If you’ve never been to Maputo you might be asking yourself “what’s in it for me?” and to be quiet honest I was curious at first myself. I couldn’t have expected to fall in love with Mozambiques capital the way I did.

When you Google Mozambique there is a lot of conflicting information; from visa requirements, crime and beaches… nothing really points you in the direction of “oh man, I need to go there ASAP!” However it was my first stop on my African adventure with a friend and I was excited to see what it was all about. Wanting to see what others don’t and I’m not telling you how to live your life but if you’re going to Mozambique here are a list of the top 5 things to do in Maputo – according to me.

Maputo Central Market

try your bidding with some local produce

Central Market is amazing and I was able to find so many great fruits and vegetables at the most reasonable cost. Yes there is a bit of a language barrier but you make due; figuring out numbers and names of essentials in the native language is probably the best thing you can do if you plan on living like a local! The market is centrally located and has a ton of options from produce, spices and hair products, even a few vendors selling decorative items.

Parque Dos Continuadores;

botanicals, artist market and strong coffee

This by far was one of the best days in Maputo; it was a Friday morning and it was peaceful; it started to get busy early afternoon but when I first stumbled upon the waving pieces of art while on a photography walk I couldn’t help but detour into the park. It was absolutely stunning. There was artwork everywhere, beautifully printed clothing, woodworkers crafting and a surprise botanical garden! After walking around I sat for some coffee, it was strong and delicious! Walking around was an absolute joy, there was so much beautiful art to see and everything was so colourful. After taking an unexpected turn in the park there was a big botanical shop.. rather a bunch of vendors selling their most beautiful plants and flowers; walking through the alleys there was butterflies and dragonflies everywhere!

FRANCO

art and live music

Franco also known as Centro Cultural Franco- Mozambique is a wonderful venue in Maputo that has both cultural and art events going on all the time. I went on a Friday and was lucky enough to see an abundance of live performances by local artist. Apparently anytime you’re looking for something to do you will be able to find something at the cultural centre. Franco hosts workshops, special events and so much more.

Architectural Tour

abandoned and brand new

Now I’m not sure if this is an official thing but if it isn’t it definitely needs to become one! With so much history and architecture to be seen in Maputo. New buildings going up everywhere alongside many old colonial structures still standing that are so unique. I didn’t see any two houses the same and the iron that protects a lot of these houses is really inarticulacy designed. In addition there are walking tours of the Mafalala neighbourhood which is rich in history and include Iron Houses which are original homes to the region.

Maputo beachside

take a ride along the beach and get some fresh coconut water!

Who doesn’t love some fresh coconut juice?! Better yet you get to watch it be chopped by machete with skill and precision before you start sipping; and to top it off you’ve got this incredible coastal view of the beach and the sand between your toes? Look one direction and it’s sand and water as far as your eyes can see, fishermen and little boats all around – look the opposite direction and you can see the city line, big fancy houses flanking the hills and construction cranes galore. It’s a city on the rise with the calm of beach life.