Things to do in Pemba
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Pemba
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Peak cyclone and rainy season, hottest and wettest months, rough seas and flood risk, the worst window on weather alone.
Rest of the November to April cyclone season, with heavy rain and disrupted boats and flights.
Dry season with calmer seas and the least bad weather, but the security situation applies in these months exactly as in the rains.
Best things to do in Pemba
Pemba Bay
One of the largest natural harbours in the world, the deep bay the whole town grew around, best read from the port side.
Paquitequete
The Mwani fishing quarter on the bay, dhows on the shore and the oldest lived in streets of Pemba, best visited with a local.
Mercado Central de Pemba
The central market of the old town, produce, dried fish, capulana cloth and cashews, and the clearest view of daily Pemba.
Praca dos Herois Mocambicanos
The heroes square and monument of the provincial capital, a short stop that anchors a daylight old town walk.
Casa Provincial da Cultura de Cabo Delgado
The provincial culture house, exhibitions and events when programmed, worth checking locally for what is on.
Where to stay in Pemba
Wimbi and Avenida da Marginal
work stays inside the city
The beach hotel strip holds the Avani, the Nautilus and most other listed stays, plus the only evening restaurant life in town.
Think twice about
- Cabo Delgado Province outside Pemba city
The whole province is a no-go, with active insurgency, checkpoints and attacks across districts.
- Quirimbas Archipelago and Ibo Island
Island lodges closed in the early insurgency years with no verified tourist reopening, and Ibo district sits inside the no-go area. Not a current excursion.
- Roads north and west of Pemba
Road movement crosses named high-risk districts and is an organisational security decision, never a visitor drive.
Best restaurants in Pemba
Clube Naval
The Avani flagship restaurant by the marina, the splurge table in town for fresh seafood and Portuguese style dishes.
KAURI
A long running regulars favourite for Indian dishes like prawn biryani and cashew curry, alongside seafood on a terrace.
Locanda Italiana
The Italian option near the market, pasta, pizza and home cooking in a small dining room run with unusual care.
Pemba Dolphin
A big open beach road seafood spot and bar at Wimbi, mixing locals, traders and visitors, with more energy than the hotels.
Restaurante Wimbi
The straightforward local choice at Wimbi, grilled fish and chicken and Mozambican dishes at local prices.
Outdoor things to do in Pemba
Wimbe Beach
The town beach on Avenida da Marginal, palms, local families and football, to be used in daylight only.
Chuiba Bay
The quieter bay south east of town, a calmer beach reached only with a known driver in daylight hours.
Best hotels in Pemba
Avani Pemba Beach
The top hotel in Pemba, on the headland between the bay and Wimbe Beach, with pools, villas and the Clube Naval restaurant.
Nautilus Hotel
The work traveller favourite on Wimbe Beach, thatched beachfront rooms, a pool and a restaurant that is a social hub.
Kirimizi - Hotel & Restaurante
A smaller sea facing hotel and restaurant on the Marginal, quieter than the Wimbi strip and used by NGO travellers.
Jardim dos Embondeiros
A garden guesthouse named for its baobabs, small and personal, with a loyal clientele of researchers and aid workers.
Pemba Magic Lodge
The old travellers lodge east of town, bungalows and budget rooms in a big garden with a restaurant and bar.
Is Pemba expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | MZN 3,500 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | MZN 7,500 a person |
| Splurge | MZN 16,000 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Avani Pemba Beach: a few days ahead
- Nautilus Hotel: a few days ahead
- Jardim dos Embondeiros: a few days ahead
- Book flexible flights, because Pemba schedules change and cancel often, and never plan a same day onward connection.
- Small guesthouses fill with project teams for weeks, so book work stays days ahead.
Is Pemba safe?
- Cabo Delgado, including Pemba, is a no-go: the province is named as vulnerable to attack.
- Be in Pemba only for essential work, under a security protocol, with evacuation insurance and an air evacuation plan.
- No blanket city curfew was in official sources at writing, but organisations impose their own around 21:00 to 22:00 and local restrictions can follow incidents at short notice.
- Malaria is present year round and Pemba medical care is basic, so serious cases are evacuated by air.
Pemba travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- Older guidebook advice on Pemba is out of date: don't count on diving operations or Quirimbas island trips running for tourists.
- Do not photograph soldiers, checkpoints, port security areas or displaced settlements.
- Hotel and operator websites do not reflect the security position, so check current travel advice, not the booking sites.
Getting around Pemba: public transport and more
- Fly in to Pemba Airport from Maputo on LAM, about 2 hours 30 minutes direct, and arrange a known driver through your hotel.
- Use known drivers only in town, never walk between venues after dark, and expect checkpoints on roads out of town.
- LAM schedules have also linked Pemba with Dar es Salaam, and Johannesburg directs have opened and closed, so verify any international direct before relying on it.
Who Pemba suits
| Solo travellers | OK |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Not ideal |
| Couples | Not ideal |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Not ideal |
| Bachelorette parties | Not ideal |
Make Pemba your trip
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