The city of Bagamoyo was built at the end of the 1800s. The village Kaole, which dates back to the 8th century, is connected to it. Bagamoyo used to be the capital of German East Africa and one of the most important places for trade on the coast of East Africa.

The History of Bagamoyo

Two churches and 30 graves from the 1300s can be found in the ruins of Kaole. About three to five miles north of Kaole, the village began to grow around the year 1600. In the 1800s, this area became more prosperous. The name Bagamoyo comes from the fact that it was an important stop for camel trade. The name itself means “relief and rest.” Before the 18th century, it was a small trade hub where most of the people lived as fishermen and farmers.

Business trade

Fish, salt, and rubber were the most important goods to sell. The city grew into a hub for the ivory and slave trade in the first half of the 1800s. On their way to Zanzibar, traders came from the middle of Africa. This tells you what the word Bagamoyo (Bwaga-Moyo) means. It means “lay down your heart” in Kiswahili. The name could have come from the fact that the city was a hub for the slave trade (“give up all hope”). Or because of the porters who took a break in Bagamoyo after bringing 35 pounds of goods from the Great Lakes region (“unload and rest”).

A lot of European explorers, like Richard Burton, Henry Morton Stanley, and David Livingstone, started and finished their trips here. Freedom Village was built by French missionaries in 1868 in Bagamoyo as a place for freed slaves to stay. The town was used as a stopover for missionaries going upstream from Zanzibar for the rest of the century. In 1905, the German Empire chose to build a railway from Dar Es Salaam to the interior. This made Bagamoyo less important, and now it is mostly used to build dhow sailboats.

The government is trying to bring the city back to life and protect the colonial ruins in and around Bagamoyo. The slow pace and interesting past of Bagamoyo make it a nice place to visit for the day or over the weekend.

It takes two hours to drive from Dar Es Salaam to Bagamoyo.

4.5 hours by car to get from Saadani National Park to Bagamoyo

The best time to go to Bagamoyo

Between June and October, when it’s dry, is the best time to go because it doesn’t rain much during that time. The skies are clear right now, and the water is a beautiful sapphire blue with azure highlights. The Bagamoyo Arts Festival, which takes place every year in late September or early October, is the main event.

Here are some travel tips from our pros about Bagamoyo.
My name is Hassan, and I’ve been a guide in Bagamoyo for 13 years. People mostly come here because of the past of Tanzania in the area. Their steps take them back to a time when Sultans ran the country and slaves were sold and sent to other countries.

How long are you staying? 1-2 days

Which hotel?

Flame (Silver)
The Golden Millennium Sea Breeze Resort
Island of Lazy Lagoon (Platinum)