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Two people cycling along the wide white beach at Malindi, with turquoise sea behind

Town

Malindi

Malindi is an old Swahili trading town and the biggest resort on Kenya’s north coast. Vasco da Gama stopped here in 1498 on his way to India, and the town has a marine park, a long sandy beach, a historic old town and a strong Italian influence in its hotels and restaurants.

Why visit

Malindi has been a port for many centuries, and its rulers welcomed the Portuguese when Vasco da Gama arrived in 1498, giving him a pilot to guide his ships across the Indian Ocean to India. Today the town mixes Swahili, Giriama, Arab, Indian and Italian influences, and it is a lively base for the beaches, reefs and sights of the north coast.

What to see and do

  • The Vasco da Gama Pillar: a coral pillar topped with a cross, put up in 1498 on the headland at the south of town.
  • The Portuguese Chapel: a small thatched chapel, one of the oldest churches in East Africa.
  • The old town: narrow lanes, mosques and carved doors near the seafront.
  • The marine park: coral reefs and glass-bottom boats just south of town.
  • The beach: a long stretch of sand; the water can be brown from the Sabaki river in the rainy months.

Getting around

Tuk-tuks are the easiest way to get around town; agree the fare before you set off. Watamu and the Gede Ruins are about 30 minutes south by road.

Tips

  • Beach sellers can be persistent; a polite but firm “no, thank you” works.
  • Dress modestly in the old town, covering shoulders and knees.
  • Read our guide to getting to Malindi and Watamu.

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Nearby

Also worth seeing

The coral-stone walls of the Great Mosque at the Gede Ruins, surrounded by forest Ruins

Gede Ruins

A lost Swahili town

The ruins of a walled Swahili town in the forest near Watamu, with a palace, mosques, houses and pillar tombs, abandoned in the early 17th century.

Red and orange sandstone cliffs and pinnacles in the Marafa canyon, known as Hell’s Kitchen Canyon

Marafa Hell’s Kitchen

A red sandstone gorge

A maze of eroded sandstone gullies and pinnacles in red, orange and cream, about an hour inland from Malindi, best seen at sunset with a local guide.

Coral islets off Watamu beach at low tide, beside a beach building painted with fish Marine park

Watamu Marine National Park

Coral gardens and turtles

A protected stretch of reef, lagoon and coral islets off Watamu, with coral gardens for snorkelling, glass-bottom boats and sea turtles, run by Kenya Wildlife Service.

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