Connecting African Culture Through the Seas
The Amazing Journey of Bill Pinkney Imagine leaving your life and the familiar touch of soil beneath your feet to sail across treacherous seas around the globe with only a …
The industrialized port town of Beira, Mozambique’s second-largest city, isn’t on any major tourist routes or destination guides. Less of a destination in itself than a launching point for trips to beaches, national parks and reserves nearby, this scruffy town on the central coast does have a certain faded charm, plus plenty of scrumptious seafood and raucous nightlife.
The town is laid out in varying degrees of industrialization and decay along the shores of the Indian Ocean, with the constant flow of water out of the Pungue River rendering the waters around Beira often brown and full of silt. But what Beira lacks in ocean attractions it makes up for in photogenic buildings and a distinctly working Mozambique city life, a paradise for anyone who is photographically oriented.
For example, one significant point of interest is the dilapidated ruins of The Grand Hotel. The hotel was once considered one of the grandest in Africa before it became a refuge for people fleeing Mozambique’s civil war. Today it is home to descendants of these people, who live without electricity and water in the decaying Art Deco giant, a living symbol of Beira’s battle to modernize.
Praça do Município and Praça do Metical are great for finding local craft and street foods, and the light right before sunrise provides spectacular photographic opportunities. Also worth a visit is the Cathedral on Avenida Eduardo Mondlane, and don’t forget to take a walk around the streets near the Makuti lighthouse, which towers over a shipwreck.
Makuti beach is one of the only in-town options if you want to dig your toes into the sand, as many other sections of the Beira coastline in the city are either inaccessible or run down. A smattering of business hotels and guesthouses provide lodging for those who choose to stay more than a day, and various casual eateries provide abundant portions of the seafood that Mozambique is famous for, plus strong cocktails and lively music and dancing til the wee hours.
Safety: While Beira city itself is safe to visit aside from minor pickpocketing and theft in the center of town, travelling by car through some parts of Sofala province is not advisable due to clashes between government forces and the armed Renamo opposition party. Be prudent and take serious heed of any travel warnings if you are planning on driving to or from Beira.
The Amazing Journey of Bill Pinkney Imagine leaving your life and the familiar touch of soil beneath your feet to sail across treacherous seas around the globe with only a …
Meandering down the middle of Mozambique’s vast countryside is a railway line which starts in Harare, Zimbabwe and ends its snaking journey in the industrialized port town of Mozambique’s second …