Muxima

The church of Nossa Senhora da Muxima stands white and low on the bank of the Kwanza, built in 1599 beside a Portuguese fort, and it draws pilgrims from across the country, particularly in the weeks around the feast in September when tens of thousands come. Muxima means heart in Kimbundu. The fort ruins sit on the rise behind, and the river runs wide below. Outside the pilgrimage season the village is very quiet.

What you actually see

• The church - a low whitewashed building of 1599 on the riverbank.
• The fort - Portuguese fortification ruins on the rise behind the church.
• The Kwanza - the river running wide past the village.
• The pilgrimage - crowds arriving on foot and by road around the September feast.

When to go

May to September is the dry season and the easiest for the road. The main pilgrimage is in September and the village is overwhelmed then. Outside it, weekdays are almost empty.

Honest expectations

The road from Luanda is long and in poor condition in stretches. Facilities in the village are minimal outside the pilgrimage. During the feast, accommodation and transport are effectively unavailable without arrangement.

Nearby

Massangano fortress is upriver, and Luanda is northwest.