Historic Sites Along the Coast





Hurumuzi: The Old Hormuz
The site of Hurumuzi, probably the old Hormuz (Ormuz) or House of Hormuz, is situated about 30 minutes’ from Kidimu and Pongwe, through dense thickets of mangroves. The Hurumuzi is on a little grassy knoll rising above the surrounding mangroves. Some scatters of local ceramics can be seen, and there were a few stones around that might have belonged once to structures. The main building is a small mosque of a single chamber, entered through a door on the south end of the east wall, and possibly through another in the south wall. The north, east and east half of the south walls stand; the west and west half of the southern walls have fallen. There is a single rectangular column in the centre of the degraded room.

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

Located along the Kenyan coast, and a hub renowned for its pristine beaches, rich cultural heritage, and breathtaking landscapes, Kwale County uniquely combines two of Kenya’s unsurpassed offerings – beach and safari. Kwale County is also a melting pot of coastal traditions, modern development, farming and trade to boot.
You Are Here: Pongwe Ruins
Where to Next?
Explore Destinations Nearby Pongwe Ruins
A Guide to Kwale County
A Summa Digest of Kwale
About Kwale Way Back When
85 Destinations in Kwale County, arranged as one would visit these - north, south, east then south - with aid of in-depth narratives, images, maps and distance chart:
Shelly Beach, Time Out Art Camp, Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary, Kutazama Lodge, Mandhari Lodge, Kimerimeta Safari Lodge, Baraza Park, Kwale Town, Shimba Hills National Reserve, Shimba Hills Lodge, Elephant Lookout, Sheldrick Falls, Shimba Hills Organic Farm, Nyalani Dam, WWF Nursery, Tiwi Beach, Diani-Chale Marine National Reserve, Kongo Mosque, Twiga Mosque, Diani Mosque, Diani Beach Art Gallery, Diani Bikes, Center Point Mall, Diani Beach, Almasi Art Agency, Diamond Leisure Beach & Golf Resort, Ali Barbour’s Cave Restaurant, Kenya Kite Masters, Kite Festival, Funguo Wreck, Swahili Beach Resort, Raydon Water Sports, Colobus Conservation Trust, Sails Beach Bar & Restaurant, H2O Extreme, Nomad Beach Bar & Restaurant, Baobab Beach Resort, Lantana Galu Beach, Galu Ruins, Bora Bora Wildlife Park, Skydive Diani, Kalista Bar & Restaurant, Kaya Kinondo (Forest), Kinondo Kwetu (Resort), Chale Island, Tulia Eco Garden, Gazi Beach, Gazi Mangrove Boardwalk, Gazi Ruins, Msambweni Beach, Munje Beach, Munje Beach Villas, Munje Ruins, Munje Octopus Closure, Funzi Island, Shirazi Ruins, Fikirini Caves, Hormuz, Pongwe, Shimoni Caves, Betty's Camp, Shimoni Ruins, KWS Shimoni Cottages, Wasini Island, Wasini Ruins, Wasini Boardwalk, Charlie Claw’s, Chambocha Cemetery, Wasini Dolphin Tours, Pilli Pipa Dhow, Blue Monkey Cottages, GVI Mkwiro, Mwaozi Tumbe's Gravestone, Kisite-Mpunguti Marine Park, Sii Island, Mrima Hill, Maji Moto Springs, Vumba Kuu, Vanga, Vanga Ruins, Nyika Plateau
Know More About Kwale County: Its Geography, Land-Use, Highlights, Population, Roads - including strip maps, Airports, Climate & National Monuments
What’s The Air Like In Kwale?
Kwale has monsoon type of climate marked by hot and dry weather from January to May and cooler temperatures from June to August. Average annual temperatures ranges between 24oC and 30oC.



What’s The Lay of The Land In C.02?
Kwale is widely known for its 35 km long coast, where Diani Beach sits. Inland, the coastal uplands, commonly referred to as Shimba Hills, is a sharp elevation in altitude. The land then steeply falls again into the Nyika Plateau and Tsavo.

