Paje is a village on a long tidal lagoon. At high tide you swim. At low tide you walk to the reef. In the windy months it is a kitesurfing beach.
- Where
- South-east coast of Unguja
- Known for
- Lagoon, kites, a low-key village
- Tide
- Swimming is best around high tide
- A usual stay
- Four nights or more
- North-coast alternative
- Nungwi, for sunsets and deeper water
- Reach it
- Under an hour from the airport
A lagoon village
Paje is one village on the east coast, between Bwejuu and Jambiani, all of them facing the same lagoon and the same reef. It grew up around kitesurfing and is still lower and more spread out than Nungwi. You cycle, you eat simply, and you watch the tide more carefully than you would in the north.
The Jozani forest is the inland trip from here, a short drive, and the red colobus are the wildlife of a Zanzibar week. Do it in the morning and be back for a high-tide swim.
When to go
The kites want wind, which is strongest in the drier middle of the year and again around the turn of the year, with a lull. Swimmers may prefer the calmer weeks. Rain is the same archipelago pattern: a long wet season around March to May, a shorter one in November. See Zanzibar for the month chart we plan with.
BestGoodQuieter or wetter
Who it suits
People who want the beach quiet enough to hear it, and who do not mind planning a swim. Honeymoons that do not want a scene. Kiters, obviously. It is the right ending to a safari if the group has already agreed they will not be looking for nightlife. If they will, book Nungwi and be honest about it.
Packages that include Paje Beach, Zanzibar
We do not have a set departure printed for Paje Beach, Zanzibar yet. Tell us your dates and how many of you are travelling, and we will say whether it belongs in the trip.
All safarisQuestions people ask
- Yes. The beach is long, the village is walkable, and at high tide the swimming is good. If you are here in the windy months you will share the lagoon with kites. If that sounds like a sport you do not want in your view, choose Nungwi or a quieter east-coast village such as Jambiani.
- The east coast has a wide shallow lagoon. At low tide the water retreats toward the reef and the 'beach' becomes a flat you can walk. Time swims for high tide. We are not hiding this. It is how this coast is.
References
The facts on this page were checked against these sources and written in our own words. Gate hours, fees and wildlife numbers change. We link the authority instead of printing a figure that will go stale.
Last reviewed 2026-10-28.
