About Bagamoyo

The town of Bagamoyo – nominated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site – was once an important trading port and the capital of German East Africa. It was the stopover for the slave and ivory caravans who travelled from Lake Tanganyika to Zanzibar.

Culture and products in Bagamoyo

Strolling through the narrow, unpaved streets of Bagamoyo takes you back to the mid 19th century.

Culture
Bagamoyo is home to many ethnic groups, including the Wakwere, Wazaramo and Wazigua. The different cultures, including people of Arab origin, all live together in harmony in Bagamoyo, making the town a peaceful and friendly place for visitors from all over the world.

Products
Nowadays, the dhow boats for the region are manufactured in Bagamoyo.

Beaches
The stunning coastline around Bagamoyo is full of waterfowl and mangrove ecosystems. There are still deserted stretches of beaches nearby.

Diving
Lazy Lagoon Island, just outside Bagamoyo, is a unique location for snorkeling.

Climate & seasons

Bagamoyo has a tropical climate and is a wonderful destination all year round.

April and May:
There’s a higher chance of rain. This means mainly a tropical shower in the morning and sometimes at night. The temperatures are pleasant.

June to October:
In Bagamoyo this is the “cool” period. The temperature is pleasant. The temperature varies from 25 to 35 degrees.

November to December:
Precipitation varies. Temperatures slightly rise.

December to February:
This is the hottest period of the year.

Interesting facts

1. The name Bagamoyo means ‘bury my heart’ in Kiswahili. The city is also called Mji Mkongwe – Stone City.

2. From 1887 to 1891, Bagamoyo was the capital of German East Africa. In 1888 this was the center of the Abushiri uprising, the first major uprising against colonial rule.

3. Many European explorers, including Richard Burton, Henry Morton Stanley and David Livingstone, started and ended their journeys in Bagamoyo.

4. The annual highlight is the Bagamoyo Arts Festival, and takes place around the end of September and beginning of October. The festival involves traditional dance, drum and acrobatics. A good way to meet starting artists and artists.

5. From Bagamoyo, slaves and ivory were shipped by Dhow to Zanzibar Island, where they were then shipped all over the world.

6. In 1868, French missionaries founded Freedom Village in Bagamoyo as a hiding place for redeemed slaves. For the remainder of the century, this city served as an intermediate station for missionaries travelling from the island of Zanzibar to the interior.

Activities

Bagamoyo, built in the late 18th century, with many colonial buildings, was once one of the most important trading ports along the East African coast.

Bagamoyo is now known for its art, culture and fascinating history.

City tour

Bagamoyo has numerous old buildings from the colonial era, on narrow unpaved streets. Beautiful Arabic architecture with thick walls and beautifully carved hardwood doors.

During this guided walk through the narrow streets of Bagamoyo you will see several remarkable 19th-century buildings, including merchant houses and old places of worship. But also the German colonial administration office, the art market, the old post office, the old mosques, the hanging tower and the fish market.
Distinctive for Bagamoyo is the caravanserai (the overnight stay for the thousands of porters and also a goods storage and market) as a memorial to the ivory trade that made Bagamoyo famous.

You take a walk through the narrow streets and visit of your choice (for an entrance fee):

The Kaole ruins and museum, of two mosques and 30 tombs of the local rulers ‘Diwanis’ from the 13-16th centuries.
Bagamoyo Old Stone Town, with the old German Fort, the German Cemetery, the Hanging Tower and the old German Boma (the colonial administration office).
The former slave market and slave port, the German customs office and the Old German School.
The Caravan Serai Museum.
The Bagamoyo Catholic Museum, about, among others. Dr. David Livingstone.

Also take a walk along the beach, the center for dhow sailboat building, and see how local people build these traditional boats.

Taxi boat Zanzibar

Do you want to cross over to Zanzibar from here? This can be done, for example, by taxi boat. You will then depart early in the morning from Bagamoyo beach and arrive in Stone Town on Zanzibar after a two-hour boat ride. And back if you want.

Please note: The taxi boat only operates in good weather conditions. Unfortunately there is no toilet on board.

Firefly Boutique Lodge

Bagamoyo, East Tanzania
Cozy lodge

€ 35 to € 45 pppn (lodging & breakfast)

Bagamoyo

Historic site on the east coast of Tanzania