Tourist Attractions & Monuments Mozambique

The original station has been preserved, and is magnificent. This imposing building, strongly imbued with the French Victorian and Art Nouveau style, all white and pastel green, was built in 1910 to plans by Gustave Eiffel or one of his engineers. Its dome and clock on the elaborate facade seem almost familiar in their curves and style. Under its immense volumes, you can admire ornate ceilings, wrought-iron structures, columns, sculpted doors and Portuguese azulejos. Inside, the museum of the CFM, the Mozambican railroad company, opened its doors in 2015, after a thorough renovation of the building. Here you can admire old locomotives from the ^19th century and trains from all eras. You'll discover (in Portuguese and English) the history of the country's stations and ports, from colonial times to the present day, including the vicissitudes of each era, especially the wars of independence and the civil war. The museum is well documented on the Modern Age of steel and coal, when the train was at the heart of the global industrial revolution. The station is also the venue for many cultural events: readings, temporary exhibitions, concerts, fashion shows, dance, theater... Ask for the program! Nearby, don't miss a visit to the Galeria, another of the city's multicultural venues, due to open in 2020.

The greatest Mozambican artists are represented, including the famous Malangatana and the sculptor Chissano, whose work can be seen upon arrival in the lobby of the Maputo airport, as well as more recent works of contemporary art. A permanent exhibition will give you a glimpse of Mozambican painting. On the other hand, temporary exhibitions are organized from time to time, but unfortunately, the museum may lack some dynamism. Some books and catalogues are on sale at the reception desk.

The Museu nacional da moeda is nicknamed "Casa Amarela" because of the yellow colour of its façade. The building, built in 1787, is one of the oldest in the city. It was completely redone a few years ago. The museum, the former house of the president, traces the history of the money market in Mozambique, from the shell that served as currency during the Bantu Empire to the ancestor of the metical, the current currency, a duck feathered rachis.

The Transmaritimo ferry that linked Maputo to Catembe is no more. The huge bridge that spans the bay of Maputo, between the capital and Catembe, was finally inaugurated in 2018, after four years of work. The idea for this bridge was born in the aftermath of the civil war in the 1990s, but its realization required a lot of consultation, time and heavy financing ($726 million). A Chinese bank, the China Exim-Bank, financed 85% of the project with a 20-year loan. The idea is not only to relieve congestion in the capital city, but also to create pleasant new seaside and residential suburbs right across from the center and the lower town. Catembe has great potential for development: with only 20,000 inhabitants at present, the city could see an urbanization of up to 400,000 people in the coming decade. The bridge is also part of the new South Africa-Mozambique axis that passes through Kosy Bay and Ponta do Ouro, which is designed for tourism development. This means that it is no longer necessary to go through Swaziland or the Johannesburg-Maputo route to enter Mozambique from the south, as it is now possible to drive along the coast from Durban and enter from the southern tip. The brand new 130 km Ponta-Maputo road, which has just been inaugurated, is also the result. The suspension bridge is 680 m long - now the longest in Africa - and 60 m high, while the northern viaduct is about 1 km long and is connected to the new Ponta road.

Walking around the neighborhood, you can't miss St. Anthony's Church. The Roman Catholic church, which stands like a huge concrete "juicer", is located near the Polana Hotel. It is impressive. In fact, its unusual modern architecture and the beauty of its stained glass windows are eye-catching and of interest to travelers who love architecture. Built in the early 1960s, the church underwent its second renovation in 2019, which does not prevent it from hosting mass every day at 6pm, with music and singing.

The "iron house" was designed in 1892 by Gustave Eiffel, who never set foot in Mozambique! It was prefabricated in Belgium before being sent and assembled in Maputo. It was originally intended to be the residence of the governor general of the colony. But the iron and steel structure quickly proved to be unsuitable in a very hot and humid country: unbearable heat, mosquitoes everywhere. The governor never lived there. Today, it houses the offices of the Ministry of Culture.

Large establishment which is worth a visit for its architecture more or less inspired by Manueline art and its garden, which houses a fresco by Malangatana. There is an ethnographic room, and although decrepit, the impressive collection of animals living in the country is also worth a visit. Of particular note are the 14 elephant foetuses illustrating the entire development of the embryo during the 20 months of gestation. In the garden there is a juice bar, Sukos Juices, pleasant to drink a drink.

