Maputo grew around a Portuguese fort completed in 1787 on the west side of Maputo Bay, and was named Lourenço Marques after the navigator sent to explore the bay in 1544. It became the colonial capital in 1898, after the railway to the Witwatersrand gold fields made it a port for the Transvaal, and was renamed Maputo in 1976 following independence in 1975. The Central Railway Station (built 1908-1916) is often credited to Gustave Eiffel, but its dome is documented as the work of José Ferreira da Costa. The Maputo-Katembe suspension bridge, opened in November 2018, links the centre to the south bank.
Nights sit around 18°C and afternoons around 27°C, though some nights drop to 15°C.
The year in Maputo moves gently: summer afternoons sit around 30°C, winter ones around 25°C.
Some summer days reach 36°C, and some winter nights drop to 11°C.
Most of the rain falls in summer, least in winter. The wettest month is January, with 171 mm.
Air quality is worth watching: June averages an AQI of 53, while January clears to 36.
Days stretch to about 13.6 hours of light in December and shrink to 10.4 in June — something to weigh if you work to a fixed timezone.
For what you're after, the best months in Maputo are September – December. Expect fast internet (65 Mbps) and a moderate cost of living (about €1150 a month).
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