Where
The north east coast, 50 km from the airport
Getting there
1 h to 1 h 15 by taxi, $40 to $55
Tidal range
2.5 to 3.5 m
Swimming
Around high water
Feel
Quiet, and a working village
Suits
Divers, snorkellers, couples
Where to stay at Matemwe
Photo: Hotels.comMatemwe Retreat
Matemwe, north east
Four villas above the reef, a plunge pool on each rooftop and a private chef per villa, twenty minutes by boat from Mnemba.
See prices for my dates
Photo: Hotels.comMatemwe Lodge
Matemwe, north east
A lodge on the Matemwe shore looking out to Mnemba, at the top end of this coast.
See prices for my dates
Photo: Hotels.comMatemwe Beach House
Matemwe, north east
A smaller beach house on the same coast, for Matemwe's quiet without the top end bill.
See prices for my datesPartner links to Hotels.com: prices and availability depend on your dates, and we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.
Mnemba tours and boat trips from Matemwe
Check the departure time before the price, and whether the diving day asks for a certification.
Mnemba and dolphins from the north east. Matemwe is the closest village to the atoll. This trip picks up from Matemwe, Pwani, Kiwengwa and Uroa for snorkelling and a dolphin search.
Mnemba from Matemwe. Matemwe is the nearest launch point to Mnemba, so this boat spends the least time getting there and the most in the water, with snorkelling and the chance of dolphins on the way.
Diving day with two dives. The reef off Matemwe is one of the reasons to stay here. This listing is a diving day with two dives off the east coast; you need to be certified.
Mnemba dolphin & snorkel: from Matemwe, Pwani, Kiwengwa, Uroa
- 3 to 4 hours
- Hotel pickup included
- Free cancellation
4.5(108 reviews)
from$40per person
Check prices & availability
Mnemba Island Dolphin & Snorkeling Matemwe Boat Trip
- 4 to 5 hours
- Hotel pickup included
- Free cancellation
4.3(155 reviews)
from$39per person
Check prices & availability
1 Day Diving Safari with 2 Stunning Scuba Dives
- 1 to 5 days
- Hotel pickup included
- Free cancellation
4.6(9 reviews)
from$120per person
Check prices & availabilityAll activities in Matemwe, facing Mnemba
Matemwe in four lines
- Twenty minutes from Mnemba. The closest land to the best reef in Zanzibar, and the only real reason to choose this coast.
- Tide, 2.5 to 3.5 metres. It empties, and it varies sharply between hotels along the same shore. Ask about your specific stretch, or move twenty minutes south to the one bay that keeps its water.
- A working fishing village. Quiet, lived in, and with almost no nightlife of any kind.
- Small hotels rather than resorts. The range runs from $70 guesthouses to some of the most expensive rooms on the island, which is why it appears so often in planning a honeymoon here.
The atoll offshore
Mnemba is a private island with a marine conservation area around it, and the reef on its western side is the best snorkelling in Zanzibar by a clear margin. Boats leave Matemwe in the early morning for the twenty minute crossing.
You cannot land on the island itself unless you are staying on it at considerable expense. Nobody minds: the reason to go is what is under the boat, not the beach you are looking at.
Going early matters more here than anywhere else on the island. The first boats out get flat water and no other boats, and by ten it is a different experience.
What the village is like
Matemwe is strung along several kilometres of coast rather than gathered into a centre, so it never feels like a resort strip even though there are plenty of places to stay.
The fishing goes on around the hotels rather than being displaced by them. Boats go out at dawn, the catch is sold on the sand, and the seaweed lines come out at low tide as they do all down this coast.
The morning boats, and why the time matters
Boats to Mnemba leave from the beach in front of the hotels, and the good operators go at seven. By nine thirty there can be twenty boats on the same stretch of reef.
Your hotel will book it, and the question worth asking is what time rather than how much. A trip that leaves at seven and one that leaves at nine thirty cost the same and are not the same experience.
The crossing is twenty minutes and dolphins turn up on it often enough to expect them. That, rather than a dedicated dolphin trip from Kizimkazi, is how most people here see them.
Where to eat
Almost entirely in hotels, and there are enough of them along the coast that walking to a neighbour for dinner is normal. Most will take outside guests with a phone call in the afternoon.
There are a handful of local places in the village proper, which serve grilled fish and rice for a few dollars and close early. They are worth doing at least once, and your hotel will point you at the good one.
Nothing here stays open late. The coast goes quiet by ten and that is part of what people come for.
Low tide on this coast
The lagoon empties less dramatically than at Paje but it still empties, and the reef flat in front of the hotels becomes walkable for a few hundred metres.
It is worth walking. The pools hold urchins, starfish and small reef fish, and the seaweed lines come out of the water the same as they do further south.
Reef shoes rather than bare feet, and an eye on the water coming back. On flat ground the incoming tide moves faster than people expect.
Why divers and snorkellers base at Matemwe
One reason, and it is decisive. This coast also holds several of the most expensive rooms on the island. Nowhere else on the island is this close to the atoll, and on this trip the crossing time buys you the departure hour.
| From | Crossing to Mnemba | What that means |
|---|---|---|
| Matemwe | 20 minutes | You can be on the reef at seven, before the fleet arrives |
| Muyuni and Kigomani | 20 to 25 minutes | Where most local boats actually launch, and cheaper |
| Nungwi or Kendwa | 45 to 60 minutes | Long, wet, and most operators drive you to Matemwe anyway |
| Paje or Jambiani | 1 h 15 by road, then the boat | A five o'clock start. Nobody mentions that when they sell it |
The full picture, including the $10 conservation fee introduced in September 2025, is in the Mnemba guide.
Should you stay at Matemwe
Stay here if
- Mnemba is the reason for your trip and you want to be twenty minutes from it
- You want small hotels rather than resorts
- A fishing village that still fishes is part of the appeal
- You are content to swim on the tide's schedule
Stay elsewhere if
- You want to swim at any hour, which means going north to Nungwi
- You want restaurants and bars, of which there are few here
- You are here to kitesurf, which happens further south
- You need the beach to be the entire holiday
Questions people ask about Matemwe beach
Is Matemwe good for snorkelling?
It is the best base for it in Zanzibar, because Mnemba atoll is three kilometres offshore and the boat ride is twenty minutes. The reef directly off Matemwe itself is unremarkable, so the snorkelling you came for happens out at the atoll.
Can you swim at Matemwe?
Around high water, yes. The tidal range here is two and a half to three and a half metres and the lagoon empties substantially at low tide, though slightly less dramatically than at Paje. Check with your hotel, because it varies along the coast.
Is Matemwe or Nungwi better for diving?
Matemwe for Mnemba, which is the main event. Nungwi has its own dive sites and more operators, but everything at Nungwi involves a longer boat ride to reach comparable reef.
