On 25 July 2026, in Busan, South Korea, the Comoros joined the World Heritage List. The first site ever listed in the country's history: six medinas spread across two islands, still inhabited, which hardly any travel guide has yet taken the time to describe.
Tourism here is starting from a very low base. The Comorian daily Al-Watwan mentions around 80,000 visitors in the best years, a figure that is itself inflated because it counts members of the Comorian diaspora coming home to see family. In plain terms: if you go now, you will be among the first to visit these medinas with the UNESCO stamp.
Here are the medinas one by one, then all the practical details: visa, flights, health, money, islands, based on official sources and the local press, not just comparison sites.
What UNESCO actually listed
The listing covers an area of 30.47 hectares, surrounded by a 131.68-hectare buffer zone, under criteria (iii) and (iv): testimony to a civilisation and an example of an architectural ensemble. According to Patrimoine des Comores, these urban cores have existed since at least the 11th century and became true city-states in the 14th and 15th centuries, under the rule of rival sultanates.
What you will actually see: coral stone houses, narrow alleys, carved wooden doors, old mosques and above all the bangwe, the public squares where the political and social life of each neighbourhood takes place. The newspaper Le Journal des Archipels puts it bluntly: underdevelopment protected these towns from the concrete boom seen in Réunion and, to a lesser extent, Mayotte. They have stayed largely untouched.
The file was placed on the Tentative List back in 2007, and the formal nomination submitted in January 2025. Nineteen years of waiting: this is not a listing of convenience.
Moroni, and its 1427 mosque that some dispute
The capital was the last sultanate capital of Grande Comore (Ngazidja), in the 19th century, attached to the sultanate of Bambao. Its flagship monument is the old Friday Mosque, in the Badjanani district, facing the harbour: built in 1427 (831 AH) in coral stone, it originally had no minaret. The one you see on every postcard was only added in 1921.
A detail you will not read anywhere else: the 1427 date is debated in Moroni itself. The local outlet Masiwa reports that some residents give precedence to another mosque, Djumwa mdji, with a very concrete argument: at the time, no sea wall separated the Badjanani site from the sea. The debate is not settled. Either way, it is more interesting than the plaque.
The first four medinas on the list are all on Grande Comore, less than twenty minutes' drive from each other. Which makes Moroni the base camp for this part of the trip. The capital's hotel stock runs to dozens of rooms rather than hundreds: see what is available in Moroni.
Ikoni, the city of monumental gateways
A few kilometres south of Moroni, Ikoni (or Iconi) also belonged to the sultanate of Bambao, of which it may have been the capital before Moroni; sources disagree on the exact chronology. What is certain is what UNESCO writes in its Tentative List entry: Ikoni and Itsandra Mdjini are the two medinas that have kept the most bangwe and monumental gateways. It was also in Ikoni that the UNESCO certificate was presented to President Azali Assoumani on 29 August 2026.
Itsandra, the former port capital
Itsandra was long the island's capital and its main seaport, before being absorbed into the unified sultanate of Ngazidja. You can still see a 17th-century fortress, linked to the town by a stepped path lined with a wall about 130 metres long, and sections of ramparts pierced with loopholes. Come in the late afternoon: the light on the coral stone does most of the work.
Ntsudjini, the most discreet
Attached to the sultanate of Itsandra, Ntsudjini is the medina about which the least is known online. Public sources say almost nothing about its monuments. That is precisely why you should go with a local guide: what you learn there, you will not find on the internet.
Mutsamudu, the citadel and the Ujumbé palace
Now to another island: Anjouan (Ndzuwani). Its capital is the most spectacular of the six medinas. Above the town, on the Sinéjou promontory, the citadel was built by Sultan Abdallah I from 1782 to protect the city from Malagasy raids. Patrimoine des Comores dates the works to 1782 to 1790, other sources to 1789. Dismantled during the great revolt of 1891, then restored, it is the only surviving part of the Anjouan sultanate's defensive system.
Below, in the heart of the medina, the Ujumbé palace, built at the end of the 18th century, served as the sultans' residence until 1909. Look up: it is the ornate ceilings that the heritage file chose to photograph. The medina is also said to have seventeen mosques.
Give Anjouan two nights minimum, enough to do Mutsamudu and Domoni without rushing. There is less on offer here than in Moroni, so book before you board rather than once you land: the places to stay in Mutsamudu.
