✦ Top pick
Nungwi is the best all-rounder for swimmable water, sunsets, and nightlife; choose Paje if you want kitesurfing and a young crowd, Matemwe for quiet luxury near Mnemba, or Jambiani for the most authentic, low-key village stay.
Zanzibar is really the island of Unguja, and once you have wandered Stone Town's carved-door alleys the best of the island lies in its string of small coastal towns and fishing villages. Each has its own personality: some are built for kitesurfers and full-moon parties, others for turtle sanctuaries, dolphin dawns, or doing absolutely nothing under a palm.
Everything here is within a two-hour drive of Stone Town, so you can day-trip or, better, base yourself in one for a few nights. Roads are paved and taxis or shared minibuses (dala-dalas) reach them all; a private transfer runs roughly $40 to $60 depending on distance.
This list is ranked best-first for an all-round visit, but read the 'best for' line on each: the right village for a kitesurfer is very different from the one for honeymooners or families. Tide matters too, since the east coast empties dramatically twice a day.
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1tours from $67Nungwi Google
Nungwi is Zanzibar's liveliest beach town and the one spot where the tide barely retreats, so you can actually swim at any hour, a rarity on the east coast. A former dhow-building village, it still launches hand-built boats from the sand while beach bars, dive shops, and seafood grills line the shore behind them. Sunset here is the island's best, watched from a rooftop with a cold Kilimanjaro beer. It gets busy and can feel developed, but that is the price of the convenience and the swimming.
- Sunset drinks at a cliffside beach bar
- Mnarani Marine Turtles Conservation Pond
- Traditional dhow-building yards on the sand
- Fresh grilled lobster and snapper at the beach shacks
Best for first-timers, sunsets, swimmable water, and nightlife
Getting there About 1.5 hours by taxi or private transfer from Stone Town (roughly $50), or by dala-dala
2tours from $110Paje Google
Paje is the kitesurfing capital of Zanzibar, a wide, shallow lagoon protected by a distant reef that turns into a playground of colorful kites when the trade winds blow (roughly June to September and December to February). The village has a young, international energy, with beach bars, yoga decks, smoothie cafes, and kite schools packed along the sand. When the tide goes out it exposes a vast turquoise flat you can walk for a mile. It is social and fun rather than pristine and remote.
- Beginner and advanced kitesurfing lessons
- Sunset drinks and DJs at Mr Kahawa or Paje by Night
- Walking the huge low-tide sandflats
- Nearby Kuza Cave freshwater swimming
Best for kitesurfers, solo travelers, and a lively young crowd
Getting there About 1 hour by taxi from Stone Town (roughly $45)
3tours from $124Matemwe Google
Matemwe is a long, quiet fishing village strung along the northeast coast, prized for being the closest launch point to the Mnemba Atoll, Zanzibar's best snorkeling and diving. It stays low-key and low-rise, with a handful of excellent boutique hotels and eco-lodges rather than big resorts. Days revolve around morning boat trips out to the atoll's coral gardens and afternoons watching seaweed farmers work the tidal flats. It suits travelers who want beauty and calm without the party.
- Snorkeling and diving trips to Mnemba Atoll
- Watching seaweed farmers at low tide
- Sundowners at a quiet beach lodge
- Dhow sailing excursions
Best for quiet luxury, honeymooners, snorkelers and divers
Getting there About 1.5 hours by taxi from Stone Town (roughly $55)
4tours from $150Jambiani Google
Jambiani is the most authentic-feeling beach village on Zanzibar, a working Swahili community where daily life (seaweed harvesting, fishing, women drying the catch) unfolds right on the sand alongside a growing string of small guesthouses. The beach is a dazzling white, the water shifts from milky green to deep blue, and the pace is slow. It is cheaper than Nungwi and far less commercial, with home-cooked Swahili meals and community-run tours. Come for genuine village texture rather than resort polish.
- Seaweed farming and Swahili cooking experiences
- Blue Lagoon snorkeling at high tide
- Long barefoot walks along the fishing beach
- Kuza Cave and local village tours
Best for budget travelers, culture seekers, and a low-key village stay
Getting there About 1.25 hours by taxi from Stone Town (roughly $50)
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5tours from $45Kendwa Google
A short walk (or quick boat) south of Nungwi, Kendwa shares the same tide-immune, swim-any-time water but feels a touch more relaxed and resort-oriented. It faces west, so it delivers the same fiery sunsets without Nungwi's dhow-yard bustle. Kendwa is famous for its monthly Full Moon Party at Kendwa Rocks, a rite of passage for the island's backpacker and party crowd. Otherwise it is a place to swim, laze, and dine by the water.