The pristine white bell tower of the cathedral stands tall in the blue sky of Maputo. The religious building, completed in 1944, is very well preserved. His staircase with high steps is intriguing. Designed by a Portuguese civil engineer, Marcial Simões de Freitas e Costa, the Cathedral of Our Lady of Conception, designed in the shape of a cross and inspired by the Gothic style, is built entirely of simple materials such as concrete and cement, which is astonishing.

This shady botanical garden was designed in 1885 by the English landscape architect Thomas Honney, who had also designed the garden of the King of Greece and the Sultan of Turkey at the time. In the hottest hours of the summer, it is appreciated for its coolness. All year round, it is very popular, especially with brides and grooms on Saturdays. A bar-restaurant is located at the end of the garden. In front of the main entrance, don't miss the bronze statue of Samora Machel (1933-1986), the first president of the People's Republic of Mozambique after independence.

The Estátua de Samora Machel is an unmistakable bronze sculpture in the center of Independence Square in Maputo, illuminated at night. Designed and built in Pyongyang by North Korea, it was inaugurated in 2011, more than twenty-five years after the word of the first president of independent Mozambique (1933-1986). The 9-meter-high, 4.8-ton bronze has nevertheless been criticized for its lack of resemblance in features to Samora Machel. Another, smaller statue of the military resistance fighter and politician is located at the entrance to the Tunduru Garden.

Ceramic is a typically Portuguese decorative element that is rarely found in Maputo. Although not much remains today, the ruins of Villa Algarve are a beautiful example of Portuguese architecture from the 1940s. Ceramics were present on the entire façade and on the walls of the upper floor of the house. In its darkest hours, it served as the headquarters of the Portuguese police and as a place of imprisonment and torture for many resistance fighters such as the artist Malangatana, José Craveirinha or Rui Knopfli.

As it is one of the only museums in town, we had to mention it. In fact, the Fishing Museum is more than modest, even boring: there are a few fishing nets, a few explanatory panels about fish and some old traditional dhows gathering dust. The few meager explanations are only in Portuguese. We are far from the interactive exhibition of today's museums! The price being derisory, one can still make a tour there if one comes to visit the fortress or to make a tour to the Galeria in the port.

The Fortaleza Nossa Senhora da Conceição located on the waterfront covers 3,000^m2. Built in 1791 by the Portuguese to defend the colony, it was enlarged in 1851 to its present form (the replica dates from 1940). Built in red sandstone, it is reinforced by ramparts. In its courtyard, there are two frescoes: the prison from the time of Gugunhana and the battle between the king of Gaza and the settlers, and period cannons. Inside, an exhibition of paintings and carved wooden figurines retrace the history of Mozambique. Temporary exhibitions.

The beach of Relanpazo is very beautiful and wild. A stretch of soft, white sand that goes on for miles, where the vegetation spreads out close to the water. Blue-green water, very clear, almost like a lagoon, then a little bluer before reaching the depth of the continental shelf. Except maybe on weekends, it is very unlikely that you will meet other swimmers and even less people coming to sunbathe. Since the trip is quite long if you don't have a car, it is better to bring a picnic.

From the main road, take the junction towards "plage 9 km". The road ends on a point in the bay. This is the beach where everyone comes to play football and where the fishing boats leave to go up north. Weekends are crowded. All along the point, near the edge, the water is very green, then returns to ocean blue as you go down to the bay. At the headland is the boarding pontoon on the dhows. On the other side is a strip of white sand and the last sugar loaves before the ocean.

Praia Nova, the closest real beach is 7 km south east. First you have to pass in front of the public square and walk down the street to the waterfront, then leave the city along the mangrove to the east. After two kilometres, a track on the right allows you to cross the swamps. You must then pursue it for 5 km, through sand and/or mud. Suddenly a large sandy area appears through the holes in the vegetation. There you go... Praia Nova deserves it!

Pending future graduates, the best information point to discover the peninsula remains the Pachiça pension.

In the heart of the Gile Reserve, you must come fully equipped to camp, with all the necessary food, and ask for prior authorization from the administration of the Musseia camp. Otherwise, the reserve is open from 7:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The best time is during the dry season from April to October, but to observe the birds, it is better to come during the rainy season, between November and March, when you will be able to witness the passage of the birds in migration.

The only travel agency in the city.

WWF and CARE have worked together since 2008 to protect the fragile eco-systems of the islands of the islands Primeiras and Segundas. The teams present are trying to show people how to take advantage of their environment, without damaging it.