Domoni, Anjouan's first capital
Before Mutsamudu, there was Domoni, on Anjouan's east coast: the island's first capital, in the 14th and 15th centuries. Sultan Abdallah I moved power to Mutsamudu, in 1792 according to Jeune Afrique. Domoni is the other face of Anjouan: calmer, with fewer visitors.
What threatens the medinas
The listing is not an end in itself. The Minister of Culture, Said Mohamed Ali Said, called it a "starting point", and the government must draw up a management plan with UNESCO. Specialists point to two threats: rapid urbanisation and architectural changes, concrete slabs, extensions, old doors replaced. Patrimoine des Comores notes that several ramparts, palaces and mosques are "seriously damaged". Paying a local guide and buying crafts on site is, in practice, the only way to make the listing more than a framed diploma.
Comoros visa: what you'll be asked for on arrival
Good news: it is simple. According to the France Diplomatie page Entry and stay in the Comoros, updated on 30 June 2026:
- a visa is mandatory but issued on arrival, at Moroni airport;
- it costs around €30;
- you must show a return ticket, funds of €30 per day (proof you can support yourself) and the address of your accommodation;
- your passport must be valid for at least six months after your return date.
I found no trace of an official Comorian e-visa: be wary of websites selling you one. The length of stay granted varies between sources, from 30 to 45 days. For a two- or three-week trip it makes no difference; for longer, get confirmation from the embassy.
Bring euros in cash to pay for the visa on arrival. It is the first place where you will realise that bank cards are not king here.
How to get to the Comoros from France
There is no direct flight
No airline flies non-stop from Paris to Moroni. The two most common routes go through East Africa:
- Ethiopian Airlines, via Addis Ababa: usually the fastest, around 14.5 hours in total;
- Kenya Airways, via Nairobi: often cheaper, but connections can push the journey beyond 25 hours.
Comparison sites also offer combinations via Abu Dhabi or Cairo, sometimes with two stopovers: look at the duration before the price.
Watch out for the airport code
The international airport is called Prince Saïd Ibrahim, in Hahaya, about twenty kilometres north of Moroni. Its code is HAH. Yet several booking sites show YVA, the code of the old Iconi airfield. If your ticket says YVA, check with the airline before paying.
Why tickets cost twice as much in August
One comparison site shows an average return fare from Paris of around €799 in May, against €1,495 in August. The explanation comes down to two words: the grand marriage.
The anda, the customary wedding that confirms a man's social status on Grande Comore, is concentrated in July and August. The diaspora, nicknamed the "je-viens", comes home in large numbers to attend. The Comorian site HabariZaComores reports budgets ranging from €6,000 to €235,000 per wedding, according to an anthropologist's estimate, and the presidency estimates that diaspora remittances are equivalent to 30% of GDP. The result: in summer, planes are full and prices soar.
If your goal is to experience a grand marriage, summer is a must. Otherwise, go in May-June or September-October.
What's new in 2026
After a four-year break, Madagascar Airlines reopened its route to the Comoros on 30 July 2026, with two flights a week on an ATR 72-500. Handy for a Madagascar-Comoros combination, an option that no longer existed.
Getting between the islands: the real challenge of the trip
This is where guides stay vague, and for good reason: the situation is unstable.
By air, inter-island services have been hit hard. Int'Air Îles ceased operations in February 2024, and La 1ère described Comorian airlines in serious financial difficulty at the time, with the arrival of a newcomer, Royal Air, and its 19-seat Let 410. Schedules change often: book locally through an agency in Moroni rather than relying on a website. The practical consequence: plan a buffer night or two in Moroni around each island hop, because a cancelled flight leaves you there for twenty-four hours. The hotels near Hahaya airport are here.
By boat, the rule is simple. France Diplomatie states that most sea links do not meet international safety standards, with one exception: SGTM, which links Moroni to Anjouan once a week, and Anjouan to Mayotte every day.
Kwassa-kwassa, the small motorboats, are a no. The French Foreign Ministry points out that using them exposes you to criminal penalties, including prison and fines. Not to mention the many shipwrecks on the crossing to Mayotte.
A word about Mayotte, precisely: the Comorian state claims sovereignty over it. The subject is sensitive, so tread carefully if it comes up.
Safety in the Comoros: what the French Foreign Ministry really says
The whole archipelago is under heightened vigilance (yellow), the most common level. The Security page, updated on 15 September 2026, describes burglaries, bag snatching and thefts from cars as "relatively rare". The precautions are the usual ones: be careful at the market and on the beach, and keep away from demonstrations.
