Mafia Island Tanzania is a quiet archipelago off the Rufiji Delta, about 30 minutes by light aircraft from Dar es Salaam, where you can swim with whale sharks from October to March, snorkel the reefs of Chole Bay and sail by dhow to islands with ruined Swahili towns. It sits on the old Swahili Coast that runs along the Tanzanian and Kenyan shoreline, and it belongs to the mainland, not to Zanzibar.
Days here follow the tide and the dhow captains. Most islanders fish or farm, there is little traffic, and evenings end early. If you want reef time and empty sandbanks, Mafia fits. If you want beach bars and late nights, Zanzibar is the better match.
Where is Mafia Island Tanzania?
Mafia lies in the Indian Ocean south of Dar es Salaam, separated from the Rufiji River delta by the 20 km wide Mafia Channel. The main island is about 49 km (30 miles) long and up to 17 km (10.6 miles) wide, covering roughly 394 km². Around it sit smaller islands such as Chole, Juani and Jibondo, plus sandbanks and uninhabited coral islets.
Administratively, the archipelago is Mafia District in the Pwani Region, with a population of about 66,000 at the 2022 census. Kilindoni on the west coast is the main town and the place where the airstrip and the mainland ferry are. Chole Bay on the east coast is the old deep-water harbor, sheltered by reefs and by Juani Island, and it is where most of the diving and snorkeling happens.
Mafia has been on trade routes since at least the 8th century, when Arab boats called here on the run between East Africa and Asia. Chole Mjini, the small town on Chole Island, once controlled trade that came up the coast through Kilwa. Germany took control of the island under an 1890 treaty with the Sultan of Zanzibar, and British troops landed in January 1915 to use Mafia as a base against the German cruiser Königsberg in the Rufiji Delta.
How to get to Mafia Island
By plane
The quickest way is by flights either from Zanzibar or from Dar es Salaam. Auric Air, Tropical Air and Coastal Aviation fly small aircraft to Mafia Airport near Kilindoni. The hop from Dar es Salaam takes about 30 minutes, and from Zanzibar or the Nyerere (Selous) area about 45 minutes. Luggage limits on these planes are tight, so pack in a soft bag and check the allowance with your airline.
Lodges on Chole Bay usually meet you at the airstrip. Plan on another 30 minutes by road, plus a short boat ride if you stay on Chole itself.
By road and ferry
On a budget, you can take a bus from Dar es Salaam to Nyamisati on the coast and then a ferry to Kilindoni on Mafia, a crossing of about 4.5 hours. Boats have typically left Nyamisati in the afternoon, and tickets are sold in advance at the Nyamisati port. Departures depend on which boats are running, so check current departure times locally before you set off.
Entry rules to sort before you fly
Mafia is part of mainland Tanzania, so mainland entry rules apply. Most Western travelers need a visa, best applied for online through the official eVisa portal at visa.immigration.go.tz. Since 1 October 2026, every visitor entering mainland Tanzania also needs the government’s mandatory inbound travel insurance, USD 44 per adult and USD 22 per child, bought before departure or on arrival. Your own travel insurance does not replace it.
If you arrive from a country with yellow fever risk, Kenya included, you need a yellow fever certificate. Our health guide to East Africa safaris covers vaccinations and malaria prevention, both relevant on the coast too.
Diving and snorkeling in Mafia Island Marine Park
Mafia Island Marine Park was set up in 1995 as Tanzania’s first multi-user marine park, which means people still live and fish inside it under park rules. It covers about 822 km² of reef, mangrove and open water around Chole Bay, the island’s southeast coast and the islands of Chole, Juani and Jibondo. Fishing pressure from dynamite and destructive nets in earlier decades is why the park exists, and studies inside it have found far more snapper than on fished reefs nearby.
Inside Chole Bay the reefs are shallow and calm, good for snorkeling and for a first open-water course. Outside the bay, a coral wall drops away for experienced divers, with large table corals, groupers, rays and the odd reef shark. A long reef also runs down much of the island’s east side, from Tutia reef in the south toward Ras Mkumbi at the northern tip.
Every visitor pays a daily park fee, around USD 23.60 per adult per day in recent years, and it is collected by card only. Check current fees with the Marine Parks and Reserves Unit or your lodge before you arrive.
Swimming with whale sharks off Kilindoni
Whale sharks gather close to shore in the bay off Kilindoni between October and March, when the water is full of plankton. Researchers who ran 103 boat surveys there from October 2012 to March 2013 counted 87 individual sharks, with sightings peaking in December and dropping to zero by March. Almost all were young animals between 4 and 10 meters long, feeding on dense swarms of tiny shrimp, and many of them return year after year.
Because the sharks stay in a small part of the bay, trips are short and you spend most of the time in the water rather than searching. You snorkel at the surface while the shark feeds below or beside you. Go with an operator that keeps boat numbers low and swimmers at a respectful distance, and skip touching or chasing the animals.
