Stand on the waterfront at Wimbe Beach in the late afternoon and the bay opens in front of you, a wide curve of calm water closed by the Londo peninsula. Out in the channel, dhows still work the same routes they always have, and further along the shore at Paquitequete you can watch them being built and repaired by hand.
Pemba suits divers and snorkellers, birdwatchers, anglers chasing big game fish, and travellers who prefer a working coastal town to a resort strip. It also suits anyone willing to take a boat or a vehicle out of town, because much of what is worth seeing sits around the bay rather than in it.
This guide covers the sights and experiences the source material describes, with practical notes on how to combine them.
Top things to do in Pemba
1. Snorkelling at Pemba Dive Reef
Pemba Dive Reef sits 100 m in front of the dive shop on Wimbe Beach, which makes it the most straightforward place to get to the corals for a good snorkel. The marine life is described as amazing, and with a bit of luck you may get the chance to swim with dolphins.
Combine it with a walk along Wimbe Beach afterwards. Pemba Dive is a registered PADI Resort Business and DAN Business Membership based on Wimbi Beach, and offers EFR first aid and speciality dive courses up to divemaster level.
2. Snorkelling the Londo peninsula reef
The coral reef on the Londo peninsula that closes the bay of Pemba also offers great possibilities for snorkelling. It is a second option if you want a different stretch of reef from the one in front of the dive shop.
Pemba Arti Lodge, on the peninsula that closes the bay, is run by a PADI certified instructor and divemaster who organise dives close to the lodge on an untouched coral reef and run courses up to divemaster level.
3. Scuba diving in the bay
The bay offers protection to an extensive variety of soft and hard coral that attract a legion of species, including the rare oceanic sunfish, large potato bass, Napoleon wrasses, dolphins, whales and turtles. It is described as ideal for professional and novice marine photographers, in warm and calm waters.
Diving conditions run year round, with shortie wetsuits usually worn at temperatures from 26C to 29C; July and August is winter and can drop to 24C. Between July and October you can dive with the sound of male humpback whales singing their mating rituals throughout the dive. Pemba Dive and CI Divers both run PADI courses up to divemaster, and CI Divers has a PADI certified instructor at the dive shop.
4. Whale watching
From June to November you can witness the migration of humpback and southern right whales, travelling from Antarctica to the warm waters of Mozambique's Indian Ocean. In 2009 there was a particularly big display of humpback whales, with up to five at a time often seen breaching from the shore.
Time a trip between July and October if you want to combine whale watching with diving, when the males are singing throughout the dive.
5. Paquitequete
This old traditional fishing village will take you back in time, with traditional trading, lifestyle, and the building and repairing of the ancient dhows, which are still active today. It lies 1 km after Ponta Romero Lighthouse.
Be careful where you step. Pair the visit with the Slave Trade Fort at Ponta Romero Lighthouse, since the two sit along the same stretch.
6. Slave Trade Fort at Ponta Romero Lighthouse
This is an open plan historical monument where slaves were auctioned off, and it is also a lookout point for incoming ships. It pairs naturally with the walk on to Paquitequete.
Come for the view over the water as much as the history, and continue to the village afterwards.
7. Nacole Baobab
Located inside the bay at Pemba Dive & Bush Camp Resort, this is an eco-friendly nature estate with three types of mangrove estuaries, bird watching, a secluded sunset beach fire with savanna bush. You can walk inside the 9m2 hollow ancient Nacole Baobab amongst 40 existing baobab trees and see Large Split Face bats hanging above.
During the war this tree served as a hiding place for refugees. The sunset beach fire makes the late afternoon the natural time to be here.
8. Fishing trips and the Lazarus Banks
Pemba is a perfect starting point for fishing trips, especially to the Lazarus Banks, a world-famous fishing destination located 75 nautical miles into the Mozambique Channel. It is known for its rich ecosystem and unique topography, and is a haven for big game fishing, offering an abundance of game fish like GT's, tuna, sailfish and marlin.
