Stone Town & West — UNESCO Heritage & Island History

Stone Town occupies a peninsula on the west coast of Unguja island, immediately south of the creek that divides the old city from the modern Ng’ambo quarter. Its UNESCO World Heritage listing, granted in 2000, recognises the remarkable intactness of its Swahili urban fabric — a unique synthesis of Arabian, Persian, Indian and Bantu African architectural and cultural traditions accumulated over more than a thousand years of Indian Ocean trade. Stone Town was one of the great entrepots of the medieval world: a hub through which ivory, cloves, spices, cloth and, tragically, enslaved people moved between East Africa, Arabia, India and beyond.

Walking Stone Town’s alleyways today, that layered history is palpable in every detail. The ornate carved wooden doors — Zanzibari doors have distinctive brass studs, a design feature introduced by Indian traders — announce the status and cultural identity of each household. Arab-style mashrabiya lattice screens cool the upper floors. Indian-influenced balconies overhang the narrow lanes. Mosques, Hindu temples and the Anglican Cathedral stand within a few hundred metres of each other. The Old Arab Fort, built in the early 18th century on the site of a Portuguese chapel, anchors the seafront promenade. It is one of the most architecturally and culturally dense small cities in the world.

Prison Island lies a 20-minute dhow ride north-west of Stone Town and packs an extraordinary amount into a small area. The island was originally intended as a detention facility for recalcitrant slaves in the 1860s, but it was never used as such, instead serving briefly as a quarantine station for incoming ships in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The imposing stone quarantine buildings — roofless now but structurally intact — give the island an atmospheric, faintly melancholy grandeur.

Today’s main draw is the colony of giant Aldabra tortoises that roam freely around the island’s gardens. Originally gifted from Seychelles in 1919, the colony has grown to over 100 animals. These prehistoric-looking creatures can live for over 200 years and can weigh up to 300 kg. Walking among them, hand-feeding them banana pieces and watching them bask in the morning sun is one of those genuinely magical Zanzibar experiences that stays with visitors for years. The island’s surrounding waters are clear and shallow, making it excellent for snorkelling.

Zanzibar’s identity as the Spice Island is rooted in a fascinating colonial history. The Omani Arabs who controlled the island in the 19th century transformed it into the world’s largest clove producer — at its peak, Zanzibar supplied more than 90% of global clove production. The spice plantations that sprawl across the island’s central plateau, 30–45 minutes from Stone Town, remain agricultural working farms and offer some of the most sensory, educational and entertaining half-day experiences in all of East Africa.

A standard spice tour (around $25 per person) includes a guided walk through the plantation, where a knowledgeable farmer demonstrates how to identify and harvest cloves, nutmeg, cardamom, cinnamon, vanilla, turmeric, lemongrass and black pepper by sight, smell and taste. You will leave with a bag of fresh spices to take home. Most spice tours also include a simple Swahili lunch at the farm and can be combined with a visit to the Kizimkazi dolphin-watching site or the Jozani Forest, home to Zanzibar’s endemic red colobus monkey.

Stone Town harbour at sunset is one of the great evening spectacles in the Indian Ocean world. The combination of the Old Fort’s ancient battlements, the House of Wonders’ ornate facade and the silhouettes of dhows on a crimson sea makes for photography that is simply impossible to recreate anywhere else. The classic way to experience this is from aboard a traditional wooden dhow on a two-hour sunset cruise from the harbour.

Most sunset dhow cruises depart around 4:30–5:00 pm, sail north along the old waterfront past the Mtoni Palace ruins and return to harbour after dark. Fresh fruit, soft drinks and snacks are included as standard, and many operators offer lobster or seafood add-ons for an additional fee. The crew often provide live taarab or bongo flava music on board. Sunset cruises book up quickly in peak season — reserve yours through your accommodation or our contact team at least 24 hours in advance.

Stone Town’s accommodation landscape is dominated by riads and boutique hotels converted from historic coral-stone mansions and Arab merchant houses. The best properties retain the original carved wooden ceilings, inner courtyards, mashrabiya screens and stone staircases that make staying in Stone Town fundamentally different from staying anywhere else on the island. The Emerson Spice, Jafferji House and Park Hyatt Zanzibar are considered the finest addresses, with rooftop restaurants that provide unrivalled views over the old city and harbour.

Budget and mid-range options are plentiful. The Tembo Hotel, Zanzibar Coffee House and St Monica’s Hostel all offer clean, comfortable accommodation in historic settings at reasonable rates. Staying inside Stone Town is strongly recommended for at least one or two nights — the experience of waking up and stepping out into the alleys at 7 am, before the tour groups arrive, is one of Zanzibar’s truly special pleasures. Browse all options in our Stone Town accommodation guide.