Historic Sites along Kenya’s Coast
Mtwapa Ruins: The Forgotten Lost City
Exploring untraveled beaches can be an adventure! These are often hidden gems waiting to be discovered, away from the more popular ones. If you’re seeking a secluded and little-known beach near Mombasa, consider visiting the lesser-known Mtwapa Beach. To make the best of your trip here, you could consult a local guide, or even local residents, to show you the many historic ruins found in the area. Keep in mind that accessing some of the ruins, many now in private property, might require some extra effort, mostly navigating through thick bush.
Mtwapa Ruins is a large site on the north side of Mtwapa Creek, in thick bush, with many walls of about 60 houses barely standing, stretching several hundred metres north to south. But the breadth of the site is continually reduced by the construction of houses overlooking the creek and ocean. It is not difficult to imagine that Mtwapa was once considerably larger than its present size. Cut coral was used for the edges of doorways and decorative pilasters. The enclosing town wall may be seen today as a high mound of earth extending across the road.
There was apparently one congregational mosque at Mtwapa, still seen at the site. Although the history of the site has been grossed over, Mtwapa Ruins is a site of great archaeological potential, for settlement pattern studies, survey, mapping, architectural study and excavation. Few other sites could rival it in the sheer scale of its standing remains. Mtwapa Ruins would have had much more potential for development as a national monument if access to the sea and Mtwapa Creek had not been cut off by the new houses, which must have greatly damaged the site.
There are dozens of well-studied and accessible historic sites along the Kenya’s Coast. Some of the historic sites located here are composed of the old settlement towns and outlying groups of tombs. North to South, the coast is awash with a collection of ruins, found mainly along the beach, many of them on private lands.
Index of Historic Sites Along the Coast of Kenya
Kwale County - Vumba Kuu, Vanga, Kagugu, Wasini Island Ruins, The Chambocha Cemetery, Pongwe, Hurumuzi (House of Hormuz), Shirazi, Munje Ruins, Gazi Ruins, Galu Ruins, Ukunda Diani Mosque, Kongo Mosque, Twiga Mosque, Mombasa County - Fort Jesus, Santo Antonio de Tanna, St. Joseph’s Fort, The Mbaraki Pillar, Kilifi County - Mtwapa Ruins, Jumba la Mtwana (The Slavemaster's House), Vipingo Masjid, Kinuni Ruins, Kitoka Ruins, Mnarani Ruins, Uyombo Ruins, Kirepwe Island Ruins, Kiburugeni, Mgangani, Gede Ruins, Portuguese Chapel, Vasco da Gama Cross, Kibirikani Ruins, Mambrui, Tana River County - Ungwana Bay Ruins, Shaka Ruins, Mwana Ruins, Lamu County - Kibirikani Ruins, Matondoni Ruins, Kipungani Ruins, Takwa Ruins, Nabahani Ruins, Siyu Fort, Shanga Ruins, Atu Ruins, Chundwa Ruins, Ashuwei Ruins, Ishakani I
Touring Kilifi County offers a delightful blend of coastal beauty, lovely beaches, cultural richness, natural wonders, and fascinating ancient ruins. Whether you’re seeking pristine beaches, historical sites, or vibrant cultural experiences – or a combination, Kilifi promises a memorable and enriching travel experience.
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Explore Destinations Near Mtwapa Ruins
A Guide to Kilifi County
A Summa Digest of Kilifi
About Kilifi Way Back When
95 Destinations in Kilifi County, arranged as one would visit these - south, north, east then north - with aid of narratives, images, strip maps and distance chart:
Shimo la Tewa Prison, Mtwapa Creek, Mtwapa Ruins, The Moorings, La Marina Restaurant, Jumba la Mtwana, Kikambala Beach, Vipingo Mosque Ruins, Kinuni Ruins, Kuruwitu Conservancy, Neem Tree House, Vipingo Ridge, Chasimba Cave, Kilifi Sisal Plantations, Vuma Cliffs, Old Town Takaungu, Takaungu Creek, Kitoka Ruins, Takaungu House, Beneath the Baobab Festival, Kilifi Creek, Kilifi Bridge, Kilifi Boatyard, Distant Relatives Lodge, Mnarani Ruins, Mnarani Snake Park, 3 Degrees South, Kamili House, Mazingira Park, Bofa Beach, Saltys Kitesurfing Bar & Restaurant, Bush Baby Kilifi, Casa Dalton, Panga ya Saidi Cave, River Rare Geo Park, Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, Mwangea Hills Forest, Watamu Marine National Park, Uyombo Ruins, Rock & Sea Resort, Mida Creek, Sudi Island, Kirepwe Ruins, Watamu Beach, Ocean Sports Watamu, Medina Palms, Hemimways Watamu, A Rocha Eco Lodge & Conservation Centre, Watamu Treehouse, Garoda Beach, Tribe Watersports, Kite House, Local Ocean Conservation, Bio-Ken Snake Farm, Kiburugeni Ruins, Mgangani Ruins, Mida Creek Nature Camp, Gede Ruins, Kipepeo Butterfly Farm, Malindi Museum, Henry the Navigator Monument, Malindi Pier, Malindi Pillar Tomb, Malindi Waterfront Park, Portuguese Chapel, Vasco da Gama Pillar, Malindi Beach, Ndoro Sculpture Garden, White Elephant Sea & Art Lodge, Malindi Crocodile & Snake Farm, Malindi Marine National Park, Malaika Beach Sunbeds & Restaurant, Sawa Sawa Dhow Excursions, Lo Sfizio Coffee Shop, Lennox Art Gallery, Falconry of Kenya, Hanging Gardens, Malindi Golf & Country Club, River Sabaki Delta, Marafa Depression, Dakacha Woodland, Mekatilili wa Menza Site, Mambrui Dunes, Mambrui, Mambrui Tombs, Kibirakani Ruins, Che Shale Hotel Kitesurf Center, Ngomeni Shipwreck, Luigi Broglio Space Centre, The Nyika Plateau, Galana Conservancy, Ngala Mausoleum, Rabai Museum, Kaya Kambe Shrine, Thomas Wakefield Memorial Church
Know More About Kilifi County: Its Geography, Land-Use, Highlights, Population, Roads - including strip maps, Airports, Climate & National Monuments
Kilifi can be split into three zones – the narrow coastal plain, varying in width from 3 kms to 20 km; few coastal hills lying below 30 ms asl, and the Nyika Plateau rising from 100ms to 340 ms asl.
For the greater part of the year, the climate along the coastal plain is pleasurable, though humid. Temperature ranges between 21C and 30C along the coast, and between 30C and 34C further inland.
