Must-see attractions in Mozambique

  • Mozambique, Bazaruto Archipelago. Divers kit up on a zodiac, ready to explore the stunning coral reefs off Benguerra Island.

    Bazaruto National Park

    Bazaruto Archipelago

    This1400-sq-km park protects the five islands of the Bazaruto Archipelago, plus surrounding waters. Thanks to this protected status, and to the…

  • Mozambique, Maputo, the Baixa area, the victorian style railway station designed by G. Eiffel in 1910

    Train Station

    Maputo

    Maputo’s landmark train station is one of the city’s most imposing buildings. The dome was designed by an associate of Alexandre Gustav Eiffel (of Eiffel…

  • Cascata

    Mozambique

    Don't worry if you haven't the time or energy to summit Mt Namúli. Equally memorable is the 8km (one way) hike to the cascata (waterfall) in the hills…

  • Chissano Gallery

    Maputo

    Works of renowned sculptor Alberto Chissano, as well as his remains, are on display in his family’s residence at the Chissano Gallery. Taxis from central…

  • National Art Museum

    Maputo

    Half a block west of Avenida Karl Marx, the National Art Museum has an excellent collection of paintings and sculptures by Mozambique’s finest…

  • Hippopotamus (Hippopotamus amphibius) in water

    Gorongosa National Park

    Mozambique

    Though Gorongosa’s infrastructure is still being rehabilitated after the ravages of the civil war, and animal populations can’t yet compare with those in…

  • Aerial view of an island in the Quirimbas Archipelago near Pemba in northern Mozambique

    Parque Nacional das Quirimbas

    Northern Mozambique

    The Quirimbas National Park contains most of the southern Quirimbas islands (including Ibo, Medjumbe and Matemo) along with a large tract of coastal…

  • Praca da Independencia, Maputo, Mozambique, Africa

    Praça da Independência

    Maputo

    This wide and imposing plaza is the gateway from the upper part of town to the baixa. It's rimmed by several notable buildings and well worth a stroll.

  • Palace & Chapel of São Paulo

    Northern Mozambique

    This imposing terracotta edifice – the former governor’s residence and now a museum – dates from 1610. The interior hosts the recently refurbished Museu…

  • Goa Island

    Northern Mozambique

    This tiny island (known locally as Watólofu) is about 5km east of Mozambique Island. It has a lighthouse that was built during the 1870s, and is today run…

  • Fort of São João Baptista

    Northern Mozambique

    At the island’s northern end is the star-shaped Fort of São João Baptista, built in 1791 and designed to accommodate up to 300 people. When Ibo was linked…

  • Niassa Reserve

    Northern Mozambique

    About 160km northeast of Lichinga on the Tanzanian border is the Niassa Reserve, a vast tract of wilderness with the largest wildlife populations in…

  • Fort of São Sebastião

    Northern Mozambique

    The island’s northern end is dominated by the massive Fort of São Sebastião – the oldest complete fort still standing in sub-Saharan Africa and, arguably,…

  • Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Baluarte

    Northern Mozambique

    In the shadow of the São Sebastião fort on the island’s northern tip is the Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Baluarte, built in 1522 and considered to be the…

  • Praça dos Heróis Moçambicanos

    Maputo

    The large Praça dos Heróis Moçambicanos, along Avenida Acordos de Lusaka near the airport, is notable for its 95m-long mural commemorating the revolution…

  • Paquitequete

    Pemba

    If you only visit one of Pemba's bairros (townships), make sure it's Paquitequete, located beside the bay downhill from the centre. Dominated by its…

  • Chupanga Mission

    Mozambique

    Chupanga Mission is where Mary Moffat, wife of missionary and explorer David Livingstone, is buried. She died here of malaria during the explorer's famous…

  • Hidroeléctrica de Cahora Bassa

    Mozambique

    The dam, including the impressive underground turbine rooms, can be visited by advance arrangement only. Contact Hidroeléctrica de Cahora Bassa in Songo –…

  • Igreja de Nossa Senhora dos Remedios

    Northern Mozambique

    This isolated church, tucked behind the mangroves close to the shore, retains a rare beauty enhanced by both its age and its setting. Built on the orders…

  • Catapu Forest Reserve

    Mozambique

    Catapu is a 250-sq-km sustainable forestry concession situated 30km south of Caia on either side of the EN1. It's home to the M'phingwe Lodge and is known…

  • Museu Nacional de Etnografia

    Northern Mozambique

    This museum makes a gallant effort to showcase the life and culture of Mozambique's complicated tribes and ethnic groups, although the end product is a…

  • Mt Namúli

    Mozambique

    Rising up from the hills about 15km northeast of Gurúè are the mist-shrouded slopes of Mt Namúli (2419m), from which flow the Licungo (Lugela) and Malema…

  • Sena Island

    Northern Mozambique

    About 2km south of Goa Island is Sena Island. It takes its name from its location along the old sea route aiming towards the trading centre of Sena, on…

  • Mt Gorongosa

    Mozambique

    Mt Gorongosa (1862m) is Mozambique’s fourth-highest mountain. Located just outside Gorongosa National Park, it's steeped in local lore and known for its…

  • Casa das Conchas

    Northern Mozambique

    There's no mistaking how the house of shells (sometimes called the Cowrie House) got its name. The whole facade is covered in them and they make a unique…

  • Casa dos Novios

    Mozambique

    This isolated house high above the tea fields has become a ruin since the erstwhile guard left about 10 years ago, but it's still a good target for a day…

  • Hospital

    Northern Mozambique

    Second only to the Fort of São Sebastião in size and grandiosity, this imposing neoclassical hospital was built by the Portuguese in 1877. For a time it…

  • Museu de Arte Sacra

    Northern Mozambique

    Containing religious ornaments, paintings and carvings, this museum is housed in the former hospital of the Holy House of Mercy, a religious guild that…

  • Natural History Museum

    Maputo

    The Natural History Museum, near Hotel Cardoso, is worth a stop simply to see its stately Manueline architecture and its garden with a mural by…

  • Macuti Beach

    Mozambique

    Macuti Beach 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…

  • Igreja de Nossa Senhora do Rosário

    Northern Mozambique

    Ibo might be 99% Muslim, but its most striking religious building is this whitewashed, weather-worn Catholic church that anchors the main square, a legacy…

  • Centro de Local Historico de Mueda

    Northern Mozambique

    Looking more like a dusty antique shop than a museum, this tiny place nonetheless makes a noble effort to explain Mueda's rich Makonde heritage and honour…

  • Fort

    Maputo

    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…

  • Grande Hotel

    Mozambique

    At the southern tip of Beira’s Ponta Gêa neighbourhood, within football-punting distance of the Indian Ocean, sits one of Mozambique’s biggest…

  • Missão de Boroma

    Mozambique

    About 25km northwest of Tete, overlooking the river, is the Missão de Boroma. Founded in 1885 by Jesuit missionaries, it was known for its colégio (school…

  • Cathedral of Nossa Senhora de Fátima

    Northern Mozambique

    Easily Nampula's most handsome and attention-drawing sight, the creamy white city cathedral dates from the late colonial period: the Portuguese finished…

  • Fort of São José

    Northern Mozambique

    Of the three forts on Ibo, the Fort of São José near the boat dock is the oldest, dating from 1760. It ceased to have any military use once the larger…

  • Cabeça do Velho

    Mozambique

    Located 4km northeast of the town centre, this diminutive, craggy hill rises precipitously out of the surrounding flatness looking not unlike the head of…

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