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Mtwara, Tanzania
Mtwara is a regional capital of 140,793 people in Mtwara, Tanzania, founded in 1971.
Why visit Mtwara
Townapedia lists 6 parks and trails, 17 places to eat and 21 places to stay in and around town.
Weather in Mtwara
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Mtwara
Mtwara (Portuguese: Montewara) is the capital city of Mtwara Region in southeastern Tanzania. In the 1940s, it was planned and constructed as the export facility for the disastrous Tanganyika groundnut scheme, but was somewhat neglected when the scheme was abandoned in 1951. The city is spread out over a large area planned to accommodate up to 200,000 people. The present population is around 141,000.
From the Wikipedia article Mtwara (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Travel tips from other travellers: Mtwara on Wikivoyage (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Parks, trails and playgrounds6
Restaurants and cafes17
5 more on the map.
Where to stay21
New Mnaida Guest House
Motel and hotel · 1.7 km
Single 10.000 TZS, Self contained 12.000 TZS (July 2016)
P.O. Box 11 Mtwara
9 more on the map.
Churches and places of worship10
More about Mtwara
Geography
Due to close proximity to the equator and the warm Indian Ocean, the city experiences tropical climatic conditions similar to all Tanzanian coastal cities. The city experiences hot and humid weather throughout much of the year and has a tropical wet and dry climate (Köppen: Aw). Annual rainfall is approximately 1,024 mm (40 in), and in a normal year the rainy season lasts from November to April/May and the dry season from then until late October.
Economy
Mtwara might be the port for the export of iron ore and coal. There are plans to build a railway linking Mtwara with Lindi and mines at Mchuchuma and Liganga via Songea.
In the year 2003, there were proposals for transporting coal from the Ludewa and Njombe regions respectively by rail to the port of Mtwara in Southern Tanzania as part of the Mtwara Development Corridor project.
Mtwara hosts a branch of the Dangote Cement Public Limited Company and a medium scale cement factory owned by Chinese at Mikindani called Lulu Cement.
From the Wikipedia article Mtwara, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Notable people from Mtwara
Ambwene Allen YessayahTanzanian musician and businessmanPhoto: Peter Bennett / ZIFF, CC BY 2.0- Nizar KhalfanTanzanian footballer
- Stephen O'BrienBritish politician (born 1957)
- Omari NyenjeTanzanian footballer
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Born in Mtwara, according to Wikidata (CC0). Each name links to its Wikipedia article.
Shopping2
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries18
Healthcare3
Map of Mtwara
78 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Mtwara Airport (MYW) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 8 km away.
- Madimba 22 km southeast, about 22 min by car
- Lindi 59 km northwest, about 59 min by car
- Nanyamba 60 km southwest, about 1 h by car
- Mingoyo 64 km west, about 1 h by car
- Kitama 70 km southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Tandahimba 81 km southwest, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Mtama 89 km west, about 1 h 30 min by car
- Namikupa 90 km southwest, about 1 h 30 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Keep exploring
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Mtwara-jour, Michel Sautel - VonTasha, CC BY 3.0
- Mtwara-nuit, Michel Sautel - VonTasha, CC BY-SA 3.0
- Precision Air ATR-42 (5H-PWF) at Mtwara Airport, Keith Parkinson, CC BY-SA 2.0
Page built November 10, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.