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Cruise to Maputo on MSC Sinfonia or MSC Musica

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After boarding the Sinfonia in Durban and sailing along Mozambique's coastline, we cruised through Delagoa Bay, approaching Maputo from the north and passing Xefina Island (sha fee nah). From the Sinfonia's deck the island seems barren, but on Xefina are the ruins of a couple of gun batteries (built by the Portuguese to defend Maputo during the first and second World Wars), a munitions building (still containing bombs!) as well as the Portuguese Jail used to incarcerate political prisoners and other unwanteds up to 1975. Like Robben Island, Xefina had also for a period been used as a leper colony. The island currently has about 50 permanent residents who live in a fishing village.

Shore Excursions

Excursions available change from cruise to cruise, so check with your cruise consultant what is available - here's examples of what has been available in the past:

• Maputo City Tour

• Maputo City Tour & lunch at Costa do Sol

• Maputo walking tour

• Panoramic Maputo with dinner at Costa do Sol

• Panoramic Maputo with high tea at the famous Polana Hotel

• City Tour with lunch at Maputo Waterfront

• City tour with lunch at Zambi

Entering the Harbour

As the MSC Sinfonia passes the Costa do Sol and enters the harbour, passengers get onto the deck to see the views of Maputo.

Here's Maputo's Fishing Harbour. The green area on the left is Praça 25 de Junho and to the right of it is the old Portuguese Fort (if you go on the City Tour you'll visit it).

The excitement builds and the cameras are clicking away as the MSC Sinfonia docks at Maputo Harbour.

The "Red Towers" (or "Torres Vermelhas" in Portuguese), 2 high rise residential buildings (22 floors).	Passengers on the viewing deck looking at what Maputo has to offer.
Sinfonia passengers taking in the view of Maputo	View of Maputo's Fishing Harbour from the Sinfonia

Ships in Maputo harbour

It was good to see a fair amount of activity in Maputo's river harbour.

The Mol Unifier Majuro chugging along Maputo's Harbour river.	Transmaritima offers a ferry service between Maputo and the adjoining city of Matola.
A ship named "Bazaruto" in Maputo Harbour	That green patch on the right is Praça 25 de Junho
The QSM Dubai is a cargo ship built in 1978, and owned by QSM Dubai Ltd, based in  Al Garhoud Road, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.	QSM Dubai docked and being offloaded in Maputo Harbour.

Tour of Maputo

Mozambique City Tours meets the MSC Sinfonia at the harbour	This locomotive was one of the first to use the railway line between Lourenzo Marques & Pretoria, from its opening in 1895 until 1940.
Enjoy some intense bargaining at Maputo's Mercado Centrale, near the grand old Railwa Station in the "Baixa". Delicious cashew nuts - avoid buying wooden articles because of the woodworm, and not everybody likes their photographs taken (especially if you're not buying from them!).
The Fort of Maputo is the most popular attraction in the city. It is alternatively known as the Fort of Lourenço Marques or the Fortaleza da Nossa Senhora da Conceição. Built between 1851 and 1867, the fort stands on the site of the original mud and pole stockade. The fort houses the remains of Ngungunhane, last great chief of the Nguni tribe, and still contains plaques glorifying Portugal's colonial conquests as well as artillery.

Natural History Museum in Maputo

As part of the city tour, we visited Maputo's Natural History Museum (note the ubiquitous hawkers in the foreground of the photo).

The world's only collection of elephant foetuses ... macabre	Makonde tribesmen would put a dummy in their mouth to indicate that they don't want to speak to people.
Savage nature...a lion attacking a zebra.	A two-headed goat.

And at the end of a day touring Maputo, we return to the MSC Sinfonia, docked at Maputo harbour. What a pleasure to visit cities without the hassle of having to pack and unpack in hotels.

This visit to Maputo took place on the 2nd February 2010.

Author : Rob Baker