Maputo

Maputo wears its layers with unusual grace: Portuguese colonial avenues under jacaranda, an iron house attributed to Eiffel's workshops, the CFM railway station whose dome and wrought-iron verandas make it a regular on lists of the world's handsomest stations, and a modernist mid-century skyline gone gently soft at the edges. The city's engine is appetite - peri-peri prawns and matapa in tiled cantinas, the Feira's food stalls, the fish market's pick-and-grill ritual - and its soundtrack is marrabenta easing into jazz through the Baixa's evening. Museums, the fort and a craft market fill days; the bay's sunsets close them.

What you actually see

• CFM Railway Station - the domed, iron-laced terminus in full glory.
• The Baixa's architecture - Art Deco, iron balconies and modernist relics.
• The fish market - choose the catch, have it grilled on the spot.
• The National Art Museum - Malangatana and Mozambique's modern masters.

When to go

May to October is dry, warm and clear - peak civic pleasure; November to April brings humid heat and afternoon storms that empty into golden light. Weekends animate the markets and music venues.

Honest expectations

Maputo is a working African capital: footpaths are broken, hustle exists around the tourist nodes, and taxis or apps beat walking after dark - standard city sense applies without paranoia. Photography near government buildings draws officialdom; ask before pointing lenses at people. The charm is texture, not polish.

Nearby

Catembe across the bay, Inhaca Island's reefs and the road south to Ponta do Ouro.