Maputo has been the capital of Mozambique since 1898. The name of the city was Lourenço Marques until the independence of the country, in 1975. It is the largest city of Mozambique also with the country's most important harbour. It is situated at the mouth of the Santo River in the extreme south 90 km from the border to South Africa.
Compared to some other sub-Saharan African cities the urban area feels small and concentrated with wide avenues and old trees. People are generally out and about in the streets, walking driving and getting on with life. The vibe is healthy and active, with little begging and lots of street vendors and markets. There is no heavy presence of police during the day.
There are few tourists or white people to be seen and at times the atmosphere is as much South American as African. Buildings range from new high-rise construction to old colonial palaces, but the dominant architecture leans toward anonymous Stalinist-looking concrete-walled boxes of various heights, generally with badly eroded paint and lots of security bars in one or more stages of rusting. Fortunately, these tend to fade into the background as non-descript and uninteresting, and there are enough buildings with old charm or high style and lush enough gardens (cycads, coleus, flamboyant, jacaranda, bouganvillea, etc.) to give an overall pleasing if shabby feel.
The city provides a range of accommodation, from many-star hotels (Polana, Cardoso, Holiday Inn, etc.) to comfortable backpackers (Base and Fatima's) and reasonable options in between (Mozaic Guest House).
PLACE TO VISIT
The Railway Station on Praca dos Trabalhadores was designed by Gustave Eiffel (after his fall from grace in the Panama canal scandal), and bears the mark of his genius.
The National Art Museum has a small but good collection of Mozambican art, including several large canvases by the world-renowned Malangatana.
The Jardim Tunduru is a very pretty (albeit small) botanical garden.
The Museum of the Revolution chronicles Mozambique's fight for indepedence from Portuguese colonialism.
The Mercado Central in the Baixa district has fresh fish, crabs, calamari, fruits and vegetables, and many household staples. Safe, lively and recommended, especially if cooking for yourself.
Walk up Avenida Julius Nyerere. Start from the Hotel Cardoso or Natural History Museum along R Mutemba to Nyerere then left (north) to the Polana Hotel. Boutiques, restaurants, curio vendors, video stores, etc. to be seen in the relatively upscale Polana neighborhood.
Praça dos Trabalhadores is a building built by Gustave Eiffel
WHAT TO DO
Visit some beautiful beaches, such as Catembe and Ponta d'Ouro. It is very jovial in these atmospheres and are generally safe, but beware of pickpocketing and avoid bringing valuables with you on a beach stroll .Ponta D'Ouro and Ponta Malongane have some beautiful scuba-diving spots, with either campsites or chalets right on the beach.
SHOPPING
TIP: On July 1, 2006 Mozambique officially introduced the second metical, dropping three zeros off the old currency. As a result, all prices you see in this article, or else where on the internet that are in thousands should be converted down by a factor of 1000. As a result Mts. 10,000 would now be MZN 10. The local abbreviation for the new currency is MTn. As of January 1, 2007 only the Bank of Mozambique will convert the old currency, but only until December 31, 2013.
African fabrics both waxprint and woven in the fabric shops along the Avenida de Guerra Popular
Cashews all over the place, roasted, salted, plain, any which way and nearly anywhere. The number two export of the country, selling for about US$3.20 per pound (Mts. 140,000 per kg).
Wood carvings, boxes, picture frames from curio vendors.
Batik cloth ranging from the tacky animal stuff to glorious works of art. Most of what is on offer is on the lower quality end, but persistent searching will yield some gems among the dross.
HOW TO REACH
By plane - Most international flights are from/to Maputo's airport. See the the Mozambique page for more. Local airlines LAM and Air Corridor operate a high number of domestic flights within Mozambique. TAP flies nonstop from Lisbon.
By car - The highway from Johannesburg to Maputo is very good. From Johannesburg, take the N4 towards Nelspruit (about 400 km). From Nelspruit, continue following the N4 to Komatipoort, the last town on the South African side (about 100 km). Just past Komatipoort is the Komatipoort/Ressano Garcia border post. NB: current car registration papers (or good facsimile thereof) are required to get a car past the border. On the Mozambican side, just follow the N4 (now called EN4) for a further 100 km or so to reach Maputo.
Also easy access from Manzini in Swaziland, around 186 km. With minivan/taxi the cost from Manzini to Maputo is around USD 8 with luggage (price per October 2006). The drive time, including getting visa at the Namaacha border post, is 4 hours. The price for visa is USD 25.
By Bicycle - If you are a little adventurous, it is possible to cycle by means of a mountain bike from Maputo to Ponta do Ouro. But be warned that you will have to push your bicycle for about 30km through thick sand. The trip is well worth it, and the look on the locals faces when they find out where you are going is not to be missed.
