Pemba – Mozambique is a port town in the country and is the capital city of Cabo Delgado Province in northern Mozambique. This is most popular with tourists looking to enjoy the beach and do a few of their favorite water sports, particularly diving.
Location
Pemba – Mozambique lies on the southern side of Pemba Bay within Cabo Delgado, north of Mozambique.
Getting There
You can fly in directly to Pemba – Mozambique via the Pemba Airport. The airport has international and domestic flights that run regularly.
You can also take a bus going to Pemba. There are major roads connecting Tanzania to Pemba, as well as to Nampula and Ilha de Mozambique.
What to See and Do
Most travelers visiting Pemba – Mozambique specifically do so to do a little bit of diving as well as snorkeling. The Pemba Dive Reef can be reached through Wimbe Beach and diving down, you can see beautiful corals and a good number of amazing sea creatures.
On occasion, dolphins have been known to swim on the waters of this beach so you might just to swim with the dolphins before or after your dive.
Scuba diving meanwhile might also get you close to a few humpback whales.
There are also a good number of historical landmarks around Pemba such as the Slave Trade Fort located at the Ponta Romero Lighthouse.
About a kilometer off the lighthouse, you can visit an old village where you can still see traditional houses kept intact.
If you wish to buy novelty items such as traditional arts and crafts head down to the center of Pemba where you will find the local market also known as Souk Souk.
Brief History
Pemba – Mozambique was established in the year 1904 by a company called Niassa, a Portuguese company that had special concession rights over many lands in Mozambique, particularly in Cabo Delgado.
Pemba was then known as Port Amelia named after one of the queens of Portugal. When Portuguese sovereignty ceded in the year 1975, Port Amelia was renamed Pemba.
With the increasing popularity of Pemba as being a top tourist destination in the country, Pemba started opening world-class hotels, restaurants plus a number of many other establishments meant to cater to the tourist crowd that flock here year-round.
Cost
Accommodations around Pemba – Mozambique can be quite expensive as it has become a premier destination for upper-class travelers. Rooms start at $230 up to $280 per room, per night for single occupancy.
For double rooms, these start at $280 up to $330 per room, per night. Executive rooms, suites and villas range from $450 per room, per night up to $954 per room, per night.
Other Information
Diving in Pemba – Mozambique between the months of July and October is best as this is the mating season of the humpback whales. During this time, you can hear the whales singing their mating ritual songs as you dive down the waters.
