Magical Malindi

Established in the 13th century, Malindi is one of the oldest settlements on the Kenya coast. It was here, in 1498, that explorer, Vasco da Gama, first set foot in East Africa, having veered away from his preferred port of call, Mombasa, when his anchor ropes were cut. Da Gamma and his crew were given a memorable welcome by the Omani Sultan, who, Da Gamma reports, provided ‘nine days of fêtes sham fights and musical performances’ before sending him off laden with provisions – to Calcutta. During the 1930’s Malindi achieved fame as the preferred fishing and drinking haunt of Ernest Hemingway, who famously drank gin at the Blue Marlin hotel and fished for big game fish off the coast. 

Tourism and big fame fishing

Today, Malindi is not only an attractive tourist resort, but it is also the venue for the most prestigious of Kenya’s big game fishing tournaments. Typically taking place between October and February, they attract anglers from all over the world, all of whom come to do battle with such giants of the deep as; marlin, reef shark, barracuda, manta ray tuna, sail fish. 

Prime dive site and marine reserve

The area is also a prime dive site, located directly opposite the famous Watamu Marine Park and Reserve, which offers a sanctuary to a wide variety of tropical coral and marine life (leaf fish, frog fish, octopus, crocodile fish, angel and butterfly fish, groupers, barracuda, white-tip reef sharks, manta rays, whale sharks and dolphins. There are 13 dive sites including those in the outer fringing reef, where the diving takes places lies 1.5 km off the beach. Here the top of the reef lies between 7m and 14 m below the water and drops down to a sandy bottom of 22-30m. 

Points of interest

Maintaining a strong Swahili identity, Malindi stands on the panoramic sweep of a wide bay, where surfing is possible all year-round (the best months being between late June and early September when the seasonal monsoon sweeps in some truly magnificent rollers). 

What to see and do

The town boasts a Portuguese monument to Prince Henry the Navigator, the Juma mosque and pillar tombs, a number of curio shops, a fish market, a 17th century Portuguese chapel and the Vasco da Gama Pillar, which marks the spot where he landed in 1499. There is also ; a Reptile Park, Falconry Centre, Horse riding Centre, the Malindi Golf and Country club (9-hole), numerous windsurfing deep-sea fishing, and scuba diving schools and the Malindi Marine National Park.