Moroni

Moroni, the capital of the Comoros on the island of Grande Comore, is a small, atmospheric port city set dramatically at the foot of the great volcano Mount Karthala, where the Indian Ocean laps an old harbour. Its heart is the medina, a labyrinth of narrow, winding lanes and whitewashed coral-stone houses reflecting the islands' deep Swahili and Arab heritage, dotted with mosques, most notably the historic Ancienne Mosquée du Vendredi, the Old Friday Mosque, beside the harbour. Blending African, Arab and French colonial influences, fragrant with spices and ylang-ylang, and utterly off the tourist trail, Moroni offers an authentic taste of the little-visited archipelago.

What you actually see

• The medina - the whitewashed old town of winding lanes.
• The Old Friday Mosque - the historic harbourside mosque.
• The old harbour - the port and dhows beneath the volcano.
• The markets - the spice and ylang-ylang scented markets.

When to go

May to October, the cooler, drier season, for the most comfortable weather to explore the medina and harbour; the city is best wandered on foot in the cooler morning and evening hours. It is the arrival point and base for exploring Grande Comore and the other islands.

Honest expectations

As an atmospheric, genuinely off-the-beaten-path island capital of medina lanes and coral mosques beneath a volcano, though, Moroni is an evocative and characterful base.

Nearby

Mount Karthala, the coast of Grande Comore and the other islands are within reach.