Maputo

Poised on a red-earth headland where five rivers empty into the wide curve of Maputo Bay on the Indian Ocean, Mozambique's capital is one of the most atmospheric port cities in southern Africa. Below the cliff, the port grid of the Baixa preserves the mint-green copper dome of the 1910 Central Railway Station, the reddish stone ramparts of the Fortaleza and Gustave Eiffel's bolt-together Iron House. Up on the breeze-cooled plateau of Polana and Sommerschield, jacaranda and flame-tree avenues pass tropical modernist apartments by Pancho Guedes, open-air espresso terraces and the craft stalls of FEIMA.

By late afternoon, the city gravitates toward the palm-lined Avenida Marginal for charcoal-grilled prawns and cold Laurentina beer, while ferries and the soaring KaTembe suspension bridge open up barrier islands and coastal elephant reserves. Start with our first-timer briefing.

Maputo International Airport (MPM) lies only 6 kilometres north-west of central Maputo with direct flights from Lisbon, Johannesburg, Addis Ababa, Doha and domestic coastal hubs including Vilankulo, Beira, Nampula and Pemba. By road, the toll N4 highway links Maputo with South Africa via the Ressano Garcia / Lebombo border in around 90 minutes, and with Eswatini via Namaacha. See how to get to Maputo.

Sleeping on the upper clifftop plateau in Polana Cimento or neighbouring Sommerschield puts you in Maputo's greenest, most walkable dining and embassy quarter, whereas the historic Baixa down by the harbour becomes quiet after business hours. We compare the best districts in where to stay in Maputo.

Step onto the wrought-iron platforms of the CFM Central Railway Station before visiting the Maputo Fortress, Casa de Ferro and Tunduru Botanical Gardens, bargain for fresh Indian Ocean prawns at Mercado do Peixe and browse carvings at FEIMA, and cross the bay to KaTembe, Inhaca Island or Maputo National Park. See the full list in things to do in Maputo.

Maputo's table is a fiery Luso-African marriage of Indian Ocean seafood, coconut milk, cassava leaf and bird's-eye chilli: giant camarão tigre prawns split and basted with garlic, lemon and piri-piri, creamy matapa stew made from pounded cassava leaves, groundnuts and crab or shrimp, smoky frango à Zambeziana chicken and crisp Portuguese pãozinho bread rolls. Read where to eat in our seafood and markets guide.

Known as Lourenço Marques until independence in 1975, Maputo has long been a crucible of southern African jazz, marrabenta guitar music and visual art, shaped by painter Malangatana Ngwenya, sculptor Alberto Chissano, poet José Craveirinha and eccentric modernist architect Amâncio "Pancho" Guedes.