Tourism is something beyond just visiting or traveling to places. It is more about connecting to places we are visiting; every place has its own emotion, zeal, culture, and significance, which bind the visitors with its existence. There are uncountable places around the globe functioning as the heartbeat of the tourism industry; one such collection of places lies in Mozambique.
Mozambique is a country in Africa keeping alive the existence of tourism with its rich cultural heritage, artworks, and cuisine. This place sets a warm temperature offering a tropical climate to its tourists, aligned with enormous places and different zeal. It has marine parks, beaches, and ancient ruins of the colonial era.
Here are some 15 tourist spots in Mozambique to make a trip.
1. Paroquia Santo Antonio
This is a church located in Maputo 100. It is emphasized due to its shape, aesthetics, and structure, designed by the Portuguese architect Cavreiro Nuno Lopes in the early 1960s. The architectural element blended into the timeline became an attraction for tourists. The futuristic form developed by moulding the inverted flower arising out of the circular plan form on the ground and stepping towards the sky will draw all your attention at once. The stained glass on the side window and central structure allows the vibrant daylight to reflect inside the building.
2. The Quirimbas Archipelago
Besides aesthetical structures, Mozambique also offers some exotic locations to let its visitors enjoy the calmness of the place and the silent beauty of natural elements. The Quirimbas is a group of islands located in the Indian Ocean. It is known for its coral reefs, whales, dolphins, and endangered sea cows. It has 32 islands, and pieces of islands together, executing the zeal of place through its salient features, such as each island being filled with plenty of forts, beautiful beaches, mangrove covers, and dive sites. Some of the islands serving its visitors for years are – Vamizi, Ibo, Matemo, and Quisiva islands.
3. Bazaruto National Park
Another most desired destination is Bazaruto National Park located in the protected zone of the city, Inhambane Province of Mozambique. The National park is the first marine reserve considered under African Park’s management. Although declared as a protected zone, the park is situated with a group of five islands, three of which are inhabited by 5000 people. This place connects your trip to the sea world along with wildlife diversity where you can dive into the sea life and enjoy swimming and snorkeling and surrounding biodiversity. This destination is served for tourism although sketched with the regulation of illegal fishing practices to save natural resources and biodiversity.
4. Niassa Reserve
Niassa National Reserve is one of the largest and most protected National reserves located in northern Mozambique and its northern boundary the Ruvuma River edging Tanzania. The place is managed by the Department of National Conservation Areas and Wildlife Conservation Society. This place doesn’t have any added features or structure but the place is enriched with natural landforms and biodiversity which itself creates its tourism vogue. To connect you to the environment of the place, you are driven through safaris. Besides this, you can also experience the wildlife living with the help of camping.
5. National Money Museum
The name of the place itself draws the attention of the tourists and hence this museum is one of the main footfalls of tourism in Maputo and is listed in the top places to visit in Mozambique. The museum building is a restored yellow building on the corner of Rua Consiglieri Pedroso and has an authentic collection of money used to date. You can find the evolution and transformation of money and its source here, such as veritable pieces of coins and currency of Mozambique from historical periods. The collection reflects a historic financial chirograph and its development by the time and all this has been finely executed in a small space, yet achieving a great affection by its visitors.
6. Tunduru Botanical Gardens
Botanical Gardens are made to educate people about the plant kingdom of natural biodiversity. It has a plantation of an uncounted number of species of leafy plants, flowers, and trees. This place is a public park and garden in downtown Maputo, Mozambique, designed by Thomas Honney, and can be visited with family and friends to spend quality time and gain some information while walking around the zones of different species. This garden offers a shady walk space and retreat on sunny days and provides a pleasant microclimate to relax in the space.
7. Fort São Sebastião
Fort São Sebastião is a Portuguese Fort located on Mozambique Island, and is a popular tourist attraction in Mozambique. This fort has been constructed in Manueline vaulted architectural style in Mozambique and is considered to be the oldest European building in the southern hemisphere. It was used for trading slaves, species, and gold during its historical time. Apart from its architectural perspective, this fort has also gained popularity in the tourism sector of Mozambique as the tourist visiting this place enjoys the panoramic view of the sea and skyline from the top of the fort.
8. Macuti Lighthouse and Shipwreck
The seashore of the Macuti beach has become a worthy watch site for its visitors due to the unusual scene witnessed by the beach and sea. It offers you to experience the mysterious moment of the beach which has been created as the result of the remains of an old rusted shipwreck. Standing on the seashore lying on the sand in front of this ruined and mysterious is an appealing lighthouse. During the time of low tide people walk through the wreckage and the high tides merging the shores of the sea into it. It turn the vibes of this place into an anonymous and mysterious island.
