Marafa Depression

Marafa is an eroded amphitheatre cut into soft sandstone, with fins, columns and gullies in bands of white, pink, orange and deep red, and it looks entirely out of place in the flat green coastal hinterland. The local name, Nyari, means the place broken by itself, and Giriama tradition tells of a wealthy family who bathed in milk and were punished by having their homestead swallowed into the ground, the red streaks being their blood; the popular tourist name, Hell's Kitchen, came later. Paths descend into the gorge and wind between the fins, and the site is best at the end of the day when low sun sets the colours alight, which is why most organised trips arrive for sunset. Erosion is active and the shapes change over years. Local guides from Marafa village lead visitors down and explain the formations and the story.

What you actually see

• Coloured sandstone fins - white, pink and red bands in eroded columns.
• The gorge floor - paths winding between the formations.
• Sunset light - the colours at their strongest late in the day.
• The Giriama story - the local legend told by village guides.

When to go

Late afternoon into sunset for the colours; midday flattens everything and the gorge is fiercely hot. Dry seasons for the access road. The site is busiest with sunset tour groups from Malindi and Watamu.

Honest expectations

The gorge is smaller than photographs suggest and the visit takes about an hour on the ground. Paths are loose sand and steep in places. There is no shade at all. Guides are compulsory in practice and a fee is expected. The road from Malindi is rough in stretches.

Nearby

Malindi is southwest; Arabuko-Sokoke forest and Gede lie south.