Mtende

Mtende is the least developed beach on this list and the one people go out of their way for. It sits on the southern coast near the villages of Mtende and Makunduchi, about ninety minutes to two hours by road from Stone Town, and it is a cove rather than a strip: a curve of white sand framed on both sides by low rocky cliffs.

The setting is what makes it. The cliffs give the beach a dramatic frame missing from the long flat shores elsewhere on the island, and the tide changes the character of the cove completely. At low water rock pools open up along the edges. At high water the cove fills into a calm, protected lagoon.

There are no beach bars, no water sports operators and no crowds. A small number of places serve food and drink, and that is the extent of it.

Mtende suits visitors after quiet, nature and local life rather than facilities. It works best as a day trip from anywhere on the south or east coast, or as a short stay for people who want to be genuinely away from things.

Mtende is a hidden, less developed cove framed by rocky cliffs, with dramatic coastal scenery unlike the long flat beaches elsewhere on the island. The tide reveals rock pools at low water and fills the cove into a calm lagoon at high water.

June to October is dry and the most comfortable time to travel this far south.
December to February is hot and bright.
March to May brings the long rains and difficult road conditions in places.
Check the tide. The cove is a different place at high and low water.

Mtende has very little accommodation, and that is the point. Most visitors stay at Jambiani, Paje or Kizimkazi and come for the day. If you want to stay here, tell us and we will find what is available.

About an hour and a half to two hours by road from Stone Town, on the road through the south of the island. The final stretch is rough in places. We use vehicles suited to the road.