Best Beaches in Zanzibar

Best Beaches in Zanzibar, Zanzibar Island is famous for its spices and the slave trade in the 1800s. It also has some of the best beaches in Africa and amazing beach safari vacations, such as the perfect wedding in East Africa. The island isn’t very developed—there are only five main roads that connect it to Zanzibar, which is the largest town on the western edge. The island is only about 40 kilometers across at its widest points and 100 kilometers long, from north to south.

Still, it’s a one-of-a-kind place with beautiful beaches, fun trips like going to a working spice farm, and the cultural highlights of Stone Town, which has Arabian fortresses and minarets. The island has beautiful, powder-white beaches on its eastern sides, which are surrounded by barrier reefs and the Indian Ocean. The largest town, Zanzibar Town, and Stone Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site, are both on the western side of the island, where the Zanzibar Channel runs. 

Some of Zanzibar’s best beaches

Even though there are a few good beaches here (mostly around Kendwa), this side of the island isn’t usually thought of as a place to go to the beach. Because of its location, barrier reef, and beautiful beaches, Zanzibar has everything that most people look for in a summer vacation spot: scuba diving, beautiful beaches, fresh fish, and more.

Also, there is a small forest called Jozani in the interior that is home to native red colobus monkeys. Spice tours on one of the small farms just outside of Zanzibar Stone Town are an interesting way to see why this island has become such a popular place for African safaris. So, let us take a closer look at Zanzibar’s best beaches;

Beach at Nungwi
Nungwi Beach is in the northern part of Zanzibar. It’s about 67.4 kilometers from Zanzibar Airport and 62.9 kilometers from Stone Town. This beach was named one of the best in Africa by CNN Travel in 2017. Beach is Zanzibar’s most famous and legendary beach. It has a wide range of people and interesting places, such as hotels, restaurants, and bars.

People also like to swim, snorkel, swim with turtles, ride horses, kayak, skydive, and do other exciting things at the beach. In fact, Nungwi is a famous place for dive centers in Zanzibar. If you’re traveling by yourself, Nungwi Beach is a great spot to meet new people. This is where the Masai and Beach Boys sell their crafts and offer walks to tourists. Another great place to see the sunset is on the western part of Nungwi Beach, especially if you go Sunset cruising on a Dhow or Catamaran.

Kidwa Beach 
This beach is in the northwest part of Zanzibar. Zanzibar Airport is about 66 kilometers away, and Stone Town is about 61 kilometers away. A lot of people think this beach is the best in Tanzania and the Zanzibar Islands. There are many different colored starfish on the beach, which makes snorkeling a memorable experience.

Kendwa Beach is also different from other beaches because the ocean waves don’t change there like they do at other beaches. You can find the Full Moon Party in Zanzibar too, if you’ve heard of it. Full Moon Party is well-known at Kendwa Beach. It takes place every month at the Kendwa Rocks Hotel. You can swim, dive, lay out in the sun, and do many other fun things at the beach.

Pwani Mchangani
Pwani Mchangani beach is on the northwest side of Zanzibar Island. It’s about 47 kilometers from Zanzibar Airport and 43 kilometers from Stone Town. For the best kiteboarding trips, Pwani is the best beach in Zanzibar because it has the most wind. At the beach, you can also swim, lay out in the sun, go game fishing, and dive.

Kiteboarding is great at Pwani Mchangani beach, but if you want to stay, you should go to Paje beach instead. This is because there are more places to learn to kite surf than in Pwani Mchangani.

Uroa beach
Uroa Beach is on the east side of Zanzibar, about 38 kilometers from Stone Town and 40 kilometers from Zanzibar Airport. This might work for you if all you want to do is stay at the hotel or walk around the beach at the hotel. You can really relax and enjoy the wind at Uroa Beach, which is very quiet. There aren’t many things to do at this beach, like at other beaches.

But if you like to walk on the beach, meet new people, and do things like go to bars, dive, and snorkel, this might not be the best choice for you. You should check out other beaches like Nungwi and Kendwa.

