What better way to end or start your roadtrip safari in Kenya than with a dip in the Indian Ocean? Kenya has a fabulous coastline with white sandy beaches, warm blue waters, splendid diving and deep sea fishing, great kite surfing and many hotel options in all price ranges.
In this Kenya Travel Guide, we reveal to you the best and most beautiful beaches in Kenya with tips on things to do, where to stay and where to eat.
1. Diani Beach | The best kite surfing spot in Africa
Lively Diani is located about 19 km south of the famous Fort Jesus landmark in Mombasa. It’s about a 90-minute drive from Mombasa and is Kenya’s most popular beach resort.
Diani and its neighbouring beaches of Tiwi and Galu offer 15 km of developed beach stretch. Still, Diani has a very relaxed and laid-back vibe and attracts a nice blended crowd of Nairobians, expats, tourists, digital nomads and kitesurfers. There are plenty of cafes, restaurants, bars and accommodations on offer in and around Diani, catering to all budgets
2. Kilifi | For backpackers, digital nomads and surfers
Kilifi town is a 2-hour drive from Mombasa and a friendly, laid-back and authentic village located along a picturesque creek. It’s a fun and scenic drive from Diani Beach to Kilifi on a good tarmac road, and the roadtrip includes a scenic ferry trip.
Kilifi is not (yet) discovered by fly-in tourism and is popular among backpackers, digital nomads, kitesurfers and yogis. There are some surprisingly cool hang-out places to discover in Kilifi:
- Salty’s on beautiful Bofa Beach offers great food, good music, cool vibes, and is the place to go for sunset drinks. They also run a professional kitesurf centre.
- Distant Relatives is an eco- and backpacker lodge set in the mangroves. A lovely place to stay for families, friends and budget-conscious travellers, but also great for drinks and good food.
- Nautilus is a very good seafood restaurant, located right at the creek.
- The Food Movement is a wonderful place to go to for lunch. It’s set in a former sisal plantation and is currently converted into an eco-playground for creatives with ateliers, a shared office space, eco-housing projects and a school.
3. Watamu | The best diving beaches in Kenya
Another 40 km north of Kilifi, you’ll find Watamu, a well-developed resort town with plenty of excellent restaurants and accommodations catering to every budget. Watamu consists of several bays with white sandy beaches and is home to a big Italian community. Many Italians have set up businesses in Watamu, so expect good Italian coffee, delicious ice cream, and rich pasta dishes.
Watamu offers world-class diving opportunities and is home to 20 prime diving locations, all within less than 30 minutes from the main beach town. All diving sites are protected by the Watamu Marine Reserve. Other popular activities include kite surfing, snorkelling, dolphin watching, sunset tours and canoe rides in beautiful Mida Creek.
A few recommended restaurants and places to hang out in Watamu are:
- Crab Shack – A community-run place in the mangroves. You can rent a canoe here and head out for a tour. Definitely try their crab samosas!
- Lichthaus – This bar offers hammocks on the water, nice party vibes, and stunning sunsets. Very instagrammable, so don’t go there if you are allergic to such ”kind” of crowd 😉
- Pilipan – Indian food and good cocktails overlooking a prawn lake.
- Kokomo – Great Lebanese food, located right on the beach at a lovely bay.
. Malindi | A historical Swahili beach town
Only 25 kilometres north of Watamu lies Malindi, a seaside Swahili town. Already founded in the 13th Century, the city centre offers interesting, yet crippling, historical buildings.
Malindi and the Italian community
Since the 1960s, Malindi has been known as “Little Italy”. The tourist resort is packed with Italian-owned restaurants, pizzerias, delis and gelato shops. Italian restaurant menus offer after-dinner Limoncello shots, and the African beach boys – hawking snorkel trips, woodcarvings or ganja – all pitch in Italian. What an odd sight.
Why do so many Italians live along the Watamu and Malindi coastline? During the Second World War, Italian regiments were stationed along this part of the Kenyan coast. They were given land as compensation, so they could settle in town with their families. In the 1960s, the opening of the Italian-run Broglio Space Centre in this region attracted more Italian engineers and scientists, with luck seekers following in their footsteps. In its heyday in the 1980s and 1990s, over 4,000 Italians lived in Malindi town.
5. Lamu Island | A yogi hotspot
Looking for an off-the-beaten-track beach destination? You might want to try Lamu Island, the Zanzibar of Tanzania, 20 years ago.
Lamu town is the best-preserved remaining settlement of the Swahili tradition, an eclectic mixture of European, African, Arab and Asian traditions and cultures. Cars are banned on the island, and you’ll explore the narrow alleys on foot.
Lamu Island focuses on rather higher-end tourism. It’s embraced by the international yoga scene and offers plenty of upmarket and small-scale boutique hotels. Your self-drive travels in Kenya take you up to Malindi but no further north. To visit Lamu Island, you must catch a domestic flight from Nairobi, Mombasa or Diani Beach.
