by Carole Goulet, Sikiliza Consultant [email protected]
Maputo, an unusual city with Latin colors and flavors, so different from its English-speaking sisters in the region.
Maputo is also part of the history of explorers from the 16th century who roamed the seas and oceans in search of new trade routes and exchanges. Their journey took them to the coasts of Mozambique, including Delagoa Bay, now Maputo Bay.
Maputo is a port city lapped by the Indian Ocean once a former ancient Tsonga village called Lourenço Marques shortly after the arrival of the Portuguese. Since then, it has been continuously been evolving. The traveler who decides to stop there will not be disappointed and will even regret not being able to spend more time there.
The city is full of small restaurants, cafes, located by the sea or nestled in street corners, on rooftops … it is also a culinary stage for those who like to combine traditional African cuisines, fish and seafood and Portuguese spicy flavors.
The city can be visited on foot, by taxi or by “Xopéla”, a small three-wheeled motorcycle, and is best discovered through its history, its markets, its architecture, or its cuisine, or all four! It is up to you!
You can stroll through the heart of the Mafalala district, the historic district of Maputo, the cradle of Mozambique’s independence, which has seen the birth of the greatest personalities in Mozambique’s political, cultural, and sporting panorama. During this visit, which lasts around 2.5 hours, you will discover the origin of the exceptional multi-cultural of this district, the great Mozambican poets pioneers of the country’s liberation movement and the history of Maputo and Mozambique at the beginning of the Twentieth century.
You can choose to discover the craft, local and fabric markets that animate the different districts of the city, or even go in search of historic buildings with surprising architecture. At the corner of a street, you can stop at a small local café to taste a “pastel de nata”, a traditional Portuguese pastry, accompanied by a “bica” or “galao” coffee.
For lunch, the options are endless and are based on your culinary preferences. With the construction of the bridge leading to the small town of Catembe, the crossing is fast and you can go and taste grilled lobster in one of the traditional restaurants located on the beach on the other side of the estuary, offering a breathtaking view on the Maputo skyline.
For beach lovers, a must-see is the stroll on the beach opposite the Costa do Sol restaurant. At low tide, the sea retreats for several kilometers allowing strollers to walk for several hours, on a deserted beach, to meet pink flamingos and other sea birds and to go in search of the famous “sand dollars”, small flat sea urchins, resembling large pieces with a magnificent flower-shaped design on one side.
