MapMozambiquePembaMurrebue / PembaPemba

Murrebue / Pemba

Cabo Delgado Province · Cidade de Pemba

also known as Murrébuè, Murrebue Lagoon, Murrebue Beach, Praia da Murrebue, Pirate Kites

Part of Pemba →

JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec

beginner-friendlylow crowds

On this page

The spot
Wind
Forecast
Month by month
Water
Level
The scene
Launch
Schools
Tips
Getting there
Photos
FAQ

Riding essentials

Season

May–Mar

Months riders and schools name

How windy

8-20 knots

Character: trade

Room to launch

huge

access rules on record, below

Water

mixed

29 °C in summer

Hazards

Reported by riders

Level

Beginner to advanced

With a caveat: see Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

Crowds

low crowds · busy Jun Jul Aug Sep

Schools

named at this spot

From the airport

Pemba Airport (POL)

Transfer times under Getting there

When it fills in

Mornings are the light part of the day here and are what beginners and foilers use; the wind picks up through the afternoon. No station-backed onset hour exists for the beach itself, and the nearest airport statistics do not resolve to a time of day.

Murrebue / Pemba has no other spot on this map within 40 km of it, and none other in Pemba. straight-line distance

Backup spotsWhere riders go when the wind doesn't work here.

Mecufi / Mecúfi downwind coastno page yet
Pemba / Wimby-Wimbi Beach areano page yet
Quirimbas Archipelagono page yet

The spot

Murrebue is a reef-protected lagoon on the coast south-east of Pemba, in Cabo Delgado at the top end of northern Mozambique.

The water and seasons

At low tide it is kilometres of flat shallow sand with the bottom in sight; as the water fills it turns choppy, and small waves work outside near the reef. Two trade seasons cross here, the southeast Kusi or Kuzi and the northeast Kaskazi or Kasi Kasi, and which months are the good ones is disputed, so this is not a book-it-blind destination.

The beach and local school

The beach is long, white and usually empty, which is the appeal and also the problem. Il Pirata, also called Pirate Kites, is the local reference, but whether it is running and whether anyone could come and get you needs settling before you plan around it. Nothing here rescues you.

Security restrictions

The bigger constraint sits off the water: Cabo Delgado security advisories covering the province and the Pemba area remain a live restriction on trips in 2026, and they decide whether you go, not the forecast.

The wind

locals call it Kusi / Kuzi southeast trades and Kaskazi / Kasi Kasi northeast trades

Direction

cross-onNE and SE

Direction to shore

cross-on

Dominant direction

NE and SE; some spot listings also mention E and SW

Kite sizes

567891011121314151617

metres · typical quiver highlighted

The quiver, in words

For 75-85 kg the working pair is a 9 and a 12 m. The May-August southeast season is the strong one, reported at 15-30 kt on about nine days in ten, so a 7 or 8 m earns its place in that window.The November-March northeast season and the light mornings are 12-14 m and foil territory. Local rental quivers, where they exist, are grouped 8-9, 10-11, 12-13 and 14 m and above.

Character

trade

When it fills in: see above ↑

Average strength

Typical strength

8-20 knots at the conservative end, 13-25 knots in the middle, and 15-30 knots on many days in the strong May-August window. The gap is wide enough to change which kites you pack.

Good sideshore to side-on trade-wind conditions, sometimes gusty; wet-season rain can reduce consistency.

Two trade seasons, not one, and they behave differently.

The southeast Kusi runs roughly May or June to September or October and is the stronger and drier of the two, reported at 15-30 kt on about nine days in ten from May to August.

The northeast Kaskazi runs roughly November or December to March: lighter, warmer and wetter, with rain cutting consistency.

April and October fall between the two and are the least reliable weeks of the year.

Forecast

Live forecast

Windguru Windfinder Windy

Month by month

8 ktJan28°
8 ktFeb29°
7 ktMar29°
9 ktApr29°
11 ktMay28°
11 ktJun27°
12 ktJul26°
11 ktAug26°
10 ktSep26°
10 ktOct27°
9 ktNov28°
9 ktDec28°

avg knots per month · water °C below · season highlighted

Monthly averages. Highlighted: the months riders and schools name (May, Jun, Jul, Aug, Sep, Oct, Nov, Jan, Feb, Mar, Dec).

