Although Maputo, Mozambique’s capital, isn’t that big, there’s plenty to do. I lived in Maputo for a couple of months in 2009 when I was an intern at the Dutch Embassy in Mozambique. Here are some of my tips for Maputo:
1. Mercado Central de Maputo
The Mercado Central is the indoor market in the centre of Maputo. The beautiful colonial building “Mercado Municipal Vasco da Gama”, dates back to 1900 and has been in use since 1903. Just the building itself is already worth the trip.
And while you’re there, please have a look inside at the hustle and bustle of the market. They sell almost everything: fish, meat, fruit, vegetables, spices and a lot of cashews. The sellers spend a lot of time polishing their items, to make them look shiny and delicious. Buy your cashews here!
The ladies peel the prawns on the spot and sell them to the locals, but the market is also great entertainment for visitors.
The fish sellers wait patiently until all the fish is sold. The fish is displayed in neat stacks and the fish is weighed at old-school scales.
Location:
Mercado Central
Av. 25 de Setembro, Maputo, Mozambique
You can visit the market every day.
2. Restaurant Zambi
Restaurant Zambi is for me one of the best restaurants of Mozambique, well, definitely the best of Maputo. The dishes are based on the Portuguese cuisine. It’s a luxurious restaurant, with delicious wines, fish, meats and excellent service, but the prices are still reasonable!
Zambi is situated directly at the boulevard with a breathtaking view at the bay. You can sit outside at the balcony overlooking the ocean and if it’s too cold, the interior is also very pretty. Zambi is definitely worth a visit!
Location:
Restaurant Zambi
Av. 10 de Novembro, Nᵒ 8, Maputo, Mozambique
Tel: (+258) 84 398 4126
Website: zambi.africa
3. Rua d’Arte – Party in Maputo!
Rua d’Arte in Maputo, Mozambique, is one of the most unique party places I’ve ever been! On Friday and Saturday night they’ll just hang some curtains at both sides of the street across the Mercado Municipal (at Travessa de Palmeira) and that’s it: a street party where you can buy a drink, grab a bite and dance the night away!
Most of the time there are live bands and djs. All kinds of people gather here for a night of fun.
The party starts late, before 1 am there is not much going on here, but when the party starts, you can dance until the sun comes up! You’ll have to pay an ‘entrance’ fee of 100/200 Mts and be part of the party crowd.
Location:
Rua d’Arte
Travessa de Palmeira, Maputo, Mozambique
When: On Friday and Saturday night starting at midnight
4. Ride along the beach
Just north of Maputo you can find a lot of street markets and places to get a bite on the beach.
Along the beach stand small colorful sheds where people sell grilled meat. Especially a lot of chicken; they chop them in two pieces and put them on the BBQ!
Further along the beach men and women are awaiting the fishermen to return from fishing. In the afternoon the last boats return to the beach. We saw boats returning with crates full of squid and a lot of fish. The fishermen sell the fish right at the beach of Maputo. You can’t find fresher fish!
There are also some small markets at the beachside where you can find fresh fish (obviously), but also living chicken, peanuts, cashews and ‘capulana’s’. A capulana is a brightly colored fabric that can either be used as a wrap-around skirt, dress, a baby carrier on the back, or as curtains or bedlinen. It’s a great souvenir from Mozambique!
5. BBQ-restaurant Kalus Esplanada
Fancy some good grilled meat? Kalus is a simple, but cosy, BBQ-restaurant down an alley in the centre of Maputo. At night all kinds of people gather to enjoy delicious meat and a beer. Kalus had a lot to offer, like picanha (best choice!), T-bone and chicken. You point out which piece of meat you’d like and tell the chef how you want the maet to be done.
The side dish is a salad, fries or “Xima”. Xima (also called “massa” or “nsima”) is a kind of thick porridge, prepared with water and corn flour. Mozambican people use Xima as a base for most of their meals. It’s rather very filling and a little bland to my taste. On the contrary, I do like “matapa”. Matapa is prepared with grounded young cassava leaves, garlic, onion and coconut milk. Usually they also add cashews, crab or shrimp.
Locatie:
Kalus Esplanada
Rua Alfredo Keil, Maputo, Mozambique
Rather going on an adventure outside the city, read my blogs about Tofo, Macaneta and Bilene.
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