Top 10 Marinas in Kenya
Kenya's Indian Ocean coastline stretches approximately 536 kilometres from the Somali border in the north to the Tanzanian border at Vanga in the south. The entire seaboard is fringed by coral reef, which keeps the inshore waters calm even during the south-west monsoon (kusi) that blows from April to September, and the north-east monsoon (kaskazi) that dominates from November to March. Traditional sailing dhows have worked these waters for more than a thousand years, and the Swahili port towns of Mombasa, Malindi, and Lamu preserve a maritime culture unique in Africa.
English Point Marina
English Point Marina, situated on the northern arm of Mombasa's Old Town Creek, opened in 2011 and quickly became Kenya's premier yachting facility. The marina provides around 150 berths on floating pontoons, with depths of 4–6 m at the pontoons and a service quay capable of handling vessels up to 65 m. Shore power, water, wifi, and a 75-tonne travel lift are all available. The marina's proximity to the old harbour, Tudor Creek, and the Fort Jesus fortification — a UNESCO World Heritage Site built by the Portuguese in the 1590s — makes it an exceptional base for exploring Mombasa Island on foot.
Mombasa Yacht Club
The Mombasa Yacht Club, founded in 1933 on the south shore of Kilindini Harbour, is the oldest sailing club in East Africa. Visiting yachts are welcomed through a reciprocal arrangement with affiliated clubs; the club maintains a dinghy pontoon and several mooring buoys in Kilindini outer basin. The clubhouse overlooks the water and provides meals, bar, showers, and laundry. Racing is organised on weekends, principally using the club's fleet of Enterprise dinghies and a handful of keel-boat classes.
Kilifi Creek
Kilifi Creek, about 60 kilometres north of Mombasa, is the most celebrated cruising anchorage in Kenya. The creek cuts nearly 12 kilometres inland through red sandstone cliffs before widening into a calm upper reach with depths of 4–10 m. The Kilifi Boatyard, at the creek's mouth, offers haulout facilities with a 50-tonne travel lift, antifouling, and lay-up storage. The adjacent Distant Relatives Eco-lodge provides an exceptionally social waterfront gathering point for the cruising fleet. Provisioning is available in the town of Kilifi, a short ride across the new bridge, and the fish market at the creek mouth sells fresh snapper and grouper daily.
Malindi Marine Club
Malindi, roughly 120 kilometres north of Mombasa, has been a significant dhow port since the 14th century — it was here that Vasco da Gama took on a Swahili pilot for his final run to Calicut in 1498. The Malindi Marine Club, on the northern fringe of Malindi Bay, provides buoy mooring and dinghy landing for visiting yachts. Malindi Marine National Park, whose reef boundary begins a kilometre offshore, is one of the best-preserved coral environments on the Kenyan coast. The park authority charges a fee to anchor within its boundaries.
Lamu Archipelago
Lamu Island, 340 kilometres north of Mombasa, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the oldest surviving Swahili settlements on the East African coast. Visiting yachts anchor off the town of Lamu or in the channel between Lamu and Manda islands in 3–8 m of water over sand and seagrass. There is no formal marina, but the anchorage is well protected from the ocean swell by the archipelago's outer islands, and the water police provide a security watch. The Lamu Museum and the town's labyrinthine lanes, navigable only on foot or by donkey, reward extended exploration.
Mtwapa Creek
Mtwapa Creek, approximately 15 kilometres north of Mombasa, is a narrow tidal inlet that provides a popular anchorage for yachts waiting on the tide to move through the Mombasa channel. Depth at the creek mouth is 3–5 m, shoaling toward the inner reaches. The Mtwapa waterfront has restaurants, bars, and a small boat repair workshop. Caution is required when navigating the approach: the bar at the creek entrance can break in southerly swells.
Shimoni and Pemba Channel
Shimoni, about 80 kilometres south of Mombasa near the Tanzanian border, is the gateway to the Kisite-Mpunguti Marine National Park and the Pemba Channel, renowned for its big-game fishing and deep blue-water diving. Yachts anchor off the Shimoni Reef Lodge in 6–10 m of water or secure to the park authority buoys. The Pemba Channel drops to over 800 m just 5 nautical miles offshore; the wall dive at Kisite Island, beginning at 12 m and plunging beyond recreational limits, is considered one of East Africa's finest.
Kisumu Harbour, Lake Victoria
Kenya's inland sailing takes a radically different character on Lake Victoria. Kisumu Harbour on the lake's Winam Gulf provides a sheltered basin for the Kenyan fleet of racing dinghies and club boats used by the Kisumu Yacht Club. Squalls on Lake Victoria can be extremely severe — rising in minutes with gusts over 50 knots — and local knowledge of the lake's weather cycles is essential before venturing offshore. The lake sits at 1,134 m elevation and the surrounding papyrus swamps are a habitat for Nile monitor lizards and hippos.
Explore on the map
Kenya's coastal cruising circuit links the Swahili port towns from Shimoni in the south to Lamu in the north. Chart your course on the interactive map and identify reef channels, tidal creek anchorages, and the timing of monsoon transitions before you sail. The sailing map shows the positions of English Point Marina, Kilifi Creek, and the outer island anchorages in one view. Click on Kenya on the map to access depth data for specific creek entrances and to cross-reference the fringing reef positions with the approach bearings that keep you safely in the channel.