Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous archipelago off the coast of Tanzania. The main island (Unguja) has some of the most stunning beaches in the Indian Ocean — powder-white sand, turquoise water, and a rich Swahili culture in Stone Town. The north coast beaches at Nungwi and Kendwa are the most popular for swimming.
Zanzibar sits about 25 miles off the Tanzanian coast. The north coast (Nungwi, Kendwa) is sheltered from the dominant southwest monsoon and has the calmest, most swimmable water. The east coast is more dramatic but rougher. The south coast has seaweed farming operations.
Zanzibar's south and east coasts have extensive seaweed farming — this is a livelihood for local communities and not a pollution issue, but it does affect swimming. The north coast at Nungwi and Kendwa is clear of seaweed farming and has the best water for swimming. No Atlantic sargassum issues.
Zanzibar's spice trade made it one of the most valuable islands in the Indian Ocean world for centuries — cloves, nutmeg, and cinnamon cultivated here supplied kitchens across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia, and the Sultan of Zanzibar's wealth made him one of the most powerful rulers in East Africa. The island was the center of the East African slave trade until the Sultanate officially abolished it in 1873 under British pressure — the Old Slave Market in Stone Town, where an Anglican cathedral now stands on the site of the last open slave market in the world, is one of the most sobering historical sites in Africa. Explorer and abolitionist David Livingstone used Zanzibar as his base of operations and departed from its port on his final African journey in 1866, seeking the source of the Nile and the end of the slave trade.
"Your way was through the sea, your path through the great waters." — Psalm 77:19Live seaweed levels, surf, water quality and hotel deals — updated daily. Free.
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