Maputo, Mozambique Tourism - Maputo, Mozambique
Vacation
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Maputo has been the capital of
Mozambique since 1898. The city was previously called
Lourenço Marques until the country's independence in
1975. It is the largest city in Mozambique and the country's most important harbour. It is situated at the mouth of the
Santo River in the extreme south, 90 km from the border with
South Africa.
In comparison with other sub-Saharan
African cities, the urban area feels small and concentrated, with wide avenues and old trees.
People are generally out and about in the streets, walking, driving and getting on with life. The vibe is healthy and active, with little begging and lots of street vendors and markets. There is no heavy presence of police during the day.
There are few tourists to be seen and at times the atmosphere is as much
South American as African.
Buildings range from old colonial palaces to new high-rise constructions, but the dominant architecture consists of Stalinist-looking concrete-walled boxes, generally with badly eroded paint and rusty security bars. Fortunately, these tend to fade into the background, and there are enough buildings with old charm and lush enough gardens (cycads, coleus, flamboyant, jacaranda, bouganvillea, etc.) to give a pleasing if shabby feel. Especially outstanding buildings which shouldn't be missed are the
Pancho Guedes creations: Guadiesque, surreal and difficult to find.
The city provides a range of accommodation, from many-star hotels (e.g. Polana,
Cardoso,
Southern Sun) to comfortable backpackers' hostels (
Base and
Fatima's) and reasonable options in between (Mozaic
Guest House).
See in Maputo, Mozambique
====================
1 -
The Railway Station on
Praca dos Trabalhadores is sometimes mistaken to be the work by
Gustave Eiffel. However, the building is an imposing structure and well-worth a visit, especially at Friday or Saturday nights where live music often is played.
2 -
The National Art Museum has a small but good collection of Mozambican art, including several large canvases by the world-renowned
Malangatana.
3 - The
Jardim Tunduru is a very pretty (albeit small) botanical garden.
4 -
The Museum of the
Revolution chronicles
Mozambique's fight for indepedence from
Portuguese colonialism(
Closed in 2008 and by the looks of it will not re-open soon)
5 - The
Mercado Central in the
Baixa district has fresh fish, crabs, calamari, fruits and vegetables, and many household staples.
Safe, lively and recommended, especially if cooking for yourself.
6 -
Walk up Avenida
Julius Nyerere.
Start from the
Hotel Cardoso or
Natural History Museum along R Mutemba to
Nyerere then left (north) to the Polana Hotel. Boutiques, restaurants, curio vendors, video stores, etc. to be seen in the relatively upscale Polana neighborhood.
7 -
Casa do
Ferro Avenida Samora
Marcel, is a building designed by Gustave Eiffel, architect of
Paris'
Eiffel Tower. It is also known as the "
Iron House" or "
Steel House" because of its all-metal structure.
Originally intended as the
Governor's home, it turned out to be too hot to live in under Maputo's tropical conditions, and is now a museum.
8 - Museu de História
Natural, Praca Travessia de
Zambezi (close to Cardoso Hotel). Enjoyable little museum. Lots of stuffed animals, birds and reptiles with full-size models of elephants. Interesting collection of wooden carvings, including a selection of traditional and very uncomfortable looking wooden pillows. Mtn 50.
Do in Maputo, Mozambique
====================
1 -
Visit some beautiful beaches, such as Catembe and
Ponta d'Ouro. It is very jovial in these atmospheres and are generally safe, but beware of pickpocketing and avoid bringing valuables with you on a beach stroll. Ponta D'
Ouro and Ponta Malongane have some beautiful scuba-diving spots, with either campsites or chalets right on the beach.
2 - Take in a wedding.
Beautiful tribal singing and women ululating. Civil ceremonies next door to Avenida Hotel. Several weddings on
Saturday morning.
- published: 19 Sep 2014
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