The Baixa is what everyone in Maputo calls the colonial-era downtown — the grid of streets that runs from the railway station and the port up to Avenida 24 de Julho, and from the Cathedral across to the Fortaleza. It is the oldest part of the city, the densest, the most architecturally interesting, and the most worn-down. The 1903 cast-iron Mercado Central, the 1910 Railway Station, the Art Deco cinemas, the colonnaded banks of Praça 25 de Junho and the colonial-era post office all sit within ten minutes' walk of each other.
By day the Baixa hums — pavement traders, office workers, the constant horns of chapas. By night it empties out completely and is best avoided on foot. Pickpocketing is a real risk in the busier areas around the Mercado Central; keep your phone out of sight. Most travellers stay further north in Polana and come down here for sightseeing and the markets.