480 km of vast uninterrupted white sand beaches, fringed with palms, casuarinas, oleanders and brilliant bougainvillaea, washed by the incredible sparkling blue waters of an opal Indian Ocean, refreshed by gentle monsoon breezes, makes the Kenya coast one of the most idyllic resort areas anywhere in the world.

The tropical coastline of East Africa has been recognized by historians for a thousand years, from Ptolemy to the Turks, from the Arabs to the Portuguese who took Mombasa in the 16th Century. They stayed for over a century, building Fort Jesus, eventually being starved by the Arabs. In the North and South coast stand some of Kenya´s finest hotels, nestling in cleared beach front areas, offering a very wide variety of watersports and activities.

The Kisite Marine Park, almost at the Tanzania border, an intriguing underwater world, can be reached from Shimoni or Wasini Island in a lovely dhow trip. In the North, Nyali, Bamburi, Shanzu and Kikambala are a paradise of sand and bright blue sea, with its calm unruffled water.

Mombasa City

The second most important city of the country is the largest and most popular island on the Kenya coast.
This old but vibrant gateway to Kenya is a mystical mixture of ancient and modern, with a cosmopolitan population blending Africa, Arabia and Asia. But not everyone realizes that this picturesque port is an island with two deep water harbors. Evocative of the east, graceful sailing dhows unchanged throughout the centuries, arrive on the monsoon winds, while ocean liners berth just around the headland. Fringing the dhow harbor is the Old Town, dominated by the ancient Portuguese Fort Jesus, a maze of narrows streets overshadowed by high ornamental balconies of quaint shuttered houses and vibrant open bazaars.

Malindi

Historically, Malindi dates back to the 9th Century with Arab occupation from the 13th Century onwards. A rich trading centre with the near East with Arabic influence for more than 500 years, Malindi is now a popular beach resort. 18kms south of the ancient town, surrounded by the Sokokwe Forest, is situated the lost City of Gedi whose inhabitants inexplicably vanished over 300 years ago. Two marine national parks with wonderful underwater coral gardens and thousands of tropical fish, secluded curved bays with incredible beaches that defy description.

Lamu

As one of the earliest Arab settlements along the coast, Lamu has preserved his architecture and a tempo reminiscent of the 18th Century. This swahili town, last remaining bastion of the Shirazi, the oldest of the cultures on this coast, is a delightful anachronism carrying on its daily life as it has for centuries. There are beautiful beaches, a wonderful underwater world along the reefs in the Kiunga Marine National Park and two remote hideaways on Kiwayu and Manda for those who dream of deserted tropical islands in the sun.