Measured at Pemba Airport, ~7 km from the spot (Windfinder observations 2007-2026 (annual summary only, no monthly table extractable); Weather Spark monthly figures are reanalysis-based (~1980-2016)).

Every figure, month by monthKnots · Wind from · Air · Water

Month	Knots	Wind from	Air	Water
Jan	8.4 kt	ESE	27.2 °C	28.3 °C
Feb	7.6 kt	ESE	27.2 °C	28.9 °C
Mar	7.1 kt	ESE	27.2 °C	28.9 °C
Apr	9.2 kt	ESE	26.7 °C	28.9 °C
May	10.6 kt	ESE	26.1 °C	27.8 °C
Jun	11.2 kt	ESE	25 °C	26.7 °C
Jul	11.5 kt	ESE	24.4 °C	26.1 °C
Aug	10.6 kt	ESE	24.4 °C	25.6 °C
Sep	9.6 kt	ESE	25.6 °C	25.6 °C
Oct	9.6 kt	ESE	26.7 °C	26.7 °C
Nov	9.4 kt	ESE	27.8 °C	27.8 °C
Dec	8.5 kt	ESE	27.8 °C	28.3 °C

How this was measuredmeasured · Windfinder observations 2007-2026 (annual summary only, no monthly table extractable); Weather Spark monthly figures are reanalysis-based (~1980-2016)

A ground station recorded this, at the distance the page names.

The typical daily max and the direction are columns of the table above, month by month. Highlighted months are the riding season from the spot record.

Pemba Airport · Weather Spark (monthly figures); Windfinder (station coords/annual summary, no monthly table extractable) · Windfinder observations 2007-2026 (annual summary only, no monthly table extractable); Weather Spark monthly figures are reanalysis-based (~1980-2016)

The water

Type

mixed

Standing depth

Low tide turns the lagoon into kilometres of flat shallow water with the sandy bottom visible and standing depth over the banks, which is why locals walk out onto it to collect shellfish and why the spot works for learning.At high tide the bottom is out of reach across most of the lagoon and the surface turns choppy.Booties are worth carrying for the very low tides, because the shallow areas are where the rocks and urchins are.

Tides

Strongly tide-dependent: low tide exposes flat shallow sandbanks; high tide changes the lagoon to choppier/deeper water and opens access toward the outside reef/wave sections.

Temperature

29 °C summer · 25.5 °C winter

Modelled monthly average: 26–29 °C

Wetsuit

Boardshorts or lycra most of the year; a shorty can be useful in June-September or strong-wind days.

Conditions

Reef-protected bay/lagoon with soft white sand areas, flat shallow water at low tide, chop as the tide fills, and small wave sections outside the reef. The reef is reported several kilometres offshore in places; exact navigable routes should be checked locally.

Your level

BeginnerIntermediateAdvanced

The low-tide sandbanks are good learning and progression water. Chop, the reef sections and the emptiness are what make it a judgement spot, so learn here with instruction or supervision: no rescue cover of any kind has been confirmed and no school is confirmed to be operating.

The scene

What riders come here for

flat-water freeridefreestylelearning/progression at low tidefoiling in lighter morning windsmall reef wavesuncrowded exploration/downwinders

Remote and usually empty. Local kiters mostly show up at weekends, and the fishermen and shellfish collectors working the banks are part of the spot rather than visitors to it.

Launch and rules

three ways on to the water, and what each one asks of you

With a school or a boat

1 school names this spot

See who they are

On your own

Room to launch: huge

Read the access rules

Somewhere else

No neighbour on record

No other spot in the atlas sits within reach of this one.

Rescue

Treat rescue as absent. No boat, vehicle or lifeguard cover is documented, no formal kite school is confirmed to be operating, and the beach is a long empty strand whose only regular occupants are fishermen. The nearest help of any kind is Pemba, 10-20 minutes back up the road.

Ride with someone, keep a phone in a dry pouch, walk the low-tide banks before you commit to a session, and confirm on arrival whether Il Pirata is running before you plan around it.