Three risks are more specific, and little known:
- underwater volcanism: seismic and volcanic activity affects the whole archipelago, including the sea. The main danger comes from gas emissions, especially high concentrations of CO₂, and steam explosions;
- maritime piracy in nearby waters, which is why recreational sailing is not recommended;
- Moroni's ATMs, which "work erratically". This is no small detail: it is what can derail your trip.
French citizens should register on Fil d'Ariane before leaving. The French embassy in Moroni can be reached on +33 1 88 24 56 77.
Health: vaccines, malaria, and the real constraint
The France Diplomatie Health page lists no mandatory vaccines. In addition to being up to date with routine vaccinations, it recommends, depending on the length and type of stay: hepatitis A, typhoid, hepatitis B for long or repeated stays, rabies especially for young children and rural stays, and possibly dengue and chikungunya.
Malaria is present: protect yourself against mosquitoes and take preventive treatment. The exact treatment should be decided with a doctor, ideally at an international vaccination centre. If you have a fever, never take anti-inflammatories, because of the risk of dengue.
Two health alerts were issued in 2026: a confirmed mpox outbreak in February, and a rise in measles cases in March.
The real constraint lies elsewhere, in the healthcare on offer. The French Foreign Ministry considers it insufficient in Moroni and "non-existent on the islands of Anjouan and Mohéli". Serious hospital treatment usually means evacuation to Réunion, sometimes Mayotte or mainland France. Insurance covering medical repatriation is therefore not optional: it is the first thing to book, even before your ticket.
Money: the Comorian franc and the cash culture
The Comorian franc (KMF) has been pegged to the euro at a fixed rate since 1 January 1999: €1 = 491.96775 KMF. For mental arithmetic, count 500 KMF to €1 and you will not be far off.
The country has four commercial banks, cards are rarely accepted and ATMs are unreliable. Arrive with euros in cash, in small notes, enough to cover the visa and your first few days. Cheques in euros are not accepted, even in hotels.
Karthala, an active volcano and a day hike
Karthala rises to 2,361 metres and its caldera is about 3 kilometres across. Its last confirmed eruption was in 2007, with renewed seismic activity in 2022.
The climb is usually done in a day: 4x4 to about 1,600 metres, at a place called Convalescence, then about two hours on foot to the summit. Tours leaving from Mvouni advertise 11.5 to 13 hours in total. Three rules, all from the French Foreign Ministry: an experienced guide, proper hiking gear, and never camp in the caldera, because of the gases.
A topical detail: on 2 July 2026 the Comoros launched a geothermal exploration project on Karthala. The volcano you climb could one day supply the island with electricity.
Mohéli, the island of turtles and whales
The smallest and most unspoilt of the three islands. Mohéli National Park was created in 2001, and the marine park has an entry on the UNESCO Tentative List, dated March 2026: a possible second listing for the country.
On Mohéli, everything happens between Itsamia for the turtles and Nioumachoua for the islets. The places to stay are village guesthouses, a handful at each site. Whale season fills them quickly: check availability on Mohéli.
- Green turtles come to lay eggs almost every night on the beaches of Itsamia, with a peak between March and August according to local guides. You watch them with a village guide, staying at least five metres from the females. The 28th Turtle Festival was held there on 25 June 2026.
- Humpback whales pass through between July and October, with calves staying until October.
- The islets off Nioumachoua, in the south, are the best spot for diving and snorkelling.
When to go to the Comoros
The cool dry season, from May to October, is the best: it is also the right time for Karthala.
Now cross-check with everything else:
| Period | For | Against |
|---|---|---|
| May-June | Dry season, cheapest tickets, turtles on Mohéli | No whales yet |
| July-August | Grand marriage, whales | Most expensive tickets, full flights |
| September-October | Dry season, whales, prices coming down | None |
Our advice: September-October. You get the weather, the whales, and the medinas without the summer diaspora crowds.
One last habit worth having before you fix your dates: look at the price of the nights at the same time as the flights. On an archipelago where August doubles the airfare, it doubles the room as well. Compare accommodation in the Comoros for your dates.
Going further
The Comoros belong to a family of destinations we particularly love: rare, Muslim, island countries where the planning takes longer than the trip. If that is what draws you, Socotra is a close cousin: see how to get to Socotra by ferry or plane. On the same African coast, also read our guides to Djibouti and Eritrea, or our selection of safe, little-visited African countries.
And since you will be living on cash for the whole trip, our tips for cutting bank fees abroad will save you from losing 3% on every withdrawal before you leave.