Happening safari could also be Kenya’s largest attraction, however its 536km (333-mile) Indian Ocean shoreline has among the greatest seashores in Africa. From the Lamu archipelago within the far north and the resort seashores close to Mombasa to lesser-known, quieter shorelines in between, a stint on a Kenyan seashore is properly value including to your journey itinerary.
As East Africa’s largest port, Mombasa has been formed by new arrivals from all over the world for hundreds of years, together with British colonists, Arab merchants, and Indian and Chinese language immigrants, and the area’s delicacies, structure and inhabitants mirror this affect. Being simply accessible, the seashores round Mombasa can get busy, nevertheless it’s all relative – they’re unlikely to really feel really crowded.
Whether or not you’re searching for rest, good meals, family-friendly spots with calm waters, or aquatic adventures within the type of kayaking, scuba diving or whale watching, Kenya has a seashore for it. Right here’s our choose of the perfect seashores in Kenya.
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Diani Seaside
Greatest seashore for lengthy walks and watersports
About 30km (19 miles) south of Mombasa, Diani Seaside is a long-time traveler favourite, with a protracted stretch of sentimental, powder-white sand, and a very good and huge alternative of lodges, hostels and serviced seashore villas, in addition to numerous eating places and bars. Diani is standard for just about all the favored seashore actions, together with standup paddle boarding, kitesurfing, kayaking and deep-sea fishing. You may even go skydiving for views from above.
Diani is a dream for divers and snorkelers, with many dive websites lower than an hour away by boat. Reef sharks are a giant draw, as is recognizing endangered hawksbill and inexperienced turtles. From November to February, you would possibly see whale sharks. For teenagers, glass-bottomed boat excursions supply a straightforward glimpse of the underwater world.
Should you’re after a safari repair, the rainforest park of Shimba Hills Nationwide Reserve is 16km (10 miles) inland, and it’s house to elephants, monkeys, mongooses, hen species and the endangered sable antelope. Contained in the reserve is the Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary, created for elephants to freely roam round this space.
Galu Seaside
Greatest seashore for eco-tourism and kitesurfing
Galu (generally known as Galu Kinondo) is commonly seen as an extension of Diani Seaside, and it is one other countless stretch of shoreline south of Mombasa. This patch of sand is a bit more secluded and fewer developed than Diani, and there’s extra coastal scrub. Kaya Kinondo Sacred Forest is the final remaining jungle on the Kenyan coast, house to vervet and colobus monkeys, and it is a sacred web site for native communities.
Whereas white sands are the massive ticket, the eco-tours run by Colobus Conservation are value investigating. The group was set as much as defend these threatened primates and preserve their behavior after locals voiced considerations over the growing deaths of colobus monkeys on busy Diani Seaside Highway. Your vacationer {dollars} will go some strategy to help analysis, schooling, animal welfare and habitat safety.
Galu Seaside can also be standard with kitesurfers and paddle boarders, and the Polish-run KiteMotion kitesurfing faculty is an effective first port of name if you wish to take part. Snorkelers and divers can swim amongst scorpion fish and moray eels, in addition to rarer fish similar to sea horses and ghost pipe fish.
Nyali Seaside, Mombasa
Greatest seashore for simple entry from Mombasa
When individuals speak about Mombasa’s seashores, they usually imply the lengthy stretches that lie north and south of town, similar to Diani and Watamu. However Nyali, half of a bigger residential space simply north of central Mombasa, has a lot happening to go well with all ages, and it’s probably the most accessible and handy stretches of sand.
Nyali’s lengthy, white-sand seashore has a wide selection of lodges and eating places throughout all budgets, and you’ll get pleasure from quite a lot of seashore actions and watersports. It’s not probably the most lovely of Kenya’s seashores, however with the New Nyali Bridge connecting Nyali to Mombasa Island, it’s straightforward to succeed in the Previous City and sights similar to historical Fort Jesus.
A superb base is Tamarind Village, a trendy advanced of serviced flats on Mombasa Harbor with beautiful views over the water to Mombasa Island. Its white exterior and excessive arches are a design homage to conventional Arab structure on the Swahili coast. Its standard, open-sided Tamarind restaurant is great for seafood, and you too can e book a visit on a dhow (conventional sailboat) for a crewed sundown cruise across the harbor. You may request drinks and snacks, or perhaps a full dinner, or convey your personal provides.
Kikambala Seaside
Greatest seashore for native environment
About 33km (21 miles) north of Mombasa, Kikambala Seaside shouldn’t be probably the most accessible spot – the highway ends just a few hundred meters away from the shore – however if you happen to like quiet sands and snorkeling, it’s well worth the effort. The sand is blinding white and at low tide, you possibly can stroll out to the coral reef. It’s a well-liked seashore with the local people, which makes it significantly atmospheric on the finish of the day, with kids kicking soccer balls round and other people enjoyable with chilly beers at small seashore kiosks.
