9 Zanzibar Hotels Where You Can Swim at Low Tide

Zanzibar's east coast has a tidal range that visitors find hard to believe until they see it. Twice a day the water withdraws across a shallow reef flat, and on a spring tide it can go out the better part of a kilometre, leaving wet sand, seaweed farms and pools where the sea was three hours earlier. Then it comes back.

It is genuinely interesting to walk out onto. It also means that on the east coast, swimming happens for a few hours around high tide and not otherwise, and the timing shifts by roughly fifty minutes a day.

Why the coast you pick decides the swimming

The east coast, from Michamvi down through Paje and Jambiani, has the whitest sand, the best kitesurfing and the strongest tidal effect. Resorts there are beautiful, the water is a colour that does not look real, and you plan your swims around a tide table.

The north coast, around Nungwi and Kendwa, is the exception. The reef configuration and the deeper water off the point mean the tide barely interrupts swimming; you can get in at any hour. It is busier, the sand is narrower in places, and it has the sunsets, because it is the only part of the island where the sun sets over the water.

The west coast around Stone Town has the history, the boats and the dhow harbour, and swimming that is beside the point.

Most people do not know any of this before they book, and it is the single most consequential thing about a Zanzibar trip.

The ten below are grouped by coast.

The north, for swimming at any hour

Nungwi and Kendwa. Tide-independent, sunset-facing, and the answer if getting in the sea whenever you like is the point.

Zuri Zanzibar occupies a garden estate on the Kendwa side with a long beach, an emphasis on sustainability and the most complete design of any resort on the island.

Essque Zalu Zanzibar sits on the Nungwi peninsula with a long jetty restaurant over the water, a spa and large grounds. It is the most comfortable large resort in the north.

The Mora Zanzibar - Luxury All Inclusive occupies a stretch of Nungwi beach with a contemporary interior, several pools and a young, sociable tone.

Hideaway of Nungwi Resort & Spa sits on the northern beach with villas, a spa and mature gardens, and it is the quietest of the northern group.

Hotel Riu Jambo - All Inclusive occupies a large site on Kendwa beach with a full all-inclusive operation and considerably lower rates than its neighbours.

The east, for the sand and the colour

Michamvi, Paje and Jambiani. The best beaches on the island and a tide table on the wall.

Baraza Resort & Spa Zanzibar sits at Bwejuu with large private villas, a spa and a level of service that is the best on the east coast. The tidal flat in front of it is spectacular at low water.

The Palms Zanzibar occupies a small site on the same stretch with a handful of villas, private pools and complete privacy.

Zanzibar White Sand Luxury Villas & Spa - Relais & Chateaux sits at Paje with white villas, a good restaurant and a design-led interior, on the stretch where the kitesurfing is.

Xanadu Luxury Villas & Retreat Zanzibar occupies the Michamvi peninsula on the western-facing side, which means both a sunset and a deeper channel, and it is the east coast property least affected by the tide.

Stone Town

Park Hyatt Zanzibar occupies a restored seafront palace on the Stone Town waterfront with a courtyard, a rooftop and a position among the carved doors and the alleys. Two nights here at the start or end of a trip is the right shape.

What we have left off

The guesthouses along the Paje and Jambiani strip are excluded, and they are the reason a lot of people love this island: cheap, friendly and directly on the sand. They are guesthouses rather than hotels, which is the standard applied throughout, and they sit on the most tide-affected stretch of coast.

What to do

Check the tide table on your first morning and plan the week around it. Every hotel has one at reception.

Walk out at low tide across the reef flat, ideally with someone who can explain the seaweed farming, which is run largely by women and is a significant part of the island's economy.

Go to Stone Town for the Old Fort, the House of Wonders area, the former slave market memorial at the Anglican cathedral, and the Forodhani night food market. Spice farm tours are touristy and genuinely informative.

Sail on a dhow at sunset. Swim with the dolphins at Kizimkazi only with an operator that keeps its distance; the practice has been badly handled historically.

Take a boat to Mnemba atoll for the best snorkelling and diving on the island.

Practical notes

Zanzibar airport is near Stone Town. Transfers to the north take about an hour, to the east 60 to 90 minutes.

June to October is the long dry season and the best window. December to February is hot and dry. The long rains run roughly March to May and many properties close.

Zanzibar is semi-autonomous within Tanzania and majority Muslim; cover shoulders and knees away from the beach, particularly in Stone Town. Ramadan changes hours substantially.

Malaria prophylaxis is generally advised; take medical advice for your circumstances.

Questions people actually ask

Is the tide really a problem?

On the east coast it restricts swimming to a window around high tide. It is not a problem if you know before booking and it is a shock if you do not.

North or east?

North for swimming at any hour and sunsets. East for the best sand, kitesurfing and quiet, with a tide table.

Is Stone Town worth staying in?

Two nights, yes. It is a UNESCO site and completely unlike the beaches.

How many nights?

Seven. Two in Stone Town and five on a beach, or straight to the coast for a week after a safari.

If you only book one

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