Turtle nesting on Juani Island
Green turtles nest on the eastern beaches of Juani Island, the largest green turtle rookery recorded in Tanzania and the site of about 60% of the green turtle nests in the marine park. Nesting peaks in April and May, with an average of around 124 nests a year. Hawksbill turtles nest in small numbers at Juani’s southern tip. The Tanzanian NGO Sea Sense trains local villagers to patrol the beaches every morning, and some lodges can arrange a visit when hatchlings are due.
Dhow trips to Chole, Juani and Jibondo
Lodges and local boatmen run excursions to the smaller islands in traditional dhows. Trips are timed to the tide, since several channels and sandbanks are only passable at certain hours. Half a day is enough for Chole. A full day lets you combine Juani with a sandbank picnic.
Chole Island
Chole is a short boat ride across the bay from the main island, and footpaths lead you around it. The old town of Chole Mjini is mostly ruins now, including buildings left from the German colonial period. The paths also take you past the market area, the boatyard where dhows are built and repaired, and the village where Chole’s residents live today. Chole is known for its colony of flying foxes, large fruit bats (the Comoro flying fox) that roost in the trees and are protected.
Juani and the Kua ruins
Juani, the larger island that shelters Chole Bay, holds the ruins of Kua, once one of the main towns of the archipelago. In the mid-1820s, raiders from Madagascar arrived in about 80 canoes, killed many of the inhabitants and enslaved the rest, and the town never recovered. The site was documented in 3D by the Zamani Project in 2018. A visit is often combined with a swim in the island’s mangrove-lined channels.
Jibondo
Jibondo, south of Juani, is one of the archipelago’s larger inhabited islands and sees few visitors. Going with a local guide is the respectful way to visit, since there is no tourist infrastructure and village life carries on as usual.
Kilindoni, Utende and the main island
Back on Mafia, you can browse the local markets in Utende and Kilindoni, where islanders shop for fish and produce. Inland, the island is a patchwork of coconut plantations, mango and cashew trees, big baobabs and mangrove creeks that survive in salty tidal water. At the northern tip, the lighthouse at Ras Mkumbi stands on a low coral cliff about 4.5 meters above the sea.
Birders should bring binoculars. A 115,000-hectare area around Chole Bay and the southern coast is listed as an Important Bird Area, with crab plovers, Terek sandpipers and western reef egrets feeding on the tidal flats. Sport fishing is possible outside the marine park, and most lodges can put you in touch with a boat.
Best time to visit Mafia Island
The dry season runs from about July to October, with calm seas and good visibility for diving. October usually sees only around 35 mm of rain. The long rains fall from March to May, peaking in April at close to 480 mm, and some lodges close for part of that period, so check before booking. Temperatures stay warm all year, averaging around 25 to 28°C.
For whale sharks, aim for October to February, with December usually the strongest month. October and November combine dry weather with the start of the whale shark season. Turtle hatchlings on Juani emerge roughly two months after the April and May nesting peak.
Hotels on Mafia Island
Most places to stay are small lodges on Chole Bay near Utende, close to the marine park reefs, with a few simpler guesthouses in Kilindoni. Search for hotels and resorts on Mafia Island in Tanzania below:
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is it called Mafia Island?
The name has nothing to do with organized crime. It is usually traced to the Arabic word morfiyeh, meaning a group or archipelago, or to the Swahili phrase mahali pa afya, “a healthy dwelling place.” Neither origin is certain.
Is Mafia Island part of Zanzibar?
No. Mafia belongs to mainland Tanzania and is governed from the Pwani Region, while Zanzibar is a semi-autonomous archipelago with its own government. In practice this means you buy the mainland inbound insurance if Mafia or Dar es Salaam is your first stop, and the Zanzibar policy if you land in Zanzibar first. One policy covers a trip that includes both.
How many days do you need on Mafia Island?
Four or five nights give you time for one whale shark trip, two or three dives or snorkel outings, a dhow day to Chole and Juani and a spare day for weather. Boat trips depend on tide and wind, so a buffer day helps. Many travelers add Mafia to the end of a southern Tanzania safari, since flights connect the two.
Can you swim with whale sharks on Mafia Island without diving?
Yes. Whale shark trips off Kilindoni are snorkeling trips, and the sharks feed near the surface, so you only need to be comfortable swimming in open water with a mask and fins. Operators usually provide gear and life jackets for weaker swimmers.
Do you need cash on Mafia Island?
Bring a card for the marine park fee, which is collected by card only, and some US dollars or Tanzanian shillings for tips, markets and village visits. Card payment is not accepted everywhere on a small island, so withdraw enough cash in Dar es Salaam before you fly.
More Tanzania travel tips
- Kilimanjaro, Crater Rims and Whale Sharks: Falling for Tanzania
- Where to go Snorkeling in Zanzibar
- Udzungwa Mountains National Park
- Zanzibar Nightlife: The Island’s Magical Nightlife
- All Tanzania travel guides
