Equipped 4x4s from Pemba Bay, in northern Mozambique
Compare campervan and motorhome rental companies in Pemba to find the best price, and book at the price shown, mandatory fees included.
Campervan hire in Pemba means a 4x4 equipped for camping: the right vehicle for the sandy tracks and long distances of northern Mozambique. The capital of Cabo Delgado province, Pemba spreads over a peninsula on the shore of a huge Indian Ocean bay, with Wimbe beach, the old fishing quarter of Paquitequete and the road heading south to Nampula and the Island of Mozambique. Our partner company, Bushlore Africa, has a depot here.
This is Pemba in Mozambique, not to be confused with Pemba Island in Tanzania.
Public ratings collected on October 28, 2026 from independent review sites.
A short first loop to get used to the 4x4: sunset over the bay from the seafront, the Wimbe reef within reach with mask and fins, then the road south to Murrébuè, a long beach swept by the trade wind where kitesurfers gather. Further on, Mecúfi lines up fishing villages and coconut groves. The last kilometres are on sandy tracks, to be tackled in four-wheel drive.
Heading south, the Metoro road joins the EN1, crosses the Lúrio River, the border with Nampula province, then turns off at Namialo towards Monapo and the bridge linking the mainland to the Island of Mozambique. The former colonial capital, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is explored on foot, from the Fort of São Sebastião to the lanes of the Stone Town. Return via the beaches of Chocas and the city of Nampula, surrounded by tall inselbergs.
A one-way trip for seasoned travellers, on the EN1 from the north to the centre of Mozambique: Nampula, the hills of Alto Molócuè, Mocuba, then the great Caia bridge over the Zambezi. South of the river, Gorongosa National Park deserves two nights before reaching Inchope and the Inhambane coast, where you return the vehicle in Vilanculos, another departure city of our partners. Check road conditions and safety before each stage.
The ideal period for a road trip from Pemba: 15 mm of rain per month at most, eleven to twelve hours of sunshine a day and nights of 21 to 23 °C, pleasant in a rooftop tent. The trade wind blows hard across the bay, to the delight of the Murrébuè kitesurfers, and the sea stays between 26 and 28 °C for diving.
Two months that are still dry, with 25 mm of rain in May and 35 mm in November, but hotter and more humid than the heart of the southern winter. In May, the vegetation is still green after the rains and the tracks gradually dry out; in November, the heat builds before the first storms arrive.
The southern summer brings sticky heat and heavy downpours, up to 210 mm of rain in January, with the sea at 29 or 30 °C. The north of the Mozambique Channel is exposed to cyclones in this season: follow the weather bulletins, as tracks and some stretches of road can become impassable for several days.
Most pleasant months: May to November.
| Month | High | Low | Rain | Sun | Sea |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 30 °C | 25 °C | 210 mm | 10 h/day | 29 °C |
| Feb | 30 °C | 25 °C | 168 mm | 10 h/day | 29 °C |
| Mar | 30 °C | 25 °C | 151 mm | 10 h/day | 29 °C |
| Apr | 29 °C | 24 °C | 151 mm | 10 h/day | 30 °C |
| May | 28 °C | 23 °C | 25 mm | 11 h/day | 29 °C |
| Jun | 28 °C | 21 °C | 13 mm | 11 h/day | 28 °C |
| Jul | 27 °C | 21 °C | 14 mm | 11 h/day | 27 °C |
| Aug | 27 °C | 21 °C | 10 mm | 11 h/day | 26 °C |
| Sep | 28 °C | 22 °C | 9 mm | 12 h/day | 27 °C |
| Oct | 29 °C | 23 °C | 15 mm | 12 h/day | 27 °C |
| Nov | 30 °C | 25 °C | 35 mm | 12 h/day | 28 °C |
| Dec | 30 °C | 25 °C | 133 mm | 11 h/day | 29 °C |
Averages 2016–2025 computed from Open-Meteo data (ERA5 reanalysis).
The security situation is not the same in every district of Cabo Delgado province. Before booking, and again before each route outside Pemba, read your country's official travel advice and ask the rental company which roads to favour. The routes heading south, towards Nampula, are the most travelled.
Pemba is the last large town before Nampula, about 400 km away by road: supermarkets, cash machines and filling stations are concentrated here. Set off with a full tank, water and food for several days, and refuel in every town you pass through, as stations become scarce between Metoro and the Lúrio.
