Car Rental at Maputo Airport

Airport travel guide

Mozambique might not be as popular a tourist destination as its famous neighbor, South Africa, but those who visit this Portuguese-speaking country are not going to be disappointed. Located in the far south of the country, the capital, Maputo, is Mozambique’s cultural center and also provides access to some lovely beaches and nature. These are five of the best places to visit in and around it:

• Natural History Museum. Compact and cozy, this museum celebrates the fascinating flora and fauna of Mozambique, making it one of the most interesting cultural institutions in the capital. Although most of the exposition is in Portuguese, it is still a fun place to visit for the whole family as exhibits include full-size elephants and various other taxidermied elephants. The museum is a short walk from the Valentine (or Namorados) Garden, so both places can be visited on the same visit.
• Nossa Senhora da Conceição de Lourenço Marques. Also known by its less challenging colloquial name, Maputo Fort, is one of the capital’s most important historical landmarks. Established by the Dutch and historically held by English pirates, the Austrians, and the Portuguese, it is a monument of Mozambique’s turbulent colonial past. Nowadays, the fort complex provides a home to several museums. Within walking distance, you’ll find Maputo’s historic central railway station, a must-visit if you enjoy Beaux-Arts style architecture or want to see some of the old steam locomotives on display.
• Tunduru Gardens. Mozambique is home to some truly stunning nature, and you have to travel outside the capital to get the most out of it – more on that below – but lovely pickets of green can also be found within the city borders. One of the best such places is the Tunduru Gardens, a small, but very beautiful nature preserve dedicated to the fascinating flora of Mozambique.
• Casa de Ferro (Iron House). Also a highlight in Maputo, the prefabricated iron building was imported from Belgium and reassembled in 1892. It is often said that it was designed by Gustave Eiffel, but this is likely not true. It was intended to be the residence of the Governor of the District of Lourenço Marques but was never inhabited. Instead, it served as the seat of a variety of local and national institutions throughout its existence.
• Maputo Special Reserve. Although not especially easy to get to – it is nearly three hours away and might involve some off-road driving, which is why some tourists prefer to visit on an organized tour — the Special Reserve is a fascinating place. Previously known as the Maputo Elephant Park, its wetlands and mangrove forests remain home to a small group of coastal elephants, as well as a variety of other tropical flora and fauna. 

Top international routes

• Johannesburg
• Beira
• Nampula
• Tete
• Quelimane
• Chimoio
• Pemba
• Addis Ababa
• Doha
• Durban

Main airlines

LAM Mozambique Airlines, Fastjet Mozambique, South African Airways, Ethiopian Airlines, Moçambique Expresso, Kenya Airways, Airlink, CemAir, Qatar Airways, TAP Air Portugal, and TAAG Angola Airlines

Terminals

The domestic terminal and the international terminal are not connected to one another, but you can easily walk between them via a walking path.

Location

Maputo Airport is just 3 km (1.8 mi) northwest of downtown Maputo. Av. Acordos de Lusaka, Av. Filipe Samuel Magaia, and Av. Ho Chi Min are the main roads connecting the airport to the city.

Car rental desks

Many are in the arrivals hall. The exact location of your car rental provider's desk will be listed on your Confirmation Voucher.

Services and facilities

You’ll find cafeterias, restaurants, a small variety of shops (including duty-free outlets), ATMs, banks, a currency exchange, and a couple of nearby hotels. Travelers with reduced mobility are advised to contact their airline in advance to find out about the help they can receive at the airport.

Nearest gas station

A GALP station on Alemada do Aeroporto is located within 1km and can be reached in about 5 minutes.

Popular one-way rentals

• Vilankulo (649 km / 403 mi)
• Beira (1,212 km / 753 mi)
• Nampula (2,094 km / 1,351 mi)
• Mbabane (218 km / 135 mi)
• Johannesburg (550 km / 342 mi)
• Durban (600 km / 373 mi)