Jumba la Mtwana

Jumba la Mtwana, the large house of the slave, is a small Swahili settlement built in the fourteenth century and abandoned by the beginning of the sixteenth for reasons that remain unclear, possibly the failure of its water supply. What survives is unusually intact for the coast: four mosques including one standing right at the shoreline, several houses with their coral-block walls and niches, a tomb, and the outlines of streets, all shaded by baobabs and casuarina with the Indian Ocean a few metres away. The mosque by the sea, with the tide reaching almost to its wall, is the image most visitors take away. It is small, quiet and rarely crowded, an easy stop from the north-coast beaches, with a shaded picnic area and a short interpretive trail through the ruins.

What you actually see

• The seaside mosque - the best-preserved mosque, right at the shoreline.
• Coral-block houses - walls, niches and doorways of the town's dwellings.
• The great baobabs - old trees standing among the ruins.
• The beach frontage - the ocean directly beside the site.

When to go

Dry seasons for comfort, though the site is shaded and manageable year-round. Mornings are cooler and the light on the coral blocks is better. It is quiet on weekdays and combines with Mtwapa or a north-coast beach stay.

Honest expectations

The site is small and an hour covers it. Interpretation is limited to a few signs and whatever a guide offers. The coral blocks are fragile and climbing on walls is not permitted. Facilities are basic. Mosquitoes are present in the shade.

Nearby

Mtwapa is adjacent; Mombasa and Fort Jesus lie south.