The best beaches of Zanzibar are of interest to everyone who is going to go to this truly paradise. This island is known as an ideal place for sea and beach holidays. Many people come here only to enjoy blissful doing nothing. If you always wanted to plunge into the transparent turquoise ocean, lie on the white sand, take a walk along the deserted coast, then this is where you should spend your next vacation.
Zanzibar Island
The best beaches of Zanzibar are named according to the settlements in which they are located. The most attractive for swimming are Nungwi and Kendwa. Such an opinion can be found in numerous reviews about holidays on an exotic island. These two beaches are located in the northern part of the island. In this region, ebbs are not at all critical.
Although the best beaches in Zanzibar for swimming without low tides are best attributed to Boo Boo Boo, located in the eastern part of the island. However, he noticeably loses to the two previous ones due to too stony bottom.
Most of the beaches on this island are quite wide and long, but still it is Nungwi and Kendwa that are more attractive for foreign tourists. For this reason, they are often included in the best beaches of Zanzibar. Therefore, vacationers are noticeably more.
Now we will analyze in more detail the most attractive places to relax, and also find out which beach is better in Zanzibar.
Stone town
Stone Town is the ancient center of the island, located in the city of Zanzibar, which is called the same as the island. This is a rather dirty and noisy city in the classical Arabic style. There are many cafes, markets, hotels and souvenir shops around. Everywhere fussy and always very hot.
There are several beaches near this city, and quite good ones, but still they should not be attributed to the best beaches of Zanzibar. If you have already reached this island, you will find a place to relax, which will not be so crowded with people. The presence of a city in the immediate vicinity of the coastal strip, port, and transit point plays a negative role. Therefore, swimming here is still not recommended.
It will be interesting to go on a trip to the city, as this is a fairly ancient settlement, founded back in the 16th century. It’s worth it and limit it.
Boo Boo Boo
According to many tourists, one of the best beaches in Zanzibar is Bou Boo Boo. It is located north of Stone Town, about thirty minutes away.
Perhaps this is the first decent beach on the island that you will meet when you leave the capital. At the very edge of the water there are several hotels, in addition, it is considered one of the most secluded on the island. For many, this particular factor may be decisive in choosing where it is better on the beaches of Zanzibar.
The path to these hotels runs through several small, but very colorful villages of local residents.
Be prepared for the fact that the beach will be quite colorful and diverse. In the small lagoon, the highly comfortable Hakuna Matata is located. The lagoon itself is very clean, of medium depth with a large number of marine life.
When the ebb begins, the water recedes completely, as a result, you can leave the lagoon on a common beach only on foot. As such, there is no large concentration of tourists here.
The great advantage of this beach is that the ebbs are not strong here, literally a few meters. So you do not have to go two kilometers under the scorching sun, getting to the water.
But the rocky bottom becomes an obvious minus - to find sand here is very problematic. An exotic detail is mangrove trees that rise directly above the water. It is an ideal place for a secluded and environmentally friendly holiday.
Mangapwani
Another beautiful and deserted beach is called Mangapwani. It is located on the west coast of the island, where low tides are not so noticeable.
It is interesting and attractions located nearby. These are cameras in which several centuries ago they kept slaves before being sold to another country.
The beach got its name from the local term, which literally means "merchant".
Mkokotoni
Mkokotoni beach makes a pretty good impression on travelers. It is located in close proximity to the local fishing village. Therefore, here you can find natives who are ready to arrange for you a tour for a nominal fee.
The bottom here is sandy-stony, there are algae, low tides are quite strong. Therefore, if you do not take into account the natural features of the area, you can never go into the water.
Kendwa
One of the best swimming beaches in Zanzibar is Kendwa. True, negative reviews can be found about him. Therefore, the overall impression is very controversial.
Most tourists, judging by the reviews, are confused by the fact that here sometimes quite muddy water. The beach itself is really dirtier, if, for example, compared with the coast of Boo Boo Boo. Moreover, the water is mainly turquoise, and the sand is white.