9. Maputo Central Train Station
The central train station drives the tourist toward its architectural aesthetics of the robust structure. The station building is designed by an associate of Gustave Eiffel and its façade was designed by Eiffel himself. The building has been structured in wrought iron with marble pillars and the whole structure is emphasized through the central massive dome and the detailing added on it highlights the domical structure on top. The color compositions on the façade, dark green blended with white color, add life to the façade of the station. The station building also has a rail museum inside it describing the impression of rail and its history.
10. Museum of Natural History
The Museum of Natural History was established in 1911. Before being stated permanently as Dr. Alvaro de Castro Museum, it was known as Provincial Museum. It was originally cast in Neo-Manueline style to construct a primary school, but after its independence from Portuguese rule, it was renamed the Natural History Museum. The museum displays different species of animals, largely broadcasting African wildlife. The building has also achieved admiration due to its architectural style reflecting Portuguese neo-Gothic style in context with the colonial era. The walls of the museum are acquainted with the murals drawn by Mozambique painters and poets.
11. Nampula
Nampula is a city in Mozambique located 4km from the coastline. It is the capital of Nampula Province which has a surrounding of plains and rocky outcrops. The city is a location of several Portuguese architectural buildings such as the Mozambican National Ethnographic Museum, markets, cathedrals, universities, and schools in stone town. Some of the tourist visiting places are the Fort of Sao Sebastiao, the Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Baluarte, and the Palace of Sao Paulo. In the southern part of the city, some of the Macuti houses are built with thatch roofs. In 1991 the island of Nampula was listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The island also exhibits some Hindu temples and mosques before the development of urbanization and turning the island into a developed city.
12. Inhaca Islands
Inhaca Island lies 35 km from central Maputo as an extension of the narrow peninsula running from Maputo Special Reserve to Cabo Santa Maria. It is later separated by a shallow channel of 500m width demarcating the shore of Maputo Bay. The islands are the set of some tranquil beaches accessible with the help of a ferry. People while traveling enjoy the calmness of rapidly growing low waves and the view of the surrounding exotic locations and added luxury through its on-beach services, restaurants, and presence of Mangroves lining the north coast and colourful collar reefs on the western coast. The main attraction of the island is Inhaca village, a small locality, a little away from beaches.
13. Ponta do Ouro
Ponta do Ouro is an admired destination, especially for South African divers and surfers. The location also has a small village which is mostly crowded with tourist camps. The place has a vibe of fresh ocean air with a calm atmosphere enriched with clean water that enables the swimmers and surfers to dive into the layer of tides and allow some crowds to enjoy fishing on some points. This place is gaining more popularity due to its marine creatures, especially dolphins. People gather alongside the water body to enjoy their flipping and twisting through the waves and other familiar activities.
14. Lake Cahora Bassa
The location of the lake waters of Cahora Bassa originated from the Zambia border and extended to Tete Province in western Mozambique. The water flowing from the lake has covered 2700 square kilometres of land cover and they are stated to be one of the largest freshwater lake systems in all of Africa. One end of the lake is situated with Cahora Bassa Dam – a valuable construction, which is constructed of a huge concrete and steel wall having a measurement of 171 m in height and 303 m in width. The surrounding bank of the reservoir has fishing lodges and a port of houseboats.
15. Limpopo National Park
Another National Park in Mozambique, to make your journey more interesting, is Limpopo National Park, which has a fusion of biodiversity and landscape. This park has a variety of plant and animal species with a blend of landscaping; this is a protected reserve abutting the great Kruger National Park of South Africa. Emerging out from the Limpopo River this park addresses some of the most envied African games which are now under international agreements on conservation. Tourists visiting this park are offered a safari tour of the whole park. Visitors can look at and feel the wildlife and diversity which are a part of us and our planet.
References:
- https://www.africanparks.org/the-parks/bazaruto
- https://niassalion.org/niassa-national-reserve/
- https://www.triphobo.com/places/maputo-mozambique/tunduru-botanical-gardens
- https://www.zamaniproject.org/site-mozambique-mozambique-island-Saint-Sebastian-Fortress.html
- https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/macuti-lighthouse-and-shipwreck
- http://www.alluringworld.com/maputo-railway-station/
- https://www.radissonhotels.com/en-us/destination/mozambique/maputo/natural-history-museum
- https://www.bradtguides.com/destinations/africa/mozambique/inhaca-island/
- https://www.chamfutalodge.com/pages/menu/inhaca-island.html
- https://traveltriangle.com/blog/places-to-visit-in-mozambique/
- https://www.thecrazytourist.com/15-best-places-visit-mozambique/
