Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
crops in Mozambique, and there are extensive holdings dating from colonial days here.
The surrounding area offers fine walking and if you don't mind foregoing certain com-
forts, it would be easy to spend a week or more here hiking in the hills.
Sights & Activities
A good way to start is with a walk through the jacarandas on the northern edge of town.
To get here, find the small church in the centre of Gurúè and head north along the road
running in front of it. Continue for five to 10 minutes, following the edge of the hill and
staying on the uphill side at the forks.
Cascata
A popular destination for longer hikes is the
cascata
(waterfall) in the hills north of town.
To get here, head first to the UP4 tea factory (also known as Chá Sambique), which you
can see in the distance to the north; ask locals to point out the way and allow about 45
minutes on foot. From UP4, it's another 1½ hours on foot through overgrown tea planta-
tions and forest to the falls, which will be to your right. En route are several detours offer-
ing beautiful views back down towards Gurúè. Swimming is possible in the pools above
the falls. There are said to be some wild horses from colonial days in the surrounding
hills, as well as herds of cattle. As the falls are situated in the middle of tea plantations,
you'll need permission to visit. This is free and can be obtained from the Gulamo com-
pany at their UP6 warehouse, a complex of white buildings several kilo- metres out of
town off the Quelimane road; ask for Senhor Rafiq. At UP6 you may also be able to ar-
range to tour one of the tea factories, which still have much of their original equipment,
including an old steam engine.
WATERFALLS
Mt Namúli
Rising up from the hills about 15km northeast of Gurúè are the mist-shrouded slopes of
Mt Namúli (2419m), from which flow the Licungo (Lugela) and Malema Rivers. If you
find yourself in the area with time to spare, it makes a scenic but challenging climb for
which you'll need a good level of fitness and lack of a fear of heights (as there are several
near-vertical spots where you'll need to clamber on all fours). The mountain is considered
sacred by the local Makua people, so while climbing is permitted, you'll need to observe
the local traditions, although this has taken on a very commercial aspect these days.
Guides (essential, as the route isn't straightforward and it's easy to get lost) can be ar-
ranged in Gurúè through Pensão Gurúè (
Click here
)
, but allow several extra days to sort
out the logistics. The going rate for a guide is from about Mtc300. If you try to organise
MOUNTAIN
