Matemwe stretches along the north-east coast of Unguja and is the launch point for Mnemba atoll, the marine conservation area holding the healthiest coral and the clearest water in Zanzibar. Every serious snorkelling and diving trip on the island leaves from this stretch of coast or from Kiwengwa next door.
The beach itself is long, white and quiet, backed by fishing villages and a scattering of hotels. There is no nightlife and very little commerce on the sand. What Matemwe has instead is the reef offshore, the dhows coming and going, and the seaweed farms working the shallows at low tide.
Like most of the east coast, the tide here is significant. At high water the lagoon is swimmable. At low water it pulls back to expose a wide flat, which is when the seaweed farmers work and when the beach is at its most photogenic.
Matemwe suits divers, snorkellers, honeymooners and anyone who wants a quiet stretch of coast with world-class water a short boat ride away.