Wimbi Beach is the long arc of pale sand that runs east of the city centre along the southern shore of Pemba Bay. The water is shallow, calm and unusually warm; the reef sits a short boat ride out. Most of the city's restaurants, dive operators and a string of small hotels are spread along the road behind the beach.
The strip wakes up at weekends, when families from Pemba come down for grilled fish and a swim. On weekdays it is mostly local fishermen, a few divers, and a handful of expatriates from the gas projects offshore.