Mafia Island has been part of the Indian Ocean story for over a thousand years. Lying off the coast of Tanzania near the Rufiji Delta, it sat on the old Swahili trade routes linking East Africa with Arabia, Persia and India. Ancient towns like Chole and Kua (on Juani Island) grew rich from trade in gold, ivory and spices, leaving behind coral-stone ruins, mosques and stories that are still felt today. The name “Mafia” is often linked to the Swahili phrase mahali pa afya – “a healthy place to live” – and to an Arabic word meaning “archipelago.” Both fit perfectly: a small, fertile island group with long-settled villages and a strong Swahili culture. Over the centuries, Mafia fell under different powers – Kilwa’s Swahili sultans, the Sultan of Zanzibar, German East Africa and then the British – before becoming part of independent Tanzania in 1961. During World War I it even served as a strategic base for the British Navy in their campaign against the German ship Königsberg hiding in the nearby Rufiji Delta. A new chapter began in 1995 with the creation of Mafia Island Marine Park, Tanzania’s first marine park. This protection helped preserve Mafia’s reefs, mangroves, seagrass beds and traditional fishing grounds, keeping the island quiet, natural and low on mass tourism. Today, Mafia Island is a peaceful blend of history, village life and wild nature. You’ll find dhows under sail, fruit and spice markets in Kilindoni, coral ruins wrapped in vines, and some of the richest marine life on the East African coast – all shared by welcoming communities who have called this island home for generations.