17 Incredible Things To Do In Maputo

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Maputo, the rich capital of Mozambique stands along a coastal shore facing the Indian Ocean.

Established as a harbor town by the Portuguese, the impact of explorers and dealers from Africa, Asia, and Europe, has made the city an extraordinary and energetic city.

The Mediterranean inspired architecture and engineering designs of its ancient structures, the nearby ocean and wide roads dotted with jacaranda trees, makes Maputo a stand-out and effectively one of

Africa’s most appealing cities

.

It’s additionally the

most modern and fully developed city in Mozambique today

, with a vast offering of lodgings and restaurants, themed shopping centers, chic walkway bistros and an exuberant social scene.

 

Things To Do in Maputo

Best time to visit Maputo

The capital city can be found just underneath the Equator in the Southern Hemisphere, making its seasons contrary from the places located along the north side of the Equator.

Its summer months, (December- March), are its hottest time of the year.

The mid-year or summer months are additionally its wettest, with the entire zone getting as much as four inches of downpour for every month amid that time instead of just about no downpour at all amid whatever is left of the year.

The winter season is genuinely gentle and the most ideal time to spend a tour or vacation (June –August).

Its coldest month, July, has normal high temperatures in the mid 80’s and lows up to 40’s.

In light of its mellow atmosphere, guests can tour the city throughout the entire year.

Prepare the right apparel and footwear to use when planning a holiday to enjoy the most of your stay in Maputo.

Top things to do in Maputo

Be sure not to miss the things to do in Maputo City as listed below:

Inhaca Island

The beach on the Inhaca Island is accessible via ferry that costs just over $5.

The “round” boat is short and you will reach the beach within a few hour drives and you will arrive in a paradise travel destination that is still quite pristine.

There are very few tourists, perhaps because of the variety of means that you have to take to reach the beach, but with a little patience when you arrive, the magnificent views, the endless beach and the crystal clear water, it will pay off in the middle of the endeavors made to reach the place!

It takes around 3 hours on the ferry leaving from Maputo to arrive on the island.

Once you arrive, there are several hostels and more rustic lodges and good prices to stay overnight.

You can even spend a whole weekend and one of the best attractions is the beach of Santa Maria.

It has clear waters in varying shades of blue and with a huge variety of reef fish and other marine animals that is perfect for snorkeling and diving.

 

Inhaca Island

 

You can spend a great day out with your family or indulge in a restaurant with excellent seafood.

Taste a variety of mussels, clams, shrimps to catch, and huge lobsters to fish.

There is everything and a huge selection of seafood dishes to enjoy.

In addition, it is worthwhile to take a walk on the island.

You can even see little crabs running fast on the fine sand.

Even the picnic on the beach can be enjoyed with hip African music on the background.

This gorgeous island from the gates of Maputo is worth the trip.

It is a fantastic beach with coconut trees, diving and snorkeling paradise, with comfortable accommodation from the inns facing the beach.

Inhaca Island is beautiful.

But much money is required to visit it altogether.

You pay for the boat, the boat to enter the island and if you want to go the most beautiful beaches you also have to pay.

But there are choices of low cost inns to enjoy a lovely stay in this part of Maputo City.

What to do in Maputo?

Parque dos Continuadores

Great place in which to spend some time and buy some very special souvenirs.

It’s the right site to buy some items of handicrafts from Maputo and to spend an hour (or more!

) in peace.

It is a short walk from the Hotel Polana in a pleasant park.

There are plenty of banquets with objects of all kinds, displayed in a colorful and pleasant setting, from batik to capulana to wood carvings to various trinkets and bangles.

In addition, there are a couple of stalls to eat, drink and relax after shopping.

 

Parque dos Continuadores

 

The Parque is an old garden park, voted to abandon during the last decades, but is now a pleasant place to spend a few hours and buy some of the huge craft exposed while enjoying green spaces and a restaurant with cute balconies.

The main attraction is the Mozambican craft, which helps everyone learn a little of the art and culture of this awesome city.

Tip: do not buy without negotiating first from the sellers of this craft fair with pieces of wood and paintings of excellent quality offered by the artisans themselves.