Watamu
Greatest seashore for snorkeling and marine life
About 108km (67 miles) north of Mombasa, the coral gardens of Watamu Marine Nationwide Park and Reserve are house to parrotfish, angelfish, three species of turtles and plenty of extra marine species, making this an underwater paradise. Should you’re right here between November and February, there’s an excellent likelihood of recognizing whale sharks and manta rays, whereas July to October is the season for humpback whales. Tribe Watersports can prepare kitesurfing and different water actions.
Watamu is made up of three bays – Watamu, Blue Lagoon and Turtle – they usually’re all white-sand, aquamarine, coconut palm-lined pure wonders. What makes this space significantly particular are the close by wetlands and mangrove forests – the Arabuko Sokoke Coastal Forest is among the largest tracts of coastal forest in Africa and a thriving habitat for wildlife, together with elusive elephants, numerous reptiles and amphibians and the adorable-looking Sokoke scops owl.
Whereas Watamu remains to be a comparatively sleepy seashore city, a rising variety of lodges have put it on the map, together with the favored Hemingways, named in tribute to the US creator who spent a trip right here deep-sea fishing. Others, similar to Ocean Sports activities & Turtle Bay have raised Watamu’s profile for watersports; the lodge’s exercise heart can prepare scuba dives, fishing journeys, kayaking and windsurfing classes.
Kilifi
Greatest seashore for cool, artistic vibes
In recent times, Kilifi has come into its personal as younger professionals have made a base right here, resulting in an explosion of cool cafes and bars, coworking areas and idea venues similar to The Meals Motion and FoMo, the place artist studios, an natural farm and market days come collectively in a single artistic house. Kilifi can also be the setting for the annual three-day Beneath the Baobabs Pageant – Africa’s first carbon-neutral competition – mixing East African music and tradition with a give attention to sustainability.
Kilifi is round 35km (22 miles) south of Watamu on the mouth of Kilifi Creek, with a principally native inhabitants of Giriama and Chonyi individuals from the Mijikenda tribe. Palm-lined Bofa Seaside is a wonderful spot and residential to the energetic seashore bar and kitesurfing heart, Salty’s Kitesurf Village. The south facet of Kilifi Creek is house to the smaller Shauri Moyo Seaside with extra white sand.
The creek itself, an estuary of the Goshi River, is a haven for birdlife. Take a ship to the hen island in the midst of the creek to see fish eagles and flocks of southern carmine bee-eaters. Kilifi can also be an excellent base for a visit to the Watamu Marine Nationwide Park and Reserve, certainly one of Kenya’s oldest marine parks. Take a ship to snorkel and dive amongst groupers, lionfish and enormous rays and whale sharks in season.
On land, Kilifi is house to the Mnarani Ruins, the archeological stays of a centuries-old Swahili settlement on a bluff overlooking the creek. The positioning consists of two Fifteenth-century Mnarani mosques and a 900-year-old baobab tree.
Malindi
Greatest seashore for Italian flavors
Malindi is certainly one of Kenya’s most intriguing seashore cities. Whereas it has a predominantly Muslim inhabitants, it’s also referred to as ‘Little Italy’ after the Italian-run Broglio Area Heart opened within the late Sixties and a rising Italian group made a house right here. Whereas fewer Italian residents reside right here completely at this time than in Malindi’s heyday, the city remains to be house to an above-average variety of Italian eating places, gelaterias and grocery shops promoting pasta and Parmesan cheese.
Malindi has a protracted and wonderful stretch of seashore, and whereas the city has a considerably light really feel, that’s additionally a part of the allure. Lodges and resorts line the seashore highway resulting in Malindi city, together with the weird sculpture-park-meets-hotel, White Elephant, owned by an Italian artwork collector. Two of the perfect Italian eating places within the space – Osteria and Child Marrow – are additionally on this seashore highway.
Lamu Island, Lamu Archipelago
Greatest seashore for experiencing Swahili tradition
Gradual journey guidelines on Lamu Island, and visiting his dune-dusted archipelago can really feel like a step again in time – conventional gown, donkeys for transport (automobiles for personal use aren’t allowed) and conventional trades similar to carpentry and boat-building are nonetheless commonplace. Constantly inhabited for greater than 700 years, the Thirteenth-century port metropolis of Lamu City is among the oldest and best-preserved Swahili settlements in East Africa, and also you’ll see African, Asian and European influences on the islands’ structure, significantly the ornate doorways.
In addition to exploring the seashores (Shela Seaside is especially beautiful), a sundown dhow boat journey round Lamu island and into the mangrove forests is a should. These superbly carved conventional crusing vessels have been as soon as used to ferry spices and different items between Africa, Asia and the Arabian Peninsula. Right now, they take individuals on sundown cruises, snorkeling day journeys, and even in a single day journeys the place you possibly can swim in glowing phosphorescence and sleep on deck underneath the celebs.
In Lamu City, make a visit to Ali’s boatyard to see the FlipFlopi Dhow, the world’s first recycled plastic crusing boat, a part of a venture to scale back waste in coastal communities.
