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Ilha de Mozambique (Mozambique Island) is an island in the Nampula Province in Northern Mozambique with a historical heritage that's unmatched in the rest of Mozambique, and indeed the rest of Africa. It was the capital of Mozambique for nearly four centuries under Portuguese colonization before the move to Lourenco Marques (now Maputo) and had been used as a major base for the Arab traders long before the arrival of the Portuguese. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The tiny, roughly 1 sq km island is connected by a concrete bridge with the mainland and is said to be crowded by 16000 inhabitants, most of them living in shacks with dismal sanitary conditions.
Ilha de Mozambique (Mozambique Island) is an island in the Nampula Province in Northern Mozambique with a historical heritage that's unmatched in the rest of Mozambique, and indeed the rest of Africa. It was the capital of Mozambique for nearly four centuries under Portuguese colonization before the move to Lourenco Marques (now Maputo) and had been used as a major base for the Arab traders long before the arrival of the Portuguese. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
The tiny, roughly 1 sq km island is connected by a concrete bridge with the mainland and is said to be crowded by 16000 inhabitants, most of them living in shacks with dismal sanitary conditions.
Ilha's is fairly tiny and you won't have any trouble walking around it - it's about a 20-minute walk from end to end, and only about 3 blocks wide. Gabriel's has bikes you can hire for the day.
Ilha's a mix of colonial Portuguese and old Swahili architecture. It basically divides into two halves - the old Stone Town in the north and the "Reed Town" in the south which is set down from the main streets.
You can take boat trips or just laze on the beach. Swimming is however not advisable as the water is very dirty. If you're feeling adventurous take a dhow over to the mainland at Chaga or Mossuril and explore along the coast there.
There aren't that many restaurants on the island, with Reliquias and Escondidinho heading the list up in Stone Town. But you can find a number of local places serving fish and rice or chima. Establishments in Drink also serve food.
Some great souvenirs to purchase here literally come from the sea. On one hand, there are shells and corals and objects made of them, on the other hand, there are remains from the many shipwrecks from the waters around the island that have been flushed onto the shore. In addition, there are also old Portuguese silver and bronze coins, from the colonial age.
LOCAL TIME
1:48 am
January 17, 2021
Africa/Maputo
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LOCAL CURRENCY
MZN
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