The craftsmanship is varied especially the paintings and sculptures by hand.

 

Parque dos Continuadores

 

It is located in a pleasant park area with some hip bars and restaurants and lots of stalls with souvenirs.

The sellers here are not as pushy and uptight like any shops elsewhere, and allow you to browse on their products in relative peace and quiet.

There are some good deals that they will naturally entice you with and also haggle with you until the last price.

In the end, you can always negotiate a better deal and

bring home the item

that you fancy.

It is worth a few hours of visit if you are in Maputo City.

If you have enough time or depending on your schedule, try to attend the gastronomic fair held every last weekend of the month.

There you can find the more traditional Mozambican dishes made in a homemade way by the locals of Maputo.

It is worthwhile and a good way to know the people and their interesting cuisine and culture.

Best Maputo attractions

Maputo Central Train Station

An awesome railway station and considered one of the eight most beautiful in the world.

It is undergoing renovations for its façade right now and expect a new face for this tourist spot in a few months’ time.

Despite its antiquity, it remains perfectly preserved and one of the famous landmarks in Maputo.

It has a small art gallery that you can visit and a bar where you can unwind and enjoy a good drink.

The experience of riding a train is worth it and you can cross up to the terminal of Matola, but the station there is a bit abandoned.

 

Maputo Central Train Station

 

It is the central station in the capital of Maputo.

It is old and has already been used in a film setting.

It’s almost like a trip to the past because of its ancient structure and design.

The train station in Maputo remains an emblem of the city which is now made even better with excellent train service for tourism and recreational use.

It still retains the splendor of bygone days and the renovation is an exciting change that everyone must look forward to in the near future!

Fortaleza da Nossa Senhora da Conceição

Being a good ride, but hard to reach.

The fortress, which was established since the late ’60s, is still in good condition and well maintained.

It reveals that those responsible have great respect for history, for it is there, with great dignity that the statue of Afonso de Albuquerque was installed after it was removed from Independence Square after the end of the colonial era.

 

Fortaleza da Nossa Senhora da Conceicao

 

It is located in downtown Maputo, easy to access and could be better used to give the best known part of the historical past of Mozambique.

This well preserved fortress also serve as a museum, and a reminder of the city’s colonial past.

It is very nice to see and learn the history of a country, and to know that it is still well cared for.

There are many empty rooms and a promenade area after the tombs and statues, but it is pretty hard to pass by the place.

However, the rewards of the good view and history is worth the effort.

You’ll see also some cannon and a cultural center.

If you schedule a visit on Saturdays in the square outside there is a craft market that is pretty interesting.

More Things to do in Mozambique Maputo

Maputo Elephant Reserve (Reserva Especial de Maputo)

Very pleasant surprise and the chance to see the elephants can only happen here in this side of the city.

If luck is on your side, there is a strong chance of seeing about 70 to 80 elephants along with their baby elephants in tow.

However, you need to wait for the elephants to pass before you can continue your journey safely.

It is so much fun!

The landscape is very beautiful and everything has a natural air.

Tour must be done with extreme caution, need a 4×4, good driver and good guide.

It is not advisable to visit this site without an experienced guide to accompany you.

Natural History Museum

it’s not a very large museum but it provides a good overview of Mozambique’s wildlife.

The collection consists mostly of African wildlife stuffed animals.

The most important thing to see is a collection of elephant fetuses, mounted as a sponsored extermination by the ancient Portuguese farmers.

Another interesting display is the large stuffed coelacanth (a rare fish species), one of the largest ever found.

Only these two attractions are worth the visit in the museum if you are in Maputo.

Despite not being too pretentious nor does it have so many features, it is quite charming and stuffed animals give the opportunity to understand the sizes of the animals.

The design of the building is inspired by the Portuguese Manueline and it is very beautiful, do check this place when you’re in Maputo City.

It contains very interesting pieces and its route is very well planned, it is clear, didactic and well attended.

My favorite Maputo tourist attractions

Louis Tregardt Memorial Garden

An oasis of calm in the midst of Maputo.

