Angoche

Angoche was founded in the fifteenth century as a Swahili trading settlement and became a sultanate that traded independently along this coast for centuries, resisting Portuguese control into the late nineteenth century. What survives is a small town among mangrove channels and islands, with a mosque, colonial-era buildings and boats working the creeks. It is very rarely visited and there is nothing set up for anyone who comes.

History

Before 1498, by local tradition, the islands of Angoche were home to a Swahili community whose leading families claimed Shirazi descent, and one founder of the sultanate's ruling family, Hasani, was buried on the island later named after him. Writing in 1508, Duarte Barbosa found the people's customs and language like those of the Island of Mozambique; in the colonial period the town was called António Enes (Wikipedia, Angoche).

What's there

• The mangrove channels - creeks and islands surrounding the town.
• The old quarter - Swahili and colonial-era buildings near the waterfront.
• The mosque - the town's main mosque, reflecting its long Muslim history.
• The dhows - working boats in the creeks and offshore.

When to go

May to September is the cooler dry season and the best for the road and the boats. The rains from December to March make the road difficult. Cyclones affect this coast in summer.

Good to know

The road from Nampula is long and rough and takes most of a day. Accommodation is very basic and there are no visitor facilities. Almost nothing is interpreted or signposted.

Nearby

The Primeiras and Segundas islands are offshore, and Nampula is northwest.

Key facts