Matema Beach Mbeya

A beautiful spot on Lake Malawi

Matema Beach is approx 130 kms from Mbeya on the Northern tip of Lake Malawi, overlooked by the Livingstone mountains. The road from Mbeya takes you through high mountains, small villages, banana plantations and tea estates.

This is the closest thing to a resort on the Tanzanian shore of the Lake but not one that gets over-run by tourists. There are several choices of good clean accommodation. 

You can hire dugout canoes or kayaks, explore Pango Cave and see the wildlife around the swampy Lufirio River Mouth to the West of the town. Hiking in the Livingstone Mountains. The region is well known for its distinctive Kisi pottery which is sold throughout the area.

Heading further South

For the more intrepid traveler we can head down the Eastern side of Lake Malawi towards the Mozambique border to the quiet area around the village of Mbamba Bay. We can take the slow overland route to get here or the ferry down from the North. For those heading further South, the ferry travels onwards to Nkhata Bay in Malawi.

Location of Matema beach: Matema beach is located a short distance outside Kyela town of Mbeya – Tanzania. The beach is remote but also frequented by a few people of Mbeya region visiting one of the only beaches in the area. It also lies on the northern most tip of Lake Nyasa with a few large hotels and safari camps located on it for convenience in accommodation.