Kilifi

Kilifi is built around a creek that cuts inland from the ocean, spanned by a bridge with a view down onto water that runs from deep blue to pale turquoise depending on the tide. The creek is a natural harbour, so yachts and dhows moor along it and there is a boatyard tradition, and swimming, kayaking and kitesurfing happen on the sheltered water. The town has a mixed character: a working Kenyan town on one side, a long-established community of expatriates and weekenders on the other, and a growing reputation for music festivals over the new year. Mnarani ruins stand on the southern bluff. Beaches at Bofa and along the coast north are broad and often empty, and the pace of the whole place is markedly slower than Mombasa or Diani.

What you actually see

• The creek - turquoise water, moorings and the bridge view.
• Mnarani ruins - Swahili mosque and tombs on the south bluff.
• Bofa beach - a long, quiet stretch of sand north of the creek.
• Watersports - kayaking, kitesurfing and sailing on the sheltered water.

When to go

Dry seasons for the clearest water; the long rains from April to June are heavy on this coast. New year brings festivals and a much busier town. Kitesurfing conditions are best in the windy months from December to March.

Honest expectations

The town itself has few sights; the appeal is the water and the pace, and visitors looking for attractions will find little. Some beaches have seaweed at certain seasons. Accommodation ranges from backpacker to villa with little in between. The main road through town is busy and dusty.

Nearby

Mnarani ruins are on the creek; Watamu, Gede and Mida Creek lie north.