Travel to Mozambique with travel insurance from Essential Travel

click here for an annual travel insurance quotation

Information on Athens with single trip travel insurance from Essential Travel

For many years, Mozambique’s appeal as a tourist destination was overshadowed by the country’s internal political strife, with colonialism and a heinous civil war acting as effective deterrents to travellers interested in this region of East Africa. Today, spectacular Mozambique is re-emerging as one of the continent’s most alluring holiday destinations, featuring an incomparable coastline, abundant marine life, friendly locals and delectable cuisine including the renowned LM prawns.

The vibrant, bustling capital city of Maputo offers a plethora of atmospheric markets, laid-back sidewalk cafés, colourful nightlife and interesting architecture, and is one of Africa’s most charming urban centres. Maputo was originally established hundreds of years ago as Lourenço Marques by the Portuguese, and remnants of this colonial culture can still be evidenced in the city today. Despite a period of severe decline in the 1970s and ‘80s, many of the old buildings have since been refurbished to reveal their former glory, and are intermittently scattered among Maputo’s wide boulevards and violet-blossomed jacaranda trees.

Beira, the country’s second-largest city and capital of the Sofala province, is a major port and rail terminus surrounded by breathtaking mountain scenery. The Praça, or central plaza, is the city’s beating heart, encircled by a thriving conglomeration of shops, markets and offices. Beira is home to some lovely, rather antiquated architecture, and the cathedral, located to the southeast of the city centre, is definitely worth a look.

Though Mozambique’s urban areas provide interesting insight into the culture and daily life of a large percentage of the local population, the country’s true charms are to be found in the more rural destinations, particularly the coastal regions. Although many of the country’s interior national parks were damaged during the years of civil war that ravaged the country, and much of the wildlife annihilated, the beaches and marine environment were relatively unaffected and remain incomparably fabulous.

North of Maputo, Inhambane province encompasses the long, beautiful beaches of Tofo and Barra. Of these, Barra is by far the less developed and more pristine, with an endless stretch of sand curving around a gentle bay, perfect for swimming and snorkelling. Close by, at Pandane, a vast arc of reef becomes exposed at low tide, creating a sheltered natural pool where a myriad of brightly-coloured tropical fish, moray eels and crabs dart between striking blooms of coral.

Another essential stop for water babies is the Bazaruto Archipelago, a marine national park located approximately 10kms off the coast of Vilankulo. This exquisite collection of islands is nothing short of a tropical Eden, with turquoise waters, abundant ocean life, pristine coral reefs and sandy beaches shaded by prolific palm trees. In the far north of the country, the coastal town of Pemba is situated at the mouth of a large bay, and is known for its vibrant atmosphere, interesting architecture and the nearby Wimbi Beach, located roughly five kilometres from town.

back to city guides