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Aerial view of Kendwa Beach in Zanzibar with turquoise water, white sand, catamarans and a palm-lined shore.

Beaches

The Best Beaches in Zanzibar

From the lively north coast to the quiet east — find the right stretch of white sand for your trip.

Zanzibar's coastline is one of the most beautiful in the Indian Ocean: powder-white sand, warm turquoise water, and palm-fringed shores wrapped around the whole island. But not every beach is the same. The north coast around Nungwi and Kendwa has deep water at all tides and a lively, social scene, while the east coast at Paje and Jambiani is shaped by dramatic tides and steady trade winds that make it a world-class kitesurfing destination.

This guide breaks down the island's best beaches by region and by what each one is best for — swimming, diving, kitesurfing, seclusion, or nightlife — so you can match the right stretch of coast to the kind of trip you want.

A local Zanzibari woman in a colourful kanga gathering a fishing net on a sunlit tidal beach.

Jambiani Beach, Zanzibar

Jambiani is a quiet authentic fishing village south of Paje, with seaweed farms, a sweeping tidal beach, and genuine Swahili community life.

A traveller relaxing on a sunbed beneath a thatched palm umbrella on a quiet Zanzibar beach.

Kendwa Beach, Zanzibar

Kendwa offers wide deep-water sands and legendary Full Moon parties just south of Nungwi, with a calmer, more relaxed atmosphere.

Palm trees and thatched umbrellas on the white sand of Paje Beach beside the turquoise Indian Ocean.

Kiwengwa Beach, Zanzibar

Kiwengwa is a long east-coast beach fronted by a shallow reef lagoon, home to Zanzibar's largest all-inclusive resorts and steady trade winds.

Two Maasai men in red shuka robes walking along a white-sand Zanzibar beach with wooden dhow boats offshore.

Matemwe Beach, Zanzibar

Matemwe is a relaxed northeast beach and the closest base for Mnemba Atoll diving — one of East Africa's premier reef snorkelling destinations.

Aerial view of Kendwa Beach in Zanzibar with turquoise water, white sand, catamarans and a palm-lined shore.

Michamvi Beach, Zanzibar

Michamvi peninsula faces west for spectacular bay sunsets, sits near The Rock restaurant, and offers calm water in a rarely crowded setting.

Aerial view of Kendwa Beach in Zanzibar with turquoise water, white sand, catamarans and a palm-lined shore.

Mnemba Island & Atoll, Zanzibar

Zanzibar's premier snorkelling and diving destination — a private island ringed by a protected marine atoll teeming with turtles and coral.

Aerial view of Kendwa Beach in Zanzibar with turquoise water, white sand, catamarans and a palm-lined shore.

Nungwi Beach, Zanzibar

Nungwi is Zanzibar's liveliest beach — deep water at all tides, vivid sunsets, dhow builders, and the island's best nightlife.

Palm trees and thatched umbrellas on the white sand of Paje Beach beside the turquoise Indian Ocean.

Paje Beach, Zanzibar

Paje is Zanzibar's kitesurfing capital — a wide southeast beach with consistent trade winds, dramatic tides, and a young backpacker vibe.

A traveller relaxing on a sunbed beneath a thatched palm umbrella on a quiet Zanzibar beach.

Pongwe Beach, Zanzibar

Pongwe is Zanzibar's most secluded east-coast cove — calm, shallow, crowd-free water perfect for honeymooners and anyone seeking quiet.