Maputo Mini Guide
What can you Tell me About Maputo?
Maputo has a strange ‘out of place’ feel about it. Centuries of Portuguese influence has given it the look, sounds, cuisine and feel of
Brazil, another former Portuguese colony. The fall of Portuguese control led to a rise in the influence of communism and with it, the rise of Soviet-style concrete apartment blocks. Much of the old charm still remains waiting to be discovered though and the streets are usually full of happy, welcoming people. The police presence which was so noticeable and necessary in former years has now dwindled to become almost invisible yet the streets remain reasonably safe.
How do I get to Maputo?
Two miles north of the city is Maputo Airport also called Lourenco Marques Airport or Mavalane International Airport. The airport handles over half a million passengers a year from destinations across southern and central Africa. There’s a single European flight from the country’s former colonial master,
Portugal. Travellers wanting to visit from other European or American starting points will first have to fly to
Lisbon Airport before flying with TAP to Maputo.
Things to do in Maputo?
Mozambique has some great beaches with several of them not far from Maputo. Other places of note are the old railway station in Maputo, a fine piece of 19th century architecture and the buildings designed by Gustav Eiffel. Culturally, the markets are a good place to meet the locals whilst the many weddings that take place in and around the capital are also a spectacle worth seeing.