Old Pomene Hotel

The Old Pomene Hotel was built in 1964 in Mozambique after the shipwreck of the Portuguese ship Berea, a cargo ship carrying sugar. Recovery efforts led to the construction of a road to recover the cargo, which opened up the area to development.

The hotel was a popular holiday spot, especially with Samora Machel, who would become the nation’s first President after independence. Operating for only six years before being forcibly abandoned in 1974 during Mozambique’s War of Independence, a period that also saw it occupied by liberation troops. Today, the hotel is a ruin, with nature slowly reclaiming the land, though its former grandeur is still visible in the remains.  

Rumour also has it that Bob Dylan wrote the track ‘Mozambique’ on the piano in the lounge that overlooked the bay – however, this has never been confirmed and there are no official records of him ever having even visited. Of course, one should never let the facts get in the way of a good story and the lyrics are a pretty accurate description of the place:

‘And when it’s time for leaving Mozambique
To say goodbye to sand and sea
You turn around to take a final peek
And you see why it’s so unique to be
Among the lovely people living free
Upon the beach of sunny Mozambique’

A destination location for those with a bit of adventure wrapped into the budget – idyllic, with rustic accommodation nearby, many sandy tracks + a trip through a nature reserve will get you to somewhere special. Scouted pre-covid in 2020 for a project that is still on hold.