Maputo

Located in the far south of Mozambique, Maputo (previously known as Lourenzo Marques) is a sprawling capital city with a population of about two million people and a large, bustling harbour.

Brief History of Maputo

Under Portuguese influence, Lourenzo Marques became one of Africa's most beautiful and fashionable cities with an impressive skyline of tall buildings and a cosmopolitan Portuguese/African atmosphere. Places like the Polana Hotel buzzed with the chatter of socialites and the nightclubs thumped until the early hours.

But Mozambique's war in the 1970s and 1980s threw this prosperous African city in chaos and poverty. When peace finally came, the once proud city was in terrible disrepair. Thousands of immigrants crowded the buildings, litter lay everywhere and major services including water and electricity were out of commission.

Today Maputo is slowly recapturing some of its former glory, although it has still not managed to reach the romantic heyday of the 60's and early 70's. The gap between rich an poor is vast: multi-million dollar mansions overlook the sea while massive slums ring the city, and dilapidated concrete high rises stand next to beautiful Portuguese villas.

Things to See

Maputo's most important landmark is the Fort of Nossa Senhora da Conceiao (Our Lady of Conception) which was the nucleus of the original settlement. Another imposing building is the Central Railway Station, an enormous structure looking more like a palace for kings, than a siding for commuters.

The bustling market is worth a visit with stalls selling a wide range of fresh food including heaps of cashew nuts and chillis. Maputo also has some excellent restaurants serving delicious peri-peri prawns, washed down with cold Laurentia beer, and the infamous Fere de Populare has dozens of bars and discos where Mozambicans dance well into the night to seductive Latino beats.

A regular ferry service takes visitors from Maputo's fishing harbour to Inhaca Island a favourite destination for South African divers and snorkellers. Other visitors head south to Maputo Elephant Reserve, a sanctuary for elephant, hippos, crocs, side-striped jackal and antelope - note that a 4x4 is needed for the sanctuary's bumpy roads, and there are no restaurants or lodges in the reserve.

For most visitors to Mozambique though, the main attraction is the incredible coastline. Unfortunately Maputo's beach was washed away in the 2007 cyclone and it's not really advisable to swim in the ocean here. For a true tropical island holiday, look instead at the picture-postcard islands of the Bazaruto Archipelago.

Where to Stay

We'd only really recommend a brief stop-over in Maputo on the way to the Bazaruto Archipelago or Quirimbas Archipelago. There are a couple of upmarket hotels in the city, the best of which is the Polana Hotel, with its grand view over the harbour, tea gardens, large inviting swimming pool and Victorian lift.

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