The Nautilus Hotel offers exclusive liveaboard trips to explore these waters during the prime fishing season from late August to mid-December. The bay itself is also good hunting ground for kingfish, dogtooth tuna, great barracuda, couta, dolphin fish and wahoo.
9. Jungle hiking in Ngezi forest
In Konde, take a motorbike to the park administration office, which is at the main road crossing the forest. Alternatively, sleep in one of the hotels along the coast and organise a hike there.
You have to take a guide. It is possible to do a rather short hike (about Tsh 20,000) or a longer one (about Tsh 60,000) which will cross the forest and end at the northern beach.
10. Nkwita Lake
One hour's drive from Pemba, the lake collects its fresh water from the surrounding rivers, creating a permanent wetland that attracts migrant species and waders. It is home to a prolific bird life, with reed nesting birds constructing nests in the surrounding savanna bush, and freshwater birds such as raptors and storks feeding on the surrounding bright coloured amphibians.
Amongst the vast bird population the rare Dickinson's Kestrel has been sighted, and fish eagles are resident there. Day trips can be arranged.
11. Maconde Arts and Crafts
The Maconde Tribe pride themselves as skillful sculptors, creating expressive and aesthetic helmet masks, which are used by dancers with vigour and emotion at the traditional festivals and ceremonies. Worth the time if you want to understand the carving tradition behind what you see for sale.
Ask about the festivals and ceremonies where the masks are actually danced, rather than treating them as objects alone.
12. St. Paul's Cathedral (Catedral de São Paulo)
Built in 1946, this is the principal historic building named in the town itself and an easy stop while you are in Pemba rather than out around the bay.
Combine it with a walk through town before heading back to the beach for the afternoon.
13. Ibo Island
Ibo Island is described as taking you back in time, and it is one of the island destinations reachable from Pemba.
Treat it as a separate outing rather than something to squeeze into a town day.
14. Quipaco Island
Quipaco Island is the first of the Quirimbas Archipelago islands, 20 km north of Pemba. It is a straightforward addition for anyone already heading north along the coast.
Combine it with the Quirimbas National Park, whose boundary is 13 km north of Pemba.
15. Quirimbas National Park
The Quirimbas National Park boundary is 13 km north of Pemba, which makes it the nearest of the northern excursions to plan around.
Pair it with Quipaco Island, since both lie to the north of town.
If you only have one day
Morning: Start at St. Paul's Cathedral (Catedral de São Paulo) in town, then head out along the coast to the Slave Trade Fort at Ponta Romero Lighthouse and walk the 1 km on to Paquitequete to see the dhows being built and repaired.
Afternoon: Return to Wimbe Beach and snorkel Pemba Dive Reef, 100 m in front of the dive shop, or dive the bay if you are certified. If you would rather stay dry, continue to Nacole Baobab at Pemba Dive & Bush Camp Resort for the mangroves and the walk inside the hollow tree.
Evening: Stay for the secluded sunset beach fire at Nacole Baobab, then eat back along Wimbe Beach. If your visit falls between June and November, keep an eye on the water for breaching whales.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time to see whales in Pemba?
From June to November, when humpback and southern right whales migrate from Antarctica to the warm waters of Mozambique's Indian Ocean. If you want to combine whale watching with diving, July to October is when male whales can be heard singing throughout the dive.
Do I need a guide to hike in Ngezi forest?
Yes. You have to take a guide. You can reach the park administration office in Konde by motorbike, at the main road crossing the forest, or organise a hike through one of the hotels along the coast. A short hike costs about Tsh 20,000 and a longer one about Tsh 60,000, crossing the forest to end at the northern beach.
What water temperature should I expect when diving?
Shortie wetsuits are usually worn, with temperatures from 26C to 29C. July and August is winter and it can drop to 24C. Diving conditions run year round.
How do I get to the corals for a snorkel?
Get out to Pemba Dive Reef, 100 m in front of the dive shop on Wimbe Beach. The coral reef on the Londo peninsula that closes the bay of Pemba also offers great possibilities for snorkelling.
Decide whether your trip is built around the reef, the northern islands or the forest, then start planning around the season that suits it.