Lake Malawi

A freshwater sea in the heart of Africa, with white beaches and tropical fish

On the border between Malawi, Mozambique and Tanzania lies Lake Malawi, the third-largest freshwater lake in Africa. Stretching for approximately 800 kilometres and reaching widths of up to 80 kilometres, Lake Malawi resembles an inland sea, not least because of its remarkable depth, which reaches more than 800 metres.

Its shores are dotted with fishing villages and feature a constantly changing landscape of rocky headlands, hidden coves and stretches of fine white and golden sand. Beneath its crystal-clear waters lies the world’s most diverse freshwater ecosystem. Lake Malawi is home to more than 1,000 species of tropical fish, many of them belonging to the cichlid family, a remarkable treasure of global biodiversity. For this reason, part of the lake was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1984.

This vast body of water forms part of Lake Malawi National Park, the world’s first freshwater national park. The protected area also includes a section of the shoreline and several islands, including Likoma, Mumbo and Nankoma, each offering beautiful lakefront settings. Among white sandy beaches, baobabs and mango trees, visitors can relax by the water, explore the lake by kayak, snorkel in its crystal-clear waters or discover its extraordinary aquatic life while diving.