Where is Zanzibar? Location, islands, history and people

Zanzibar is two large islands, Unguja and Pemba, plus many small ones¹. Stone Town, the old heart of the capital, is on the western coast of Unguja, the main island of the Zanzibar Archipelago³.

Here’s how the pieces fit together:

• The Tanzanian mainland lies to the southwest⁴.
• Pemba Island lies to the north⁴ of Unguja.
• Smaller islands sit off Unguja’s coast: Tumbatu in the northwest, Uzi in the south and Mnemba Atoll in the northeast⁴.
• Mnemba Island is about 3 km⁵ off Unguja’s north-east coast.

Zoom out and Tanzania itself is bordered by Uganda to the northwest, Kenya to the northeast and the Indian Ocean to the east⁶. The Zanzibar archipelago map guide puts the islands, towns and beaches on a single map.

Zanzibar is famous for its history, culture, archaeological sites and white sand beaches⁴. In practice, that comes down to a handful of things:

• Spices: Zanzibar, the Spice Island⁴, was an important stop in the spice trade. Cardamom, ginger, cloves and nutmeg⁴ are among the spices grown.
• Work on the islands: the main industries are spices, raffia and tourism¹.
• Reefs and beaches: Unguja has sandy beaches with fringing coral reefs¹. On the east coast, VOI Kiwengwa Resort says you can walk out to the reef at low tide⁸.
• Forest: Jozani Forest has nature trails⁴.

You reach Zanzibar by sea or by air:

• Many ferries and catamarans⁴ run between Dar es Salaam and Zanzibar.
• Abeid Amani Karume International Airport (ZNZ) is the main airport of the Zanzibar Archipelago, on Unguja Island¹³.
• The airport is about 5 km⁴ south of Zanzibar City.

The ferry and flight options from Dar es Salaam page has routes and operators.