Maputo is the vibrant capital and largest city of Mozambique. Located on the southwestern coast along Maputo Bay, with its Mediterranean-style architecture, waterfront setting and wide avenues lined with jacaranda and flame trees, it is easily one of Africa’s most attractive capitals. It is also Mozambique’s most developed city, offering a wide selection of restaurants, well-stocked supermarkets, shady sidewalk cafés and a lively cultural scene.
We parked in the heart of the city, right next to the bustling, low-lying Baixa (old town), and explored the city on foot. Our walking tour took us through:
National Art Museum → Casa de Ferro → Tunduru Gardens → Praça da Independência → Cathedral → City Hall → Money Museum → Imprensa Nacional → Prédio Pott → Praça 25 de Junho → Fortress → Central Market → Praça dos Trabalhadores → WWI Monument → Railway Station → CFM Railway Museum
Maputo grew around a Portuguese fort built in the late 18th century and was originally named Lourenço Marques, after the Portuguese explorer who explored the area in the 16th century. The city expanded rapidly after a railway connection to Pretoria, South Africa, which was completed in the late 19th century, transforming it into an important regional trading and transport hub. In 1907, it replaced Ilha de Moçambique as the capital of Portuguese Mozambique. Following independence in 1975, the city was renamed Maputo and later suffered major economic and infrastructural setbacks during the civil war. After the peace agreement in 1992, Maputo gradually recovered and today stands as Mozambique’s main cultural, economic and political centre.
Maputo also has plenty of excellent places to eat and enjoy the evening. We particularly liked our breakfast at Oak Café and our meals at Mundo’s and Campo de Fiori, followed by an evening out at the vibrant South Beach Club. We also took the opportunity to restock at Shoprite and exchanged money with a local money changer at a rate of 73 MZN to 1 USD. Overall, Maputo was a great place to slow down for a few days.
Parking location – Maputo: 25.9771962S 32.5795266E (🅿️,🚻,🚿,💦,🔌,🍽️)