Zanzibar Caves – Kuza, Fukuchani, Maalum, Mangapwani and more

7 of Zanzibar’s Coral Rock Caves

1. 

   zoom

   

   zoom

   

   zoom

   

   zoom

   

   zoom

   

   zoom

   

   zoom

   

   zoom

   

   zoom

   

   zoom

   Previous image Next image

   
   Google Maps

   1. Kuza Cave

   You can swim in this cave near the resort towns of Paje and Jambiani

   The most popular cave to visit on Zanzibar is Kuza, which lies a short distance inland of Paje and Jambiani Beaches. This cave is best known for its freshwater pool whose crystal clear water is said

   Read more

   to have healing powers and is perfect for swimming. Kuza is held sacred by the people of nearby Kibigija village, who run a community project there and offer guided tours explaining its geology and history of human habitation. Other community-based activities on offer include traditional drumming, singing, dancing and cooking lessons.

   ---

   Kuza Cave Trips About Kuza Cave

2. 

   zoom

   

   zoom

   

   zoom

   Previous image Next image

   
   Google Maps

   2. Maalum Cave

   Swim then enjoy a massage or spa treatment at jungle-lined Maalum

   Rivaling nearby Kuza as the top attraction of its type on Zanzibar, Maalum Cave is a massive coral sinkhole filled with impossibly clear turquoise water. Situated on the outskirts of Paje, this 6m-/20ft-deep natural pool retains

   Read more

   an exclusive feel thanks to the limit of 20 swimmers during any given 90-minute time slot (for which reason booking is highly recommended). And while the inviting freshwater pool is the focal point of Maalum, this sustainably minded private and community collaboration also incorporates a forest spa, a shady open-air restaurant and a shop selling skincare products crafted from locally farmed seaweed.

   ---

3. 

   zoom

   

   zoom

   

   zoom

   

   zoom

   Previous image Next image

   
   Google Maps

   3. Kiwengwa Caves

   These mysterious caves lie in the dense jungle of Kiwengwa-Pongwe Forest Reserve

   One of the most underrated attractions in northeast Zanzibar is Kiwengwa Caves, which lie just 3km/2mi inland of the popular resort town of the same name. Once an important site for ancestral worship, the cavern comprises

   Read more

   two chambers known locally as Mpango ya Mchekene (Caves of the Hawk). With a strong flashlight and a mandatory guide, you can walk about 200m/650ft into the longer cavern, which has some impressive stalactites and stalagmites as well as a large bat colony. The shorter cavern features an open sinkhole that lights up the tangled root systems that hang from the ceiling.Kiwengwa Caves are the highlight of a reserve that protects one of Zanzibar’s largest remaining areas of indigenous forest. Known as Kiwengwa-Pongwe Forest Reserve, it is home to a variety of monkeys (notably the endemic Zanzibar red colobus), plenty of colorful butterflies, and more than 50 bird species including Fischer’s turaco and crowned hornbill.

   ---

4. 

   zoom

   Previous image Next image
   Google Maps

   4. Tazari Twin Caves

   This pair of caves is easily visited from the resort towns of Nungwi and Kendwa

   Locals will tell you that the Tazari Caves lay unknown (or forgotten) until as recently as 2013, when they were ‘discovered’ by a villager out collecting stones to build his house. However, ceramic remains found in

   Read more

   the larger cavern suggest that it was inhabited during the 11th or 12th centuries. The cave is also said to have been a hiding place used by Omani slave traders in the 19th century.Whatever their history, the beautiful and well-ventilated twin caves at Tazari are well worth a visit. Guided tours take 45 minutes and require solid walking shoes. On the way, you will pass glittering crystalline rock outcrops and natural dripstone sculptures that variously resemble an elephant, a shark and a giant snail. There are plenty of bats in the caves and some old pottery relics too.

   ---

5. 

   zoom

   Previous image Next image
   Google Maps

   5. Kuumbi Cave

   There are many interesting fossils in this sinkhole-like cave near Jambiani

   Although it is less well known than nearby Kuza, Kuumbi ranks among Zanzibar’s most interesting caves from an archaeological perspective. As suggested by its Kiswahili name Pango la Kuumbi (literally ‘Cave of Creation’), this large and

   Read more

   well-lit cavern has a very long history of habitation. Indeed, the oldest evidence of people living in Kuumbi comprises bone tools and shell beads dating back almost 20,000 years. Other finds include a 12,000-year-old human skeleton buried beneath a cairn (a pile of stones often used as a grave marker), and pottery shards dating to before 900 CE.Kuumbi lies about 3km/2mi inland of the resort town of Jambiani, and it is easily visited from there. But bear in mind that it doubles as a traditional shrine where local villagers still come to make offerings and perform healing rituals, so visitors are advised to dress and behave respectfully.

   ---

6. 

   zoom

   

   zoom

   

   zoom

   Previous image Next image

   
   Google Maps

   6. Fukuchani Ruins & Cave

   This coastal cave south of Kendwa stands close to an impressive 16th-century ruin

   Easily visited en route to (or as a day trip from) Kendwa or Nungwi, Fukuchani is a quiet Swahili village set on Zanzibar’s northwest coast opposite Tumbatu Island. It is also the site of an impressive

   Read more

   large coral cavern that contains a deep, clear freshwater pool that is ideal for swimming and snorkeling. Close to the cave stand the substantial ruins of a large fortified 16th-century building known locally as the Portuguese House, although its arched architecture suggests the builders were Swahili or Arabian.

   ---

7. 

   zoom

   Previous image Next image
   Google Maps

   7. Mangapwani Coral Cave

   This coral cavern on the west coast has a pool of fresh water at its base

   Mangapwani, on the west coast of Zanzibar, about 20km/12mi north of Stone Town, is the site of two very different caves. The more beautiful is a natural coral cavern that contains some interesting dripstone formations and

   Read more

   a spring-fed freshwater swimming pool. The other is a hand-carved chamber used to hide enslaved people after the abolition of the slave trade in 1873. Arguably a greater attraction than either of these caves is Mangapwani Beach, an unspoiled series of sandy coves and tall coral outcrops.

   ---