Traffic drives on the left in Mozambique, often on narrow roads shared with bicycles, carts, livestock and minibus taxis. Plan short stages, as average speeds remain low on the northern EN1, and reach camp before nightfall: total darkness, potholes and pedestrians make night driving risky.
Pemba airport, served by domestic flights, notably from Maputo, is a few kilometres from the centre. Give your flight number to Bushlore Africa: the depot will arrange with you the place and time of the 4x4 handover, as well as the briefing on the camping equipment, which often takes a good hour.
Bushlore Africa, our partner company, hands over its vehicles at its Pemba depot. The exact address and the time of the appointment are in your booking confirmation. Allow time for the vehicle inspection and the demonstration of the rooftop tent and equipment before heading south or to the beaches.
The price depends on the season, the length of hire, the vehicle and any one-way trip to another depot. Run a search with your dates: you get the real prices of the Pemba rental company, per day and with mandatory fees included, which you can book online straight away.
This page covers the city of Pemba, on the northern coast of Mozambique, capital of Cabo Delgado province. Pemba Island, in the Zanzibar archipelago, belongs to Tanzania, several hundred kilometres further north: none of our rental companies offers vehicles there.
Vilanculos, 1,143 km away as the crow flies, and Maputo, 1,666 km away, are other departure cities of our partners. By road, allow at least two weeks for an enjoyable trip. Any one-way fees are included in the displayed price as soon as you enter the return city in the search.
No, the Quirimbas islands, including Ibo and its colonial houses, can only be reached by boat or light aircraft, with the vehicle left in safekeeping on the mainland. The archipelago is part of a national park north of Pemba: check the official advice for this area and the excursions actually on offer beforehand.
First rental of this type of vehicle in a professional context where the rental must take place from France to Canada. Many questions and Cooldrive (Marlène) has been a valuable support in guiding my choices. Efficiency and responsiveness beforehand, and on-site a vehicle and service that met our expectations. No complaints. Great!
Too rigid computer system
Very good customer experience with Cooldrive. I highly recommend it! Thanks to the team who were attentive and available for organizing my trip to Canada.
Bring your national licence and an international driving permit: the latter is often requested at checkpoints, especially if your licence is not written in Portuguese or English. Also keep your passport and the vehicle papers to hand. The minimum age and years of driving required by the rental company are shown in the offer conditions.
Mozambique's visa requirements depend on your nationality and have changed several times in recent years. Check with the Mozambican authorities or their diplomatic mission before leaving, and verify the passport validity required. If you arrive on an international flight with a stopover, also look into the transit rules.
The lodges and campsites of Wimbe beach and Murrébuè welcome equipped vehicles, with washrooms and guards. On the road to Nampula or the Island of Mozambique, options are further apart: plan your stops in advance. Wild camping is not advisable, as the land almost always belongs to village communities.
Yes, malaria is present all year round in northern Mozambique, with a higher risk during the rainy season, from December to April. See a doctor or a travel medicine centre several weeks before departure, and bring repellent, long clothing for the evenings and a mosquito net for the tent.
The currency is the metical. Cash machines are found in Pemba and in the towns along the road, such as Nampula or Monapo, but become rare elsewhere. Cards are accepted in hotels and some supermarkets; bring cash for fuel, markets, small campsites and entrance fees.
Portuguese is the official language, used on road signs, in the administration and by the police. Around Pemba you will also hear Makua, Makonde and Kimwani, and English is only understood in lodges and by tour operators. A few words of Portuguese make checkpoints and shopping much easier.
The choice of vehicles is limited in Pemba, with a single partner depot: book several months ahead for the dry season, especially from July to October, and for the end-of-year holidays. For a one-way trip south, check the availability of the return depot at the same time.
Pemba is the northernmost departure point of our partners in Mozambique, on the shore of one of the largest natural bays on the East African coast. The city offers what is lacking elsewhere in the north: an airport, shops and a company renting 4x4s equipped for camping. From here, you reach the beaches of Murrébuè in a few hours, then the Island of Mozambique and its centuries of Swahili and Portuguese history, or cross the whole country to the Zambezi and Gorongosa.
With Bushlore Africa on site and Vilanculos or Maputo as possible return cities, Pemba lends itself to long one-way trips south. It is best to aim for the dry season, from May to November, and to prepare your trip following the official advice for the region.
