A six-kilometre creek
cutting inland from the sea.
Kilifi sits either side of a creek roughly six kilometres long, where the Goshi River meets the Indian Ocean. The creek is the whole character of the place: flat protected water that draws kitesurfers, sailors and a long-settled community of people who came for a season and stayed. It is quieter and less developed than Diani or Watamu, and it is not really trying to be a resort town. The Mnarani ruins on the south bank date back to the fourteenth century, and Bofa Beach north of the creek is close to empty most days.
Between Mombasa and Malindi
Approximate creek length
Ideal length of stay
Best conditions
Why visit Kilifi
The creek gives protected water and steady wind, which is a rarer combination than it sounds.
A Swahili settlement above the creek with mosques and tombs from the fourteenth century.
Long, undeveloped and usually deserted, north of the creek mouth.
No resort strip and no hawkers. Kilifi has resisted the development that shaped its neighbours.
A long-established mix of local and settled-in residents, which gives the town more life than a hotel row.
On the main coast road between Mombasa and Malindi, so it fits in either direction.
What there is to do
Kitesurfing on the Creek
The creek gives flat water and steady wind, which is why the kite crowd ended up here.
Mnarani Ruins Visit
A Swahili settlement above the creek, with mosques and tombs dating back to the fourteenth century.
Creek Boat Trips
Out along the creek by boat, past the mangroves and the anchored yachts.
Bofa Beach Day
A long, quiet stretch of sand north of the creek with almost no development on it.
Local Market Visit
The produce and fish market, which is where the town actually happens.
Marine life and wildlife
Dolphin
Bottlenose and humpback dolphin work the reef edge, most often seen on an early boat trip.
Sea Turtle
Green and hawksbill turtle feed on the seagrass and nest on these beaches between March and July.
Mangrove Crab
Fiddler and mangrove crabs work the mudflats at low tide in numbers worth stopping to watch.
Reef Fish
Parrotfish, angelfish, snapper and butterflyfish across the coral. Visibility decides how much you see.
Kingfisher
Several species along the creek, hunting from the mangrove roots and the overhanging branches.
When to go
The coast runs on two monsoons rather than a dry and wet season. Both have their advantages.
Kusi season
The south-east monsoon. Cooler, breezier and dry, with the best conditions of the year for being outdoors.
Kaskazi season
The north-east monsoon brings hot, still, humid days and the calmest, clearest water for diving.
Short rains
Brief afternoon storms that clear quickly, warm sea and noticeably lower rates.
Long rains
The wettest stretch, with reduced visibility underwater and some hotels closing for maintenance.
Add Kilifi to your trip
Kilifi works best for travellers who want the coast without the resort strip.