The Magogoni creek is where Dar es Salaam's harbour is located. It is the largest creek in the city and has been in use from as early as the 19th century when Sultan Majid first came to the area. Today the creek is where the country's main cargo port is located, along with the ferry terminal for boats to Zanzibar.
What to do there?This isn't one of the cleanest creeks around as there are some drainage pipes that empty into it in some places so it is rare to see people swimming in it. For cleaner creeks you would need to go to Pangani, Kilwa, Mtwara or Mombasa. Last time we checked, there weren't any boating tours for the creek so that's also out of the question. Best thing to do here would be to enjoy the sights and activities from different points on its banks including the large number of ships that are constantly going through its waters, the fishermen's dhows near its mouth and the Kigamboni ferry.
The ferry would take you to Kigamboni, a place that is relatively underdeveloped despite its proximity to the CBD; However, from this place there are better views of the city's skyline as there are fewer structures. Further up the creek is the Nyerere bridge, a recently built cable stayed one and the largest in the country - that would allow you to get different sights of the creek.
Lastly, there is long list of attractions that are located on the creek's banks that you might like to visit (see our
places page for more info).
Location of Magogoni creekThe Magogoni creek is located at the heart of Dar es Salaam and its CBD in Tanzania. It borders two districts of the city namely Ilala (north) and Kigamboni (south). For more information on its location, please see the map below (click to start).
How to get there?The Directions would depend on which side of the creek you are in. From the northern side, you can use public transport, either the dala dalas or the new BRT system and head to Kivukoni. The last bus stand is usually where the creek is and also where you can find the ferry to cross it.
There are a few public transport options in the southern side of the creek, unless of course if you are taking the long way round to the north first, in which case the directions are similar to those above. For the few that still want to head directly to the creek, then you would have to take the dala dala that are headed to Kivukoni or Kigamboni. If you are from Zanzibar and the Islands, all you would need to do is take a boat to Dar es Salaam as the terminal is in the creek itself.