| Official Name: | Chintheche |
| Pushpin Map: | Malawi |
| Pushpin Mapsize: | 240 |
| Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location in Malawi |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Type1: | Region |
| Subdivision Name1: | Northern Region |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Ethnicities |
| Population Blank2 Title: | Religions |
| Timezone: | +2 |
| Coordinates: | -11.8333°N 34.1667°W |
| Elevation M: | 482 |
| Elevation Ft: | 1584 |
| Blank1 Name Sec2: | Climate |
Chintheche is a settlement in the Nkhata Bay District of the Northern Region of Malawi. It is on the shore of Lake Malawi, and is approximately 40km (30miles) south of Nkhata Bay. The town is close to the main road between Nkhata Bay and Nkhotakota.
In the 1970s, the government of Hastings Banda planned to develop Chintheche, with a new harbour and a paper-processing plant. To accommodate the new development, residents of Chintheche were displaced further inland. The scheme would have created employment for thousands of people, but for the most part did not come to fruition; however, the displaced residents were not allowed to return to their lakeshore homes.[1] [2]
Chintheche is where the Lake of Stars Music Festival was held from 2004–2007.
Chintheche has bars, restaurants, guest lodges, campsites, a supermarket and a cash and carry wholesaler; the majority of the town's amenities are along the Chintheche Strip.[3] [4]
The settlement is also identified as a beach town, as it is located on the beaches of Lake Malawi, including Chintheche Beach. The beaches are similar to those found in the Caribbean, with white sand and tropical plants.[5]
Chintheche is on the paved M5 Salima – Mzuzu road. It is served by minibuses from Nkhata Bay, Nkhotakota and Mzuzu.[3] Most roads in the Chintheche area are dirt tracks.[6] There is one police station.