If you’re seeking a serene beach holiday in an uncrowded setting, Pongwe is one of Zanzibar’s most appealing destinations. The sandy beach here stands on a gorgeous curved bay shielded by a distant offshore coral reef.Read more Swimming is especially inviting at high tide, while the coral patterns that emerge when the tide retreats create a picturesque setting for strolls.Pongwe is one of Zanzibar’s least commercialized beaches. There are no large package hotels, nor the kind of shoulder-to-shoulder beachfront development you see in more popular resort towns and villages. Instead, beach hotels at Pongwe tend to have an exclusive feel and occupy spacious properties whose semiprivate beachfronts are screened by coconut palms and . As a consequence, the beach has a charmingly rustic, untouched and deserted feel, with very few vendors and no hint of a party vibe.
Size
± 3km/1.9mi long
The Beach
Calm, beautiful and near-deserted
Crowds
None
Eating
No stand-alone restaurants, but the resorts serve food
Sleeping
Exclusive resorts with few rooms on large properties
Kizimkazi is steeped in history. Indeed, some say it is the most ancient settlement on Zanzibar, as evidenced by the continued existence of a mosque bearing a 12th-century inscription. For centuries, it was the seat ofRead more the Mwinyi Mkuu, a local ruler whose lineage predated the Portuguese and Omani occupations. And while Kizimkazi feels like a bit of a backwater today, its beach is a contender for the accolade of Zanzibar’s best-kept seaside secret.Kizimkazi does a thriving business as a launch point for dolphin-viewing day tours out of Stone Town. Rather less well known is that it also boasts a long tidal beach that runs all the way to the island’s southern headland. This is unquestionably one of Zanzibar’s most scenic beaches. Hemmed in by low coral cliffs, it offers lovely views across island-studded Menai Bay and is ideally positioned to catch the sunset.
The long and narrow Michamvi Peninsula, which separates Chwaka Bay from the Indian Ocean, is fringed by some of Zanzibar’s most wildly beautiful beaches. Best known is Michamvi Pingwe, which stands on the east coast andRead more is serviced by several established upmarket resorts. By contrast, emerging Michamvi Kae, which faces west to offer wonderful sunsets over Chwaka Bay, is a popular choice for travelers seeking budget-friendly accommodations and a relaxed village atmosphere.The beach that connects Michamvi Kae to the northern headland of Ras Michamvi is a hidden gem. Swimming is usually possible at all tides, and the relatively undeveloped and uncrowded feel is perfect for peaceful strolls. An even wilder stretch of beach, with just a few small resorts nestled along its low cliffs, runs from Ras Michamvi toward Michamvi Pingwe. The beach at Michamvi Pingwe is busier and more developed, but still very beautiful and good for swimming.
Size
± 8km/5mi long
The Beach
Long with low cliffs curving around the peninsula
Crowds
Some parts are busier than others but never crowded
Eating
Plenty of options including the iconic Rock Restaurant
Sleeping
Options for all tastes and budgets
Activities
Swimming; long walks; kayaking; diving; snorkeling
Chumbe is Zanzibar’s most alluring beach destination for wildlife enthusiasts. Since 1991, this pristine islet has been protected in a private nonprofit reserve called Chumbe Island Coral Park. The main beach is a small but idyllicRead more stretch of white sand overlooked by tall coconut palms and a lighthouse built in 1904. At low tide, the retreating water exposes other sandy coves around Chumbe’s 2.5km/1.5mi circumference.Thanks to the high coral diversity and rich marine fauna, the unspoiled private reefs around Chumbe offer superb diving and snorkeling. A walking trail offers a chance to look for a variety of birds, as well as (a secretive and very localized small antelope) and the monstrous , which can weigh up to 4kg/9lb, making it the world’s largest land-dwelling . Most visitors to Chumbe stay in its beautiful zero-impact ecolodge, but day trips are offered when the overnight facility isn’t full.
Size
± 300m/985ft long
The Beach
Small but very pretty
Crowds
None
Eating
Lodge and day-trip rates include relevant meals
Sleeping
Seven magnificent solar-powered ecobungalows
Activities
Snorkeling; diving; swimming; short walks; wildlife
The name Pwani Mchangani (Sandy Beach) says it all
Pwani Mchangani means ‘Sandy Beach’, a name that describes it perfectly. This traditional fishing village on the northeast coast of Zanzibar lies at the heart of a long, pretty beach whose soft white sand is lappedRead more by turquoise waters and overhung with coconut palms and . The beach has a steep incline, which makes it ideal for swimming, but it is also ideal for sunbathing, kitesurfing and long walks.A relatively unobtrusive level of tourist development makes Pwani Mchangani’s beach feel like an authentic and vibrant extension of the village. Children play in the waves, women collect seaweed at low tide, and traditional wooden sail picturesquely past. Nearby Mnemba Island, on the northeast horizon, is a popular destination for snorkeling and diving excursions.
