Ngazidja · 16 places
Volo Volo market, lava and white sand beaches, sultans' towns and little-known villages: our addresses for experiencing Ngazidja like the people who live there.
Grande Comore is best explored by car or shared taxi, making trips out from Moroni: the north coast and its beaches, the south and its ancient towns, Karthala in the centre. Local people will gladly point you in the right direction: don't hesitate to ask.
Moroni, Volo Volo district
The capital's great covered market is the best place to experience Moroni unfiltered: seasonal fruit and vegetables, fish, spices, vanilla, colourful fabrics, perfumes, utensils… The stalls spill over into the neighbouring streets, where villagers and town traders rub shoulders.
Tip: Come in the morning, when the choice is widest, with small notes in Comorian francs. For vanilla, choose supple, glossy pods, and compare several stalls before buying.
Moroni and the island's villages
The kofia, the hand-embroidered cap worn by men, takes many hours of work; gold jewellery, given at the grand marriage, is the island's other great craft. Both can be found at the market and in the shops of central Moroni.
Tip: A hand-embroidered kofia can be recognised by the delicacy and regularity of its patterns: it costs considerably more than a factory-made one.
All over the island
Grilled fish or lobster, mataba (cassava leaves in coconut milk), fragrant pilau, green bananas and breadfruit: Comorian cuisine is generous. In the evening, kebabs grilled by the roadside are a popular meeting point. Read: Comorian cuisine.
Tip: During Ramadan, the small eateries open mainly after the fast is broken, at sunset.
A few kilometres north of Moroni
A former sultanate capital built on a rocky promontory, Itsandra retains sections of ramparts, defensive towers and a palace of lava blocks. Below lies a white-sand beach where Moroni families come to swim at weekends.
Tip: Early in the morning or late in the afternoon, the light is superb and the beach quieter.
Mitsamiouli, north coast
White sand, black volcanic rocks and coconut palms: the Mitsamiouli area has some of the island's finest beaches, including Maloudja. The water is usually calm and clear, and the fishermen's canoes are pulled up on the sand.
Tip: The dry season (May to November) is the most pleasant time for swimming. Bring water and a hat: the wild beaches have few facilities.
East coast of the island
On the east coast, the white sand of Chomoni stands out against the lava rocks and greenery. The rocky and coral seabed attracts snorkellers.
Tip: Bring water shoes for the rocky stretches.
North of the island
Nestled in dense vegetation, Bouni beach offers white sand, blue water, a few snack bars and a volleyball court: a favourite with local people for family outings.
Tip: On weekdays, you will often have the beach almost to yourself.
North of the island, near Mitsamiouli
An old crater filled with brackish water, Niamawi, which tradition says is inhabited by djinns; not far away, the cove of the Trou du Prophète. Two sites and two legends: Lac Salé and the Trou du Prophète.
Tip: Combine the two sites with a swim at Mitsamiouli on the same day.
See the place page
Centre and south of the island
The active volcano (2,361 m) is climbed in two days with a bivouac, through the forest and then the heathland, up to the immense caldera of nested craters.
Tip: Go with a local guide, plenty of water and warm clothes: nights are cold at the summit.
See the place page
Hambou, 18 km south of Moroni
On 5 April 1977, a lava flow from Karthala destroyed about 80% of the village (293 houses), without causing any deaths: only the Friday mosque and the hospital were spared. The inhabitants rebuilt Singani on the cooled lava, using volcanic stone.
Tip: Stop as you drive along the southern road: the black lava flow runs right down to the sea.
Moroni, seafront
Behind the Friday Mosque and its white minaret, the alleys of the medina wind between stone houses, carved doors and small neighbourhood mosques. The old harbour, where dhows once came ashore, comes to life at the end of the day.
Tip: Cover your shoulders and knees near the mosques, and always ask before photographing someone.
See the place page
North-east of the island
The village is known for its small “miraculous” mosque, which tradition says was built by the djinns in a single night, and for its peaceful beach. Read the legend: The mosque built in one night.
Tip: Combine the visit with nearby Lac Salé.
Badjini, south of the island
A former royal town and the main town of Badjini: its public square (bangwe), the ruins of the sultans' palace and the goba la salama, the gateway through which young warriors passed before battle. Foumbouni is renowned for its women potters, and ngalawa canoes line its beaches.
Tip: Bring back a piece of pottery: it is the local speciality.
5 km south of Moroni
The former capital of Bambao, Iconi retains its ramparts and mosques at the foot of an old crater. Tradition associates it with the memory of the women who chose to throw themselves from the cliff rather than be captured: The women of Iconi.
See the place page
North-west coast
The town that tradition links to Mtswa Mwindza, the archipelago's first convert to Islam, has kept a long rampart facing the ocean: built against the raids, it now protects the town from storms. Read: Mtswa Mwindza and the light of Islam.
See the place page
Moroni
Founded in 1979, the National Centre for Documentation and Scientific Research houses the National Museum, opened in 1989: history, archaeology and religion, volcanology, oceanography (with the coelacanth) and anthropology. It also brings together the National Archives and Library and the Karthala observatory.
Tip: An ideal visit at the start of your stay, to understand the island before exploring it, or on a rainy day.
No spot matches these filters.