Like almost all the memorials, it has the role of bringing peace to the middle of a chaotic and busy city and this place captures all the credit.

It has all the history of trekkers who ran from the Cape to the former Lourenço Marques and allows some very nice photos.

The architecture is inspiring it show the noted brushworks of Portuguese architect Pardal Monteiro.

This impressive structure is quite hidden from the public view but it is well maintained except for some parts where the fountains doesn’t seem to be working.

All in this entire site is an ideal place to spend a quiet time during the day and through the rest of the afternoon.

Casa do Ferro (The Iron House)

The originality of its construction and prime location is what makes the Casa do Ferro worth visiting when in Maputo City.

However it is quite hard to find because like the other attractions here in this part of Africa

little signage or road markers exists.

It is certainly one of the first prefabricated houses in the world(built and designed by Gustave Eiffel) that did not considered when planning, that a panel house in all steel fabrication is not habitable in a nation like Mozambique who has an extreme hot temperature during the summer season.

Today, only its exterior part can be seen and a tour of its interiors is not allowed by the city government.

It is an old house with a front garden, not very conspicuous; some will have a couple of pass times before he realizes that it is a national landmark.

It is neither particularly beautiful nor especially impressive.

It is more like a withered old lady whose better days are long gone.

But next door is the Culture House and the Church that is already worth a quick look.

Museum of the Revolution

Provides the vivid details of the early history and political saga of Mozambique towards independence from Portugal.

For almost 500 years, Mozambique’s history was dominated by the Portuguese, who first arrived in 1498.

They set up trading posts for slaves and fought off other nations that tried to take control.

In the 1800s, Portugal conquered the farming peoples of the interior, including the Makonde, Yao, Tete, and Ronga and made Mozambique a colony.

Many Portuguese people came to live here, but in 1962 a guerilla army called the Frelimo (Front for the Liberation of Mozambique) began a long war to free the country from foreign rule.

The Portuguese finally left in 1975.

Xefina Pequena

 

Xefina Pequena

 

A tourist site with beautiful beaches and flights of flamingos.

The small island of Xefina is quite close to Maputo.

You can go there by renting a boat and a fisherman and starting from the Sunshine Coast, it is just 15 minutes away.

Bring along your camera because this is the best part of Maputo where you can watch a flock of flamingos take flight into the coast and up to the ocean.

The sunset view from here is also a remarkable experience be sure to stay and watch this natural spectacle.

Fun things to do in Maputo

Barragem dos Pequenos Libombos

Great complement to the Mozambican landscape of the South.

The dam has a huge importance for the whole of Mozambique, it was the first great work of the regime after independence and because it was very well protected during conflicts with RSA and during the Civil War, it served as the main water reservoir of the city of Maputo.

 

Barragem dos Pequenos Libombos

 

The scenery is unforgettable.

Although there is nothing much to do around here, you can enjoy the scenery and the breath of fresh air, take pictures, or visit the nearby church and orphan house where you can give old clothes, toys, and a small amount of donation.

You can also explore the nearby lake and its surroundings.

After this you can eat in the Old Italian Camp that serves simple but good food.

Maputo Central Market (Mercado Central de Maputo)

An eccentric place

where one can find a variety of things from typical foods until the most unimaginable

crafts.

It is a good shopping place where you can buy lots of souvenir s about Maputo.

It is not just a typical market but it is also here where you can buy local fruits and vegetables, spices, dried shrimp mud crab, and observe the hard working Mozambicans in the surrounding context, with many vendors on the floor selling their wares and where you can buy everything.

 

Maputo Central Market

 

Maputo is a city in Mozambique, a nation in

Africa

that has always landed the news for war and natural disasters such as drought, floods, and famine in the past.

Much needs to be done to build up the country’s industry and repair its recovering economy.

The growing number of tourists visiting this nation and the improving modernization of the city who persevered so much is a good sign of good things to come for Maputo City.

Discover a holiday destination that has managed to face all its trials and stand on its own, a true picture of resiliency and bravery that can only be found n the city of Maputo.

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