Visit Maputo - Mozambique

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Maputo is that type of city that gradually conquers tourists, because to get to know the capital of Mozambique well, you need to capture its essence. This essence goes beyond the simple act of taking a first look and jumping to conclusions, without knowing the story behind it all.

Formerly called Lourenço Marques, Maputo is a city in full development, full of marks of a difficult past. Among them, the fact that Mozambicans lived under Portuguese rule until 1975, the year in which the country became independent after 10 years of armed struggle.

Another sad episode was the civil war that lasted until 1994; From these two moments in the country's history, several problems remained that last until today. A bad legacy that ended up being reflected in tourism as well.

Sun and Sea Tourism

Proof of this is that those who want to explore the country today — especially the beautiful beaches of the Indian Ocean — still encounter certain difficulties. Nothing impossible when you have good will, an extra dose of patience or a lot of money to spend. Did you know, for example, that Mozambique is home to wonderful resorts on the edge of the Indian Ocean? Yeah, we found that only there!

In Maputo, tourists will find streets that are not so well-kept and clean, but will come across wide avenues full of beautiful trees, such as acacias and jacarandas, squares, parks and very beautiful buildings full of history.

Other strengths of the Mozambican capital are also its people — cheerful and receptive to tourists — and the fantastic local cuisine, a paradise for those in love with fish and seafood, not to mention the prices, which fit right into the budget.

The main tip for those who want to get to know the real Maputo is to plan a good tour of the city. For this, it will not take more than two or three days, counting on the sights that will be explored more calmly, such as museums such as Natural History, CFM and monuments such as the Fortaleza de Nossa Senhora da Conceição.

Visitors can set up an itinerary with the help of this guide — checking out the main attractions, below, and also our map of tourist spots — or hire the service of a tourist guide. The second option is quite viable and a way to save time and to get inside, detail by detail, the entire history of the Mozambican capital.

One option is the tours guided by students who work at the Tourist Information Desk, which is located inside the beautiful Botanical Garden of the city. The "Top Ten" guided tour, for example, offers the tourist an overview of Maputo and the history of Mozambique.

On this tour, the visitor will get to know the cathedral, the Municipal Council, the Iron House, the Tunduro Garden, the Central Market, the Railway Station, among other points. The tour costs USD 35 per person (group of two to three people) or USD 25 for a group of six or more, remembering that it is also possible to include a stop for lunch.

Here is one of the most emblematic buildings in Maputo, the Caminhos de Ferro (CFM) central station. A building erected between 1908 and 1910, elected in 2016 the third most beautiful in the world by Times magazine.

On the station’s façade — which faces Praça dos Trabalhadores —, the classic style and the beautiful main dome, prefabricated in South Africa, call attention. Once inside, the visitor practically goes back in time when faced with old locomotives, one of which was the first used on the Maputo-Pretoria route.

A visit to the station is not complete without a visit to the museum, which, in addition to the permanent exhibition inside the building, has a temporary exhibition displayed along the passenger boarding and disembarking platforms. Entry to the museum costs 50 MT.

Remembering that the station works as such; currently, a few trains depart from the site towards Zimbabwe, Swaziland and South Africa, but the conditions of the locomotives are not the best for tourism.

A symbol of the country's independence, the wide square located between the upper and lower towns houses the statue of the first president of independent Mozambique, Samora Moisés Machel, a leader who became known for his fiery speeches that emphasized the end of Portuguese exploitation.

However, the statue began to inhabit the center of the square only in 2012 and in place of another, that of the Portuguese governor-general Mouzinho de Albuquerque. Work of art that can be seen in the fortress of Maputo.

At the back of the square, the City Hall building is also located, a construction from 1941, by the architects Carlos César dos Santos, Arnaldo Pacheco and Franz Keindl. In the past, the inscription "Here is Portugal" could be read on the front pavement, a phrase said by President Américo Tomás during a visit to the country in 1964.

Maputo Municipal Market — or Bazaar, as it is also called — is a work by David de Carvalho built with iron elements imported from Belgium. Inaugurated in 1901, the place sells a little of everything: different foods — fruits, vegetables, fragrant spices — objects for the home, for personal use and also souvenirs.

The market is a popular tourist spot in Maputo, even for those who don't intend to buy anything. This is due to the atmosphere of the place, located in the lower part of the Mozambican capital, full of merchants and locals who go there to do their shopping.

Maputo offers visitors a good and well-structured network of hotels, inns and guest houses, including super traditional establishments, such as the Polana Serena hotel.

The best area of the city to stay is central and for a number of reasons, among them — and the most important, in fact — security. Another reason is that, staying in the central area, the tourist ends up spending much less on transportation, in this case, taxi trips to/between tourist spots and restaurants.

A good tip is to look for hotels or guest houses located in regions such as Polana Cimento, close to the famous and busy Julius Nyerere avenue, for example. Another area of Maputo that usually has good accommodation options is Sommerchield and also the Marginal region.

The tip for those who want to save money is to try to book the hotel as far in advance as possible, preferably an establishment that allows free cancellation, in case a more attractive offer comes along. Another suggestion is to choose to visit the city during the low season, as certain times, such as summer, end up inflating room rates.

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*All images used in this article are Copyright Free and Royalty Free Images.