Michamvi beach
Michamvi Beach Village is on the east coast of Zanzibar’s Michamvi Peninsula. Zanzibar Airport is 64 kilometers away, and Stone Town is 63 kilometers away. Because it is on a point, Michamvi beach is split into two parts: Michamvi Pingwe to the east and Michamvi Kae to the west. On Michamvi Pingwe beach is the well-known restaurant The Rock.

In Zanzibar, the Rock Restaurant is a well-known spot that is built on a rock. People who post pictures of Zanzibar on Instagram often show this place. You can book a table ahead of time, and they have both vegetarian and non-vegetarian places to sit.

At high tide, water surrounds the diner. At low tide, it’s dry, and you can’t even imagine what the water will be like around this beautiful rock. Michamvi Kae is the only beach in the southeast of Zanzibar where you can see the sun go down. It is on the west side of the Michamvi Peninsula. You can stay at the Isaraya Water Villas at Konokono Beach Resort if you have enough money. These are the fancy houses that float on the water that you can only find at Michamvi Beach in Zanzibar.

Beach in Bwejuu
The beach of Bwejuu is in the western part of Unguja Island (Zanzibar), in the middle of Michamvi and Paje beaches. It’s about 53 km to the beach from Zanzibar Airport and 52 km to Stone Town City.

If you want to relax in Zanzibar, Bwejuu beach is the best place to go. The beach is the least busy and quietest compared to other beaches with lots of people. This is the best beach to relax with family, friends, or a partner when you come from Tanzania for a tour. Bwejuu beach is also a choice if you are in Zanzibar for a wedding.

Beach in Paje
This beach is on the southeast side of Zanzibar Island. It is between the beaches of Bwejuu and Jambiani, 50 km from Zanzibar Airport. People in the Zanzibar Islands think that Paje Beach is the best place to go kite surfing. We really think you should stay at this beach if you want to go kiteboarding on vacation. A lot of people like to kiteboard, and the area is also great for swimming, diving, and other things.

On Paje Island, there are many shops where you can buy fruits, local foods, and handcrafted things like paintings and sculptures. Paje Beach is one of the best places in Africa to go kiteboarding on holiday. You can also buy tickets for walks and trips like Stone Town, Snorkeling Trips, and Jozani Forest.

The Kizimkazi Beach
The beach at Kizimkazi is in the Kizimkazi Fishers Village on the island of Zanzibar. It is about 59 kilometers from Stone Town and 60 kilometers from the airport. Some people in Zanzibar go to Kizimkazi Beach to swim with dolphins. To do this, they book boat trips to swim with wild dolphins and fish. If you want to find a beach in Zanzibar that isn’t too busy, Kizimkazi is the place to go. When compared to Zanzibar’s other beaches, this one is more like a town of fishermen, with not many hotels, bars, or restaurants.

The past of the Dimbani Mosque in Kizimkazi village is another thing that the village is known for. It was built in 1107 by Shirazi Settlers.

Island of Mnemba
The private island of Mnemba is in Matemwe village, which is on the northeast side of Zanzibar Island. The beach is private and has soft, white sand. Mnemba Island has everything you could want: to swim with dolphins and whale sharks, dive, snorkel, fish, and lay out in the sun. This is the best place to go on your vacation if you have enough money and want to be alone.

Beach of Forodhani
It’s the most famous beach in Zanzibar with people who live in and around Zanzibar City. It’s near Stone Town’s Forodhani Garden. There are a lot of young people, kids, and tourists at the beach, especially on the weekends and every night before the sun goes down. You can go see local boys do acrobatics and capoeira in the evening. It’s free, and they’re nice to guests. People can start their trips to Prison Island from Forodhani Beach.

Prison Island Beach
A lot of people know Prison Island for its Giant Tortoises, but not many people know about the beach. The beach is small, but it’s great for playing and lying in the sun with families, couples, and other people. At the jail island, you can also snorkel. But most people who go on vacation to Zanzibar choose to chill out on the beach after swimming and watching tortoises. If you’d like to see Prison Island.