Things to do in Mozambique
-
A
Gianni Sorvetaria
We think the home-made ice cream at the Hotel Polana Tea Room is the best, but this comes close.
reviewed
-
B
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.
reviewed
-
C
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.
reviewed
-
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.
reviewed
-
D
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).
reviewed
-
E
Piri-Piri Chicken
A Maputo classic, with grilled chicken - with or without piri-piri (spicy chilli sauce) - to take away or eat here.
reviewed
-
F
Xhova's Inter-Thai Restaurant
Temporarily closed for annual vacation when we passed through, but the Thai cuisine is rumoured to be delicious.
reviewed
-
Maputo
With its Mediterranean-style architecture, waterside setting and wide avenues lined by jacaranda and flame trees, Maputo is easily one of Africa's most attractive capitals. It's also the most developed place in Mozambique by far, with a wide selection of hotels and restaurants, well-stocked supermarkets, shady sidewalk cafes, and a lively cultural scene.
The heart of the city is the bustling, low-lying baixa (busy port and commercial area). Here, Portuguese-era buildings with their graceful balconies and wrought-iron balustrades jostle for space with ungainly Marxist-style apartment blocks. Galabiyya-garbed men gather in doorways for a chat, Indian traders carry on brisk…
reviewed
-
Bazaruto Archipelago National Park
This archipelago consists of five main islands: Bazaruto, Benguera, Magaruque, Santa Carolina and tiny Bangué. It's about as close to a tropical paradise as you'll find, and is one of Mozambique's highlights. Among its attractions: clear, turquoise waters; tranquil, white-sand beaches; a plethora of colourful birds; and rewarding diving and snorkelling.
The larger islands were originally connected to the mainland at Ponta São Sebastião. The small population of Nile crocodiles that laze in the sun in remote corners of both Bazaruto and Benguera islands is evidence of this earlier link.
Thanks to this protected status, and to the archipelago's relative isolation from…
reviewed
-
Mezimbite Forest Centre
Central Mozambique's forests have long been plundered, but there's finally some good news on the scene. If you have extra time and are interested in learning about local sustainable development projects, take a few hours to visit Mezimbite Forest Centre, about 50km west of Beira along the EN6.
In addition to promoting sustainable conservation of the surrounding forests through maximising the forests' benefits to local residents, it trains artisans and craftpersons to be competitive in quality at the highest levels, producing exclusive furniture designs, jewellery and other items that are marketed internationally.
The centre can be visited during the daytime (and preferably…
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Sail Away
The recommended Sail Away is the best contact for island dhow safaris, with various day and overnight sails in the archipelago (check out their website for a sampling).
Prices are very reasonable: a day trip including snorkelling around the islands of Magaruque or Benguera, a good lunch, refreshments, park entry fees and snorkelling equipment costs around US$47, with discounts sometimes available for walk-ins. Overnight safaris range from two to four days and cost from around US$70 per person per day, with everything that the day trip includes, plus full board and accommodation. All boats have extra motors, safety and first-aid equipment and communication on board. Sail…
reviewed
-
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…
reviewed
-
Mozambique Island
Tiny, crescent-shaped Mozambique Island has played a larger-than-life role in East African coastal life over the centuries. Today, it is an intriguing anomaly - part ghost town and part lively fishing community. It's picturesque and pleasant to wander around, with colonnaded archways and stately colonial-era buildings lining the quiet, cobbled streets.
In Makuti Town, with its thatched-roof huts and crush of people, narrow alleyways echo with the sounds of playing children and squawking chickens, while fishermen sit on the sand repairing their long, brightly-coloured nets.
The waterfront in between, along the island's eastern edge, is known as the contracosta.
reviewed
-
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).
reviewed
-
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.
reviewed
-
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.
reviewed
-
G
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.
reviewed
-
Praça do Município & Praça do Metical
The heart of the city is the area around the squares of Praça do Município and Praça do Metical (the latter marked by a large metical coin perched on a pedestal). Near here, you'll find shops, banks, telecom and internet facilities, plus an array of sidewalk cafés. North of the two squares is the baixa (old commercial area), with the port and some charming old colonial-style architecture, while about 1km east is Maquinino, the main bus and transport hub.
reviewed
-
H
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.
reviewed
-
Paquitequete
On Pemba's outskirts are several colourful and vibrant bairros (neighbourhoods). The most intriguing is Paquitequete, which is on the southwestern edge of the peninsula and is Pemba's oldest settlement. In contrast with the other bairros, which are newer and more heterogeneous, the population here is almost exclusively Muslim, and predominantly Mwani and Makua. The atmosphere is at its best in the late afternoon just before sunset.
reviewed
Advertisement
-
Praia de Makuti
Makuti is the residential area fringing Beira's small stretch of beach. Praia de Makuti is one of the better places in town to relax, though it can't compare with the coastline further south or north. The water is moderately clean, currents strong (ask locally where swimming is possible) and the breezes good. At the end is the old red-and-white Makuti Lighthouse, dating to 1904.
reviewed
-
I
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.
reviewed
-
Artes Maconde
Artes Maconde has an excellent selection of carvings and other crafts from around the country. They do international air and sea shipping and also take orders for local crafts and carvings. For anyone interested in high-quality Mozambican crafts, it's an essential stop. There's another outlet at the Pemba Beach Hotel in Praia de Wimbi.
reviewed
-
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.
reviewed
-
J
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.
reviewed