Size
± 4km/2.5mi long
The Beach
Long, wide and picturesque
Crowds
Low tourist numbers but plenty of locals
Eating
The best places to eat are resort restaurants
Sleeping
From large all-inclusive resorts to budget retreats
Activities
Swimming; long walks; snorkeling and diving excursions
If you want to gain a sense of how the likes of Paje or Nungwi felt prior to Zanzibar’s post-millennial tourist boom, the sprawling village of Bwejuu might be just the place. Here, on the southeastRead more coast, you’ll find one of the island’s most rustic and undeveloped beaches, lined by scene-setting coconut palms that overshadow a scattering of modest private villas and quirky owner-managed resorts.The beach itself is wonderful. Soft, sandy and very wide, it is also practically endless as it merges seamlessly into Paje in the south and Michamvi in the north. There are far more locals on the beach than visitors, and it is relatively free of people trying to sell you things, which can become frustrating on other Zanzibari beaches. All in all, Bwejuu feels like a bit of a throwback, but in the most agreeable way.
Totally undeveloped for tourism prior to 2020, Mtende is a wild and wonderful beach with a secluded location close to Zanzibar’s most southerly headland. The beach itself is a short but very beautiful stretch of tidallyRead more exposed white sand set at the base of a tall and well-vegetated coral cliff. It is good for swimming at high tide, an offshore reef offers snorkeling directly from the beach, and dolphins are frequently seen swimming past.Development at Mtende is very low-key and geared toward working with local communities and preserving the natural environment. and are both resident in the surrounding woodland, which also supports a rich birdlife. The drive to this remote beach follows an otherwise little-used road that passes through some of Zanzibar’s most impressive stands of .
Day-trippers flock to Muyuni to sail over to Mnemba
Muyuni is not generally perceived to be a beach destination in its own right. This isn’t because it lacks suitable attributes – it’s a lovely wide expanse of white sand, and the calm turquoise water isRead more perfect for swimming – but because it stands opposite Mnemba Atoll, a favored spot for diving and snorkeling outings. Because of this, Muyuni is a useful seaside base for diving enthusiasts who want to make several visits to Mnemba.Muyuni differs from most beach resorts on Zanzibar in that there’s no established fishing village or noticeable sense of community. Instead, development is concentrated along the main road down to the beach, which is flanked by a row of craft, food and other stalls. Most visitors are just passing through Muyuni on an organized boat excursion to Mnemba, so it tends to be busy from midmorning to midafternoon but quieter at other times.
Tranquil Uroa is one of the quieter beach destinations on Zanzibar’s popular northeast coast. Tourist densities are low and it is also refreshingly hassle-free when it comes to touts and vendors. Scenically, it offers a typicallyRead more picturesque Zanzibari cocktail of white sand, swaying coconut palms, and calm turquoise waters that present perfect swimming conditions except when the tide is out.Unlike most beaches on Zanzibar, Uroa doesn’t look out to the open sea but across to the Michamvi Peninsula. Seaweed is seasonally abundant, but this doesn’t typically hinder swimming. The choice of resorts is limited compared to most other popular Zanzibari beaches, and there are very few restaurants or water sports facilities. However, most resorts can arrange guided day outings – spice tours, monkey trekking, boat trips or Stone Town visits – to vary the daily routine of sunbathing and swimming.
Size
± 5km/3mi long
The Beach
Long, quiet and pretty
Crowds
No crowding
Eating
Most visitors eat at the resort where they’re staying
Pristine reefs and beaches line wedge-shaped Tumbatu
Tumbatu, the third-largest island in the Zanzibar Archipelago, is something of an undiscovered gem. Separated from the popular resort village of Kendwa by a narrow channel, it measures around 10km/6mi from north to south andRead more is surrounded by smaller islets as well as some of the region’s most pristine coral reefs. There are a couple of small towns on Tumbatu, but it is otherwise sparsely populated. The coast is lined with some beautiful near-deserted beaches.Tumbatu has resisted development as a tourist destination and there are absolutely no resorts on the island. However, the uncrowded offshore reefs are increasingly popular as a destination for snorkeling and diving trips from Stone Town and elsewhere on Zanzibar’s west coast. These excursions usually stop at a beach. Dolphins are common in the area, while historical points of interest include a lighthouse built in 1889 and the substantial ruins of a medieval mosque.
