Dhow Harbour

The dhow harbour at Inhambane is one of the most evocative sights on the Mozambican coast. These traditional wooden sailing vessels — lateen-rigged, broad-beamed, built using techniques that have changed little in a thousand years — still ferry passengers and small cargo across Inhambane Bay to Maxixe on the other side. For travellers arriving overland from the south, the dhow crossing is far more pleasant than the modern ferry.

The best time to visit the harbour is early morning, when the fishermen bring in their catch and the dhows prepare for the crossing. The boatbuilders who still hand-construct new dhows near the harbour are worth watching; the work is done entirely without power tools. You can take the dhow ferry to Maxixe yourself — it costs almost nothing and the 20-minute crossing gives a fine view back over Inhambane's waterfront.

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A story
The dhow is the vessel that made the Indian Ocean trade possible for over a thousand years. Inhambane sits on a natural bay that has sheltered these wooden sailing craft since Arab traders first established a trading post here in the 10th century. The same dhow routes that carried ivory, slaves, and gold in the medieval period now carry passengers across Inhambane Bay — a ferry service that has changed remarkably little in form since the Arabs arrived.

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