Tanzania's Ministry of Natural Resources and Tourism has added Lake Duluti, a volcanic lake on the edge of Arusha City, to its list of accommodation and leisure destinations for visitors expected during the 2027 Africa Cup of Nations, The Tanzania Times reports. The ministry is promoting the lake partly because both the Kilimanjaro summit and the Mount Meru peak can be seen together from the middle of the water, with the lake in the foreground.
The announcement comes with less than eight months to go before the tournament, which Tanzania will co-host with Kenya and Uganda in June and July 2027. According to The Tanzania Times, Arusha is among the Tanzanian cities due to stage matches, alongside Dar es Salaam, Dodoma and Zanzibar.
Why it matters
The pitch ties a single small lake to two of Tanzania's biggest draws at once: its highest mountain and its second-highest peak. The Tanzania Times reports that the combined view from the center of Lake Duluti was discovered recently and gives the lake a distinct place in nature tourism.
It also fits a wider push to spread tournament visitors beyond stadiums. The ministry wants accommodation and activities ready before the event, and Lake Duluti sits at the foot of Mount Meru in Arumeru District, close to the new sports venue.
Minister inspects lakeside developments
Natural Resources and Tourism Minister Dr Ashatu Kijaji toured the lake and the properties around its shores over the weekend, according to The Tanzania Times. She said investors have already begun building luxury accommodation on the lakeside to serve guests arriving for AFCON and for other tourism activity.
"We have new accommodation facilities under construction and nearing completion, one set to open doors in December 2026 and another will go into operation from February 2027," Dr Kijaji said, adding that Tanzania should have sufficient accommodation before the tournament begins.
The minister also pointed to the lake's own attractions, listing sport fishing, canoeing, motor boating and forest trekking as ways to keep delegates occupied during the tournament and after it. She described an optional floating restaurant service, available on request, where guests eat and drink at a table suspended on barrels and pulled along by a paddled canoe.
On visitor numbers, Dr Kijaji said Tanzania received 5.9 million tourists in 2025 and that the continental football event should lift the rising trend. She said the country's goal of 8 million tourists by 2030 could be met in 2027 on the strength of expected international arrivals, The Tanzania Times reports.
Forest reserve, wildlife and a lake fed by underground streams
The Lake Duluti Nature Forest Reserve, which surrounds the water in Arumeru District, is managed by the Tanzania Forest Agency Services (TFS), the agency that also oversees tourism and hospitality in the area. According to TFS, the reserve lies within Tengeru Ward and hosts more than 120 bird species, several kinds of primates including black and white colobus monkeys, and a variety of fish in the lake below the escarpment.
The lake covers roughly 63 hectares, about 160 acres, of still water that takes on the green of the surrounding forest. Its deepest point is at the center, where it is believed to be more than 10 meters deep. The Tanzania Times reports that underground streams keep the water level steady in both rainy and dry periods. The forest reserve around it covers about 19 hectares, or 47 acres.
Arumeru District Commissioner Neema Lugangira said her area is well positioned to handle tourism traffic driven by AFCON, noting that most hotels, lodges and campsites near the new sports venue fall within the district. Serena Hotel, Lake Duluti Lodge and River Trees Country Inn are among the existing facilities on the lake's shores, alongside the two properties still under construction.
The lake is also described as carrying cultural and historical value, with myths and legends attached to it, which the ministry cites as part of its appeal.
What to watch: whether the two new lakeside properties open on the stated December 2026 and February 2027 timelines, and how Arusha's accommodation holds up as tournament arrivals begin.