- All-day swimming (no dramatic low tide)
- The monthly Full Moon Party at Kendwa Rocks
- West-facing sunset views
- Kayaking and quad tours along the coast
Best for swimmers, sunset lovers, and party nights
Getting there About 1.5 hours by taxi from Stone Town (roughly $50)
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6Kizimkazi Google
Kizimkazi is a pair of fishing hamlets on the island's far south, best known for two things: dawn boat trips to see resident pods of bottlenose and humpback dolphins, and the Kizimkazi Dimbani Mosque, one of the oldest Islamic buildings in East Africa with a Kufic inscription dated to 1107. It is quiet, uncrowded, and genuinely off the standard beach-town circuit. Go early for the dolphins (and choose an ethical operator that keeps distance rather than chasing). The coastline here is rugged and low-key.
- Early-morning dolphin boat trips
- The 12th-century Kizimkazi Dimbani Mosque
- Quiet reef snorkeling
- A break from the tourist crowds
Best for dolphin watching, history, and escaping the crowds
Getting there About 1.25 hours by taxi from Stone Town (roughly $50)
7tours from $150Michamvi Google
On the peninsula that separates Paje's lagoon from Chwaka Bay, Michamvi is calmer and more upscale than its neighbors, and it has a rare trick for the east coast: because it faces west across the bay, you can watch the sun set over the water. The beaches at Michamvi Kae are quiet and picture-perfect, with a few smart lodges and beach clubs. Just south lies The Rock, the much-photographed restaurant perched on a coral outcrop that is reachable on foot at low tide and by boat at high tide.
- Rare east-coast sunsets over Chwaka Bay
- Lunch or drinks at The Rock restaurant (book ahead)
- Quiet, uncrowded beaches at Michamvi Kae
- Sunset beach clubs
Best for couples, sunset views, and a quieter upscale base
Getting there About 1.5 hours by taxi from Stone Town (roughly $55)
8Bwejuu Google
Bwejuu sits just north of Paje but trades the kite crowds for near-total peace, a broad palm-backed beach where you may share the sand with only seaweed farmers and the occasional ox cart. There is little to 'do' here, which is exactly the point: it is for reading, swimming at high tide, and slow beach walks between the villages. A scattering of guesthouses and small hotels keeps it intimate and affordable. Rent a bike to explore the coast road toward Paje or the Michamvi Peninsula.
- Empty, palm-fringed beach walks
- Cycling the quiet coast road to Paje
- Seaweed farms and village life
- Easy access to Jozani Forest inland
Best for quiet, relaxation, and travelers who want to do nothing
Getting there About 1.25 hours by taxi from Stone Town (roughly $50)
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✦ Good to know
Before you go
Mind the tidesThe east coast (Paje, Jambiani, Bwejuu, Matemwe) sees dramatic low tides that pull the sea far out for hours, leaving seagrass flats rather than swimmable water. Check a tide table before you plan swims, or base yourself in the north (Nungwi, Kendwa) where you can swim any time.
Getting aroundPrivate taxis are the easiest way between villages and cost roughly $40 to $60 per trip; agree the fare before setting off. Shared dala-dala minibuses are cheap but slow, and many hotels arrange transfers.
When to goThe long dry season (June to October) is peak and reliably sunny; the short dry spell in January and February is also excellent. Kitesurfers should target June to September or December to February for the best wind, while the long rains (mid-March to May) see many east-coast places quiet down or close.
Dress and etiquetteZanzibar is predominantly Muslim, so cover shoulders and knees away from the beach and in villages, especially near mosques. Beachwear is fine on resort sand but not in town.
Book The Rock aheadThe Rock restaurant near Michamvi is extremely popular and small; reserve in advance and check the day's tide, as you walk out at low tide but need a boat at high tide.
Zanzibar rewards those who pick a village that matches their mood, whether that is Nungwi's swimmable sunsets, Paje's kites, or Matemwe's quiet coral. Base yourself in one for a few nights rather than rushing them all, and let the tides set your rhythm. Pair a couple of nights in Stone Town with a beach village of your choosing and you have the ideal Zanzibar week.
Frequently asked questions
Which town near Zanzibar is best for a day trip from Stone Town?
Nungwi is the best day trip for beach and swimming (about 1.5 hours each way), while Jozani Forest, Kuza Cave, and Paje combine well into a single east-coast day. If you want dolphins, Kizimkazi in the south is a good early-morning trip.
Which Zanzibar beach village is quietest?
Bwejuu and Matemwe are the quietest, with wide empty beaches and low-key lodges rather than nightlife. Jambiani is also relaxed but has a bit more village activity and budget guesthouses.
Where can you actually swim at any time on Zanzibar?
Nungwi and Kendwa on the north coast have deep water close to shore and are not affected by the extreme low tides that empty the east-coast lagoons, so you can swim throughout the day.
Which village is best for kitesurfing?
Paje is Zanzibar's kitesurfing hub, with a wide shallow lagoon, many kite schools, and reliable trade winds roughly from June to September and December to February.
How far are the beach towns from Zanzibar airport and Stone Town?
Most are within a 1 to 1.5 hour drive of Stone Town and Abeid Amani Karume International Airport. The north (Nungwi, Kendwa) and northeast (Matemwe) are the farthest at around 1.5 hours; the east and south coasts are typically 1 to 1.25 hours.
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