A freshwater sea of cichlid fish and quiet beaches
Lake Malawi stretches for around 580 kilometres along the Great Rift Valley and holds more species of fish than any other lake in the world, most of them brightly coloured cichlids found only here. Lake Malawi National Park at Cape Maclear, a UNESCO site, is the classic base for snorkelling, kayaking to nearby islands and watching fish eagles. Likoma Island, Nkhata Bay and Senga Bay offer beaches and lodges in different parts of the lake. Local villages fish from dugout canoes at dawn.