Fort Jesus, Mombasa

Fort Jesus was begun in 1593 by the Portuguese to secure the sea route to India, designed by an Italian architect on Renaissance principles with angled bastions, and built of coral rag on a spur above the harbour entrance. It then spent three centuries being fought over, changing hands roughly nine times between Portuguese, Omani Arab and later British control, including a siege of nearly three years at the end of the seventeenth century. Inside there is a museum of coastal archaeology, Portuguese and Omani wall paintings in the officers' quarters, and cannon still pointing out over the water. The fort sits at the edge of Mombasa's old town, a quarter of carved doors, coral houses and narrow lanes that repays an hour of wandering afterwards.

What you actually see

• The bastions and cannon - the Renaissance angled defences above the harbour mouth.
• The Omani house and wall paintings - painted ships and figures in the officers' rooms.
• The site museum - coastal archaeology including finds from a wrecked Portuguese ship.
• Mombasa old town - carved wooden doors and coral-stone lanes just outside the walls.

When to go

The drier windows of December to March and July to October. Mornings are cooler and the light on the coral stone is better. The fort hosts occasional evening sound and light events.

Honest expectations

The interior is more ruin than furnished museum, and without a guide the layers of Portuguese, Omani and British occupation are hard to read. Persistent guides and touts work the entrance, so agree a price first or decline clearly. The old town nearby has been poorly maintained in places, though the doors and facades remain remarkable.

Nearby

Diani and the south coast beaches are an hour away; Haller Park is on the north side of the city.