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The quiet beaches in Zanzibar are not secret coves. The whole east coast is a long, pale, mostly empty beach; the question is which part has the fewest hotels behind it, the fewest boats in front of it, and the fewest people walking it at four in the afternoon selling bracelets. Nungwi, Kendwa and Paje are lovely, and they are not quiet. This page is for the other kind of holiday: a beach where the loudest thing is the wind in the casuarinas.
The detail
Pongwe — the east coast's small bay. A short curve of sand between Kiwengwa's big resorts and Uroa's fishing village, backed by palms and a handful of small hotels rather than a strip. Pongwe still drains at low tide; the bay is more sheltered than the open coast. Pongwe Beach Hotel is one small option, and best hotels Kiwengwa covers the wider choice. → Pongwe
Uroa — a village first, a beach second. A working fishing and seaweed-farming village with a wide, flat beach where boats are pulled up and women wade out to the seaweed plots at low tide. There are a few larger resorts, but the beach between them belongs to the village, and the walking is long and empty. F-Zeen Boutique Hotel Zanzibar is the small option. → Uroa
Michamvi — the peninsula tip. At the end of the south-east peninsula the road runs out, and so do the people; on the western side, Michamvi Kae faces across Chwaka Bay, so the sun sets over the water. Zawadi Hotel is one of the small villa properties here, and best hotels Michamvi covers the rest. → Michamvi · for Bwejuu and the peninsula as a whole: → Bwejuu and Michamvi
Kizimkazi — the south. Two villages, Dimbani and Mkunguni, a 12th-century mosque, and a south-facing coast of small coves between coral cliffs rather than one long beach. It is the least visited of the island's beach areas and, outside the early-morning dolphin boats, almost empty. If you go on the water, go with an operator who keeps its distance — no chasing, no dropping swimmers on top of a pod — or not at all: → Dolphins at Kizimkazi. Unguja Lodge is one small stay. → Kizimkazi
Matemwe's quieter stretches. A long north-eastern beach with Mnemba Atoll offshore; most hotels cluster towards the south end near the village, and a walk north empties the beach into palms, fishing boats and seaweed lines. Matemwe Lodge is one of the small-scale stays here, and best hotels Matemwe lists the rest. → Matemwe
Pemba and Mnemba — privacy rather than quiet. For a beach with nobody on it at all, leave Unguja. Pemba has a handful of lodges on an island about three-fifths the size of Unguja, and the simpler Gecko Nature Lodge is one to start with (→ Pemba · how to get there). Mnemba Island is a single lodge, &Beyond Mnemba Island, and a beach that belongs to its guests. → Mnemba Island
Why the famous beaches are not on this list. Nungwi and Kendwa keep more water through the tides than the east coast, which is precisely why they are the busiest: beach bars, boat touts, a wall of resorts. Paje is a kitesurfing beach, and from June to October and December to March the water is full of kites. Good beaches; not quiet ones.
The trade-off: tides and seaweed. The quiet coasts are quiet partly because of what they ask of you. On the east coast the tide goes far out, so swimming is mainly at mid-to-high tide, and the lodge pool matters more than in the north. Then there is seaweed: during the kaskazi north-east wind from December to March it usually washes onto east-facing beaches, and although many hotels rake their frontage each morning, it is there. The kusi wind of June to October brings a steady breeze and choppier water, and seaweed is usually lighter then. Pongwe's bay and the Kae side of Michamvi are more sheltered, but both still drain; if you want sea at your feet all day, you are back to the north. The mechanics are on → Zanzibar tides explained; the beaches that hold water are on → Zanzibar beaches you can swim at low tide.
The quiet beaches side by side
Ranked from most private to least, as an editorial judgement rather than a measurement.
| # | Beach | Character | Tide behaviour | Seaweed exposure (usual pattern) | Best for | Stay type |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mnemba Island | One-lodge private island off the north-east | Reef and sand around the island; ask the lodge about low water | Least exposed — offshore | Total privacy, honeymoons | Exclusive-use lodge |
| 2 | Pemba | A separate, greener island with a handful of lodges | Varies by lodge and coast | Varies by lodge | Privacy, diving, a second island | Small lodges and resorts |
| 3 | Kizimkazi | South-facing coves between coral cliffs | Varies by cove | South-facing, so less exposed to the kaskazi | Empty coves, dolphins done responsibly | Small lodges; one larger estate |
| 4 | Michamvi tip | End of the road; ocean side and Kae bay side | Ocean side drains far; Kae side calmer but still drains | East side Dec–Mar | Sunsets over water, couples | Small villa hotels |
| 5 | Pongwe | Short sheltered bay between Kiwengwa and Uroa | Still drains at low tide; more sheltered than the open coast | East-facing, Dec–Mar | Couples, a small-hotel base | Small boutique hotels |
| 6 | Uroa | Working fishing and seaweed-farming village | Wide, flat beach; drains far | East-facing, Dec–Mar; seaweed farms offshore | Long empty walks, village life | One small hotel among larger resorts |
| 7 | Northern Matemwe | Long beach facing Mnemba Atoll | Drains far at low tide | East-facing, Dec–Mar | Walks, snorkelling trips to the atoll | Small lodges and villas |
Key facts
Quietest on the main island: Pongwe, Uroa, Michamvi (especially Kae), Kizimkazi, northern Matemwe. Most private: Pemba (a handful of lodges), Mnemba Island (one lodge). Not quiet: Nungwi, Kendwa, Paje. Tides: east coast recedes far at low tide; swim mid-to-high. Seaweed: east-facing beaches, mainly Dec–Mar (kaskazi); least Jun–Oct. Sunsets over water: Michamvi Kae, Pemba's west.
Planning it with Nobu
Quiet is a design choice, not a search result: the right coast, a lodge with few rooms, the tide table matched to your dates, and a pool for the hours the sea is out. We will say plainly which trade-off each beach asks, and which small property on it suits you. → Plan your journey.
Is it right for you?
You would rather walk an empty beach than swim at a busy one, you are happy to time swims to the tide, and a lodge with a dozen rooms sounds better than a resort with two hundred. Pemba or Mnemba if privacy is the whole point and the spend allows. Less right if you want to swim on impulse, restaurants within walking distance, or evening life — in which case → Nungwi or Kendwa? answers the better question, and → Where to stay in Zanzibar sets the coasts side by side.
Journeys to consider
- Shores of Zanzibar — a Zanzibar island itinerary that can end on one of these quieter east or south-east beaches. → Shores of Zanzibar
- Southern Safari & Spice — a Tanzania safari with Zanzibar, which can finish on one of the island's emptier coasts. → Southern Safari & Spice