahead to arrange an appointment. The house is located several kilometres outside the city centre; ask directions when arranging the visit.
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Instituto das Línguas
Instituto das Línguas offers Portuguese language classes.
The main African languages spoken in Maputo are Shangana and the closely related Ronga. There's no formal instruction, but tutors can be easily arranged; ask around for reliable teachers at the language schools, at your embassy, or at local businesses and offices.
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Mercado Municipal
The Mercado Municipal, with its long rows of vendors, tables piled high with produce, fresh fish and colourful spices, and stalls overflowing with everything from brooms to plastic buckets, is Maputo's main market, and well worth a stroll. Get there early in the morning when everything is still fresh, and before the crowds.
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Super Mares
Supermarkets in Maputo are on the pricey side, but well-stocked, with a wide selection of imports from South Africa. Luscious papayas, mangoes and other excellent tropical fruits and vegetables are available at Maputo's markets and from streetside vendors. Super Mares is an upmarket and well-stocked supermarket.
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Museu de História Natural
The recently renovated Museu de História Natural near Hotel Cardoso is worth a stop to see its Manueline architecture and its garden with a mural by Malangatana. Inside are some moderately interesting taxidermy specimens, and what is probably the region's only collection of elephant foetuses.
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Tennis
There are frequent tournaments at the courts at the botanical gardens (Jardim Tunduru, corner Rua da Imprensa and Rua da Rádio), where short- and long-term memberships can be arranged. Clube Naval has courts open to its members, and several of the top-end hotels have courts for their guests.
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Restaurante Costa do Sol
A Maputo institution, this large, breezy place just in from the beach draws the crowds on weekend afternoons. There's seating on the large beach-facing porch or indoors, an array of fresh seafood dishes and grills. It's located 5km north of the centre at the northern end of Av Marginal.
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Museu da Moeda
The Museu da Moeda, housed in a yellow building on the corner of Rua Consiglieri Pedroso, dates from 1860. Inside are exhibits of local currency, ranging from early barter tokens to modern-day bills. At time of writing, it's temporarily closed for renovations.
reviewed
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Casa Elefante
For capulanas (the colourful cloths that women wear around their waist) and other textiles, try Casa Elefante or some of the other nearby shops opposite the Mercado Municipal. This is also a good place to look for a tailor (alfaiataria).
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Dock's
At Clube Naval, with good seafood grills and burgers, and breezy, waterside seating. There's live music on most Thursday (jazz, advance reservations required) and Friday evenings, and a late-night bar. The compound entry is deducted from your meal bill.
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City Tours
The best way to see the sights is to charter a laranjinha or habana. The Mozambique Adviser desk at Hotel Polana arranges reasonably-priced half- and full-day city tours, pub crawls ('Maputo by Night') and other excursions.
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Companhia Nacional de Canto e Dança
Mozambique's renowned Companhia Nacional de Canto e Dança is based at the Casa de Cultura, near the intersection with Av Ho Chi Min. Rehearsals are often open to the public, and you can get schedules of upcoming performances.
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Costa do Sol Stadium
Football (soccer) is the national passion. You can watch or join informal weekend matches along the northern section of Av Marginal, or on any empty field. To see a game, head to Costa do Sol Stadium on weekend afternoons.
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