When to go to Zanzibar: some useful information and recommended beaches for those who don't want to miss the best of the coast
Are you looking for a beach holiday? Do you feel the need to relax on a beautiful white beach, take long swims in crystal clear waters and romantic walks in the moonlight, by the sea or among the palm trees? Zanzibar is right for you and offers you plenty of choice! So, here is some useful information and the most beautiful beaches to enjoy the best of the island.
Zanzibar is in fact an island of Tanzania, from which it is separated by the warm waters of the Indian Ocean. Known locally as Unguja, it is the largest island of the archipelago that bears the same name and which also includes Pemba, to the north, the other largest island, and around forty smaller islands, some of which are uninhabited.
Kilometers and kilometers of beaches a few degrees south of the equator, where the sun shines practically all year round and average temperatures are around 25°C. When to go? If you want to make the most of your trip, know that the best time of year to spend a beach holiday is from mid-December to mid-March and from June to October. It is better to avoid rainy seasons, characterized by sudden, frequent and sudden storms.
How to get to Zanzibar? The simplest way is to purchase one of the many packages offered by tour operators, with a stay in the village and volo charter which takes you to the island in about 7 hours of flight from Rome or Milan. Those who prefer a do-it-yourself holiday, however, better have a lot of time available: charter flights cannot be purchased individually and for scheduled ones you have to allow between 15 and 20 hours with stopovers in the major European airports.
The best way to move around the island, then, is to make friends with the so-called beach boys, the boys, often Kenyans, who make ends meet by working as local guides. They are easy-going, know the area well and speak good Italian. As soon as you learn to trust, they will give you the opportunity to go on wonderful excursions to the most beautiful corners of Zanzibar: but remember to bargain, it will be the only way to get unforgettable excursions at very low prices.
To plan when to go to Zanzibar, keep two other things in mind. The first is that the most beautiful beaches are located on the east coast of the island. The second is that those wonderful beaches are also the most subject to the phenomenon maree, which can cause a difference in altitude of up to 4 metres. Every other week, therefore, you may have to walk hundreds of meters to be able to swim in the crystal clear waters and in the afternoon the sea will often be rough.
Among the most beautiful beaches there is certainly that of porcupine, at the extreme northern tip of the island. An expanse of very white sand, reachable through roads lined with palm trees and coconut trees, from which you can witness, the only example on the north-eastern coast, the beautiful spectacle of the sunset over the sea. And then perhaps browse around the small shipyard where the craftsmen build their dhows or dhows by hand, the Arab lateen sailing boats typical of the area.
Continuing south on the eastern coast of Zanzibar, you come across the splendid beach of Matemwe which, like that of Paje, about eighty kilometers further south, is the ideal destination for those who want to enjoy the sea at the calm pace of the locals. Matemwe is also a paradise for divers: about 15 minutes by boat from here you can dive at Mnemba Island, an atoll where it is possible to swim near the coral reef not far from dolphins and turtles, among fish, gorgonians and multicolored corals .
Even further south of Paje, reachable from Stone Town in about an hour and a half by bus or minivan, there is Jambiani. In addition to having one of the largest beaches in Zanzibar, Jambiani is a traditional fishing village, renowned throughout the island for its exquisite fish-based cuisine and for the maviko ya kamumbi, buried mounds of coconuts from which they are obtained fibers for making ropes.
Going up from the extreme southern tip towards the capital, you will encounter two others fishing villages, Kizimkazi Mtendeni and Kizimkazi Dimbani, frequented by village people whose lives are still marked by the rhythm of the tides. Here the beaches fully reflect the idea of an exotic beach, with very fine white sand, palm trees and sea with splendid shades of colour. But not only. For snorkelling lovers, local fishermen organize excursions to swim alongside dolphins.
Finally, lovers of the sea and uncontaminated nature should absolutely not miss the small protected islands of Pungume and Komonda, inside the bay of the Fumba peninsula, and Chumbe Island, a private marine reserve of just 22 hectares, with a barrier Reef considered one of the best preserved in the region, with 370 species of fish and over 200 species of madrepores (commonly called “corals”).
