Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
CENTRAL MOZAMBIQUE
In the annals of ancient Africa, central Mozambique - Sofala, Manica, Tete and Zambézia
provinces - had a much higher profile than it does today. It was here, at the old port of So-
fala, that 15th-century traders from as far away as India and Indonesia gathered in search of
vast caches of gold. And it was here that some of the region's most powerful kingdoms
arose, including the Karanga (Shona) confederations along the Zimbabwe border and the
legendary kingdom of Monomotapa southwest of Tete. It was also in central Mozambique,
along the Zambezi River, that early explorers and traders first penetrated the vast
Mozambican hinterlands. During the 17th and 18th centuries, they set up a series of
feiras
(trading fairs) that reached as far inland as Zumbo on the Zambian border.
Today, the tides have turned and central Mozambique seldom gets more than passing
mention in the tourist brochures. Yet while it lacks the accessible beaches of the south, the
region has many attractions. In addition to wildlife watching at Gorongosa National Park,
there's hiking amid the misty mountain landscapes of the Chimanimani range and in the tea
country around Gurúè; fishing and relaxing around Lake Cahora Bassa; and birdwatching.
Central Mozambique is also an important transit zone, flanked by the Beira corridor
(connecting landlocked Zimbabwe with Beira and the sea) and the Tete corridor, which
links Zimbabwe and Malawi. As such, it makes a convenient route for travellers combining
Mozambique with neighbouring countries.
Beira
23, POP 546,000
Beira, capital of Sofala province, is Mozambique's second-largest city. It's also the coun-
try's busiest port, and as famed for its seafood as for its tawdry nightlife. Yet, despite a
somewhat tarnished image, Beira is a reasonably pleasant place with a compact central
area, an addictive harbour-town energy, attractive colonial-era architecture and a short,
breezy stretch of coastline.
Beira has a reputation as one of the easiest places in the country to catch malaria, so cov-
er up well in the evenings, and travel with a net.