Launch

A long white-sand beach in front of and either side of Il Pirata, reached by driving south-east from Pemba toward Mecufi and turning onto the beach track after the junction. Rigging space is effectively unlimited: the reef-protected bay is about 10 km wide and the lagoon behind it runs roughly 30 km by 4 km, with several possible beach stops along it.It is a short walk from where you park.FacilitiesShower, toilet and food are reported at the beach, but nothing about that should be assumed without checking on arrival.

Hazards riders report 11 reported

Crowds and zones

no documented rescue cover of any kind: no boat, no vehicle, no lifeguard, and no confirmed operating school

Bottom

coral reef
coral reef and rocks
the reef sits several kilometres out in places, so a downwind drift puts you a long way from the road

Waves and currents

sea urchins around rocky areas, especially visible/avoidable at low tide
very shallow sandbanks at low tide

Protected areas and rules

fishermen, dhows and shellfish collectors using the lagoon

Other

remote area with limited rescue infrastructure
remote beach access with 4x4 recommended
formal rescue coverage unconfirmed
Cabo Delgado security risk and travel-advisory restrictions affecting the wider province/Pemba area

Rules & access

1 min read

2026: no permit, launch zone, seasonal ban or municipal kite rule is documented for Praia da Murrebue, and the spot records that carry a rules field state that there are none. What actually governs the beach is use rather than regulation: fishermen, dhows and shellfish collectors work the drying banks at low tide and are there first, so give them room and keep off the collecting grounds.

Security situation

The binding constraint on a trip here is not a beach rule but Cabo Delgado's security situation, where government travel advisories covering the province and the Pemba area remain a live planning restriction in 2026. Check the current advisory before booking and again before moving around the district.

Access rules drift faster than anything else we hold — check locally, and propose an edit if this has changed.

Schools that ride here

Rider tips

Check the tide before every session. Low water gives you the flat shallow banks; high water hides what is under you and changes the spot.
Wear booties or pick your steps. Rocks and sea urchins sit outside the clean sand.
Confirm before you fly whether anyone is running lessons, rescue or beds here. Several of the best descriptions of this beach are old.
Take a 4x4 or arrange a local transfer for the beach track off the Pemba-Mecufi road.
Read the current Cabo Delgado and Pemba advisories before you book, and again before you move around the district.
Ride with someone and keep a phone in a dry pouch. The nearest help of any kind is back up the road in Pemba.

Getting there

Airport

Pemba Airport (POL), also listed as FQPB.

Route

Fly to Pemba, then drive south-east past the airport toward Mecufi/Mecúfi. Murrebue beach access is via a dirt/beach track; a 4x4 is needed or recommended.

Transfer

10-20 minutes by road from Pemba or Pemba airport depending on which account you take and where on the beach you stop; allow 20 minutes and a 4x4 for the final beach track.

Staying

Il Pirata, also called Pirate Kites, has three self-contained bungalows on the beach. A few other beach lodges and restaurants exist, and Pemba city hotels cost less than sleeping at the lagoon.

No-wind days

Pemba city/Wimby Beach restaurants and nightlife, Pemba markets and colonial ruins, diving/water-sports around Pemba, Ibo Island and the Quirimbas Archipelago trips, and Mecufi-area kayaking/biking/beach walking where operators are available.

Photos

FAQ

Is Murrebue suitable for beginners?

Low-tide shallow sandbanks are repeatedly described as good for learning, though beginners should use local instruction since rescue cover is not consistently verified.

When is the best time?

Two trade-wind windows are reported: southeast Kusi winds around May to October and northeast Kaskazi winds around November to March.

What is the wind like?

Cross-on trade winds averaging around 12 knots, with reports ranging from 8 to 30 knots depending on the source.

What hazards should I know?

Coral reef and rocks, sea urchins near rocky areas at low tide, and Cabo Delgado security risk affecting the wider province.

How do you get there?

Fly to Pemba Airport, then drive southeast toward Mecufi and take the beach track after the junction, with a 4x4 recommended.

The bigger pictureEverything about Pemba

Last updated: August 2026