In addition, there are always quite a lot of vacationers, since there are many hotels around. The obvious advantage is a fairly high competition between cafes and restaurants, so you can eat here quite inexpensively.
Nungwi
Nungwi Beach is located on the northernmost point of the island. It is considered the best place for diving, as well as one of the most beautiful and picturesque resorts in all of Zanzibar. There is really turquoise water of amazing purity and white sand, which simply amazes with its purity.
The road to the beach will run through groves of coconut trees and banana plantations, so that you can enjoy the local flavor.
Sea excursions regularly depart from here, for example, to the famous island of Mnemba, located about two kilometers northeast of Zanzibar. It is very small, only about 500 m in diameter. Along the perimeter - no more than 1.5 km. Surrounded by an oval-shaped reef. By the way, the latter are declared the official zone of the marine reserve.
It is worth noting that the island is in private ownership - there is no free access to it. Most often it is used for diving and elite tourism.
At the same time, the coral reef is also considered the main attraction of the Nungwi beach itself.
Matemwe and Kizimkazi
Matemwe Beach is located in close proximity to the village of the same name on the northeast coast of Zanzibar Island. With Stone Town, they are only 50 km away.
Matemwe village itself is medium sized by local standards. On the streets there are many merchants who offer tourists spicy fish snacks. In the morning they can buy fresh seafood.
Kizimkazi Beach - one of the best beaches in Zanzibar without low tides. Here you will find amazing sights (ancient buildings), secluded bays, in which nobody happens. This beach is so quiet and deserted that dolphins often sail to it, which can be closely watched from the shore. If they get close enough, you can swim with them. Most of them are already used to people and are not at all afraid of them.
There are luxurious luxury hotels on the coast. The beach itself is located in the southernmost part of the island. The name was given to him by a fishing village in the immediate vicinity. It still has the oldest mosque in all of East Africa.
Please note that the local beaches are suitable primarily for those who really feel confident in the water, as quite high waves often rise. On the east coast, waves are higher than on the west, where you can often see almost complete calm.
Kiwengwa and Uroa
This beach is located forty kilometers northeast of Stone Town. On the site of a small village that existed for several centuries, elite resort complexes have now grown that have consumed almost the entire coast. There is always a lot of music, fun, but at the same time you can find quiet and secluded places.
Uroa Beach is forty kilometers from the island's capital. Local people live nearby, so the coast is very colorful. It should be noted that in these places the ocean is most prone to ebbs and flows - throughout the day it can move two to three kilometers from the coastal line. At this time, local residents go ashore who collect mollusks and crabs, and they are also engaged in the cultivation of whole plantations of sea kale. A seaweed farm is located nearby. Apparently, due to the fish market and the village, the beach as a whole looks rather dirty and uncomfortable.
Hotels with private beaches
The island of Zanzibar for many is perceived as a place for elite relaxation, so there are many hotels with their own beaches. Mandatory they have coral reefs, the coast itself in this case is kept clean and tidy by hotel staff.
An example of such a hotel is the 5-star Baraza Resort & Spa. It is located approximately fifty kilometers from the airport, on the southeast coast of the island, near the village called Bweju (about five kilometers to it).
The hotel itself consists of one-story villas, which are made with elements of Spanish, Arabic, Indian and Swahili styles. The hotel has its own sandy beach, it is located on the first coastline. Travelers in reviews emphasize that rest in this place has a calm and serene pastime. The staff is helpful and friendly.
The coastal zone is separated from the ocean by a reef, because of which there are never big waves near the coast. He is considered one of the best hotels in Zanzibar with its own beach. The ebbs here are quite noticeable, the water goes a couple of kilometers. For those who are not keen on snorkeling, this is a great opportunity to get acquainted with the underwater inhabitants - octopuses, starfish and sea cucumbers, beautiful fish and colorful corals. The only thing to be wary of is sea urchins. To avoid troubles, it is recommended to wear special protective shoes.