Maputo, Mozambique Travel Facts

Welcome to Maputo, Mozambique!

A Slower Pace

Economic health - Mozambique may be one of Africa’s best-kept secrets. Although a relatively poor country — its economic health is tied almost exclusively to its natural gas reserves — Mozambique is rich with visual delights.

The good news: You won’t find yourself drowning in a sea of tourists. That’s because Mozambique, though one of Africa’s most beautiful countries, is the farthest thing from a tourism hub.

Mozambique Island - No visit to the country would be complete without touring Mozambique Island.

It is conveniently joined to the mainland by a 2-mile bridge. The island combines a stunning natural setting with the architectural influence of the Portuguese, who colonized Mozambique from the early 16th century until 1974. Here you will find narrow streets flanked by centuries-old buildings, and you can stroll a promenade that runs along the coast.

Fort São Sebastião - The island also features Fort São Sebastião,

one of the oldest and most impressive colonial forts in southern Africa. And there is the dramatic Chapel of Nossa Senhora de Baluarte, believed to be the oldest European-style building in the southern hemisphere.

The European influence can also be found in the capital city of Maputo.

But the real attraction is the energy of this bustling city. Here you can tour museums and art galleries. You can also get up early and spend a morning in the Central Market, watching the locals as they haggle with vendors.

Fun Fact: The train station in Maputo,

with its marble columns and ornate detail, was designed by an associate of Gustave Eiffel

of Eiffel Tower fame. (In case you were wondering, it takes 1,710 steps to reach the top of the tower.)

Be sure to click here to read some facts about Dodoma, Tanzania.