Watamu

Watamu is a village on Kenya's north coast in Kilifi County, about 105 km north of Mombasa. Its marine park, gazetted in 1968 as Kenya's first, protects coral reef with over 600 fish species and five species of marine turtle. October to March brings the best diving visibility and turtle nesting, and whale sharks pass through from October to February.

Watamu is Kenya's most ecologically significant coastal destination, a compact village on the northern coast where conservation, community, and extraordinary natural beauty converge in a way unique on the African coast.

The Watamu Marine National Park and Reserve, gazetted in 1968 as Kenya's first marine park, protects one of the most biodiverse coral reef systems in the Western Indian Ocean. The park is home to over 600 fish species, five species of marine turtle, and seasonal whale sharks that pass through the bay, making Watamu one of the few places in the world where whale shark encounters can be reliably arranged.

Adjacent to the park, Mida Creek is a vast mangrove estuary of exceptional birding importance. Local Ocean Conservation runs one of Africa's most respected sea turtle conservation programmes, and visitors can participate in turtle tagging, beach patrols, and hatchery visits.

Watamu is also the centre of Kenya's kite surfing scene, with a colony of Italian expats who have built world-class facilities and dining. The historic Gede Ruins, a 12th-century Swahili trading town in the coastal forest, adds a remarkable cultural dimension.