Watamu how to get there

There are several ways of getting to Watamu. The common ones are air and road.

How far is watamu from mombasa?

Watamu is about one and half hours drive from Mombasa. This is about 100 kilometres

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Find the best information about Watamu

Watamu used to be just as a delightful village. However, it has grown to be an ecotourist’s dream, a town that is lined with pristine sandy white beaches and numerous hotels that boast of their dedication to sustainable and responsible tourism. Watamu is just about a 20-minute drive South of Malindi Town, the second biggest town on the Kenyan Coast. Just a snorkel away from the oldest Marine Protected Area in Kenya, Malindi Marine National Park & Reserve, and the Watamu Marine National Park. Home to numerous species of turtle, the beaches are an ideal spot for swimming and a much-needed tanning session.

Where to Stay

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Things to do

Where to Eat

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10 things you should know about Watamu

1. Watamu is a small coastal town in Kenya, north of Mombasa. Watamu Town is a small town 20 kilometers or so south of Malindi. The name translates into ‘sweet people’. It lies between Watamu Bay to the north and Blue Lagoon to the south.

2. The name “Watamu” means “sweet people” in Swahili. The name came from the fact that Arab slave traders used to distribute sweets to entice the local population before taking them as slaves.

3. Watamu is home to the Bajuni people; who trace their descend to the intermarriages between the local Giriama People and the Arab traders. As at now, various tribes from inland Kenya such as the Luo, Kisii, Kikuyu, Kamba, kalenjin, Luhyas have all immigrated to the area to work in the Hotel industry.

4. Watamu’s main industries are tourism and fishing. The nearest big town is Malindi to which it is connected by frequent matatu. It has banks, petrol stations, post office, lodges, nightclubs playing latest western and local music, restaurant serving local and exotic dishes, supermarkets, dry cleaners and lively markets places.

5. In the village, there’s a cheery line-up of stalls displaying brilliantlycoloured fashions, local carvings and vibrant art. Elsewhere there are Italian coffee shops, gelato bars, wine shops, delicatessens and bakeries.

6. Watamu’s climate is classified as tropical. The winters are rainier than the summers in Watamu. The Köppen-Geiger climate classification is As. The average annual temperature is 26.0 °C in Watamu. About 1083 mm of precipitation falls annually.

7. Watamu is a Cosmopolitan society, which includes a top holiday destination and rich bio-diverse marine area.

8. According to archaeological findings, Watamu is said to have been inhabited from as far back as the 13th Century.

9. Watamu Marine area was gazetted in 1968 by the Kenya Wildlife Service which formed the Watamu National Marine Park and Reserve, extending 42 km along the coast, thus providing legal protection for the conservation area.

10. In 1979, Watamu increased international protection when it was declared a United Nations Man and Biospehere Reserve.

Things to do in Watamu

Hailed for its picturesque scenery and pristine beaches, the village of Watamu on Kenya’s Indian Ocean coastline attracts both adventure seekers and those looking for a relaxing seaside holiday. Surrounded by a verdant forest, the village provides access to bays and beaches of the Watamu Marine National Park, a biosphere reserve that houses coral reefs, tropical fish, and rare sea turtles that come to nest on the sandy shore.