Quelimane

Quelimane sits some twenty-five kilometres up the Bons Sinais river from the sea and was a significant port from the sixteenth century, later the centre of the coconut and sisal trade that still defines Zambezia. The cathedral, built in the eighteenth century and much altered, stands near the waterfront along with a run of colonial buildings in varying states. Livingstone reached the coast here in 1856 at the end of his crossing of the continent.

History

The town began as a Swahili trading centre founded by Muslim merchants. Vasco da Gama named the river Rio dos Bons Sinais after seeing "good signs" that he was on the right route, and one tradition says the town's name comes from farmers answering his question with kuliamani, "we are cultivating"; David Livingstone ended his crossing of south-central Africa here in 1856 (Wikipedia, Quelimane).

Highlights

• The cathedral - an eighteenth-century church near the waterfront.
• The riverfront - the Bons Sinais with boats and the old port.
• The colonial buildings - trading houses and administration along the centre.
• The coconut belt - plantations stretching inland from the city.

When to go

May to September is the cooler dry season and the most comfortable. The rains from December to March bring heat, humidity and mosquitoes. Cyclones occasionally affect this coast.

Things to know

Many colonial buildings are decaying and there is little formal sightseeing. Accommodation is limited and basic for the price. Malaria risk in Zambezia is high.

Nearby

Zalala beach is northeast, and Gurue is inland to the north.

Key facts