Abduljabbar Ali In this article, I will share some of the top public beaches you should explore when visiting Mombasa.
Mombasa is known for its stunning beaches and their images are reflected in the entire buildings around the Island.
Read also; 9 Things That Mombasa Is Best Known For
When you explore Mombasa Island, you will notice that some buildings are painted white and blue.
This color represents beautiful beaches that are filled with white sand and blue crystal clear water along the Indian Ocean shore.
One of the main reasons why Mombasa is a popular tourist destination is because of the beaches along the coastline of the Indian Ocean.
Read also; Why Is Mombasa A Popular Tourist Destination? [11 Facts]
Without wasting time, let me share with you the top public beaches you should visit when you are in Mombasa.
These are the top public beaches in Mombasa;
1. Pirates Beach.
Pirates Beach is one of the top public beaches in Mombasa not because it’s too fancy.
Many locals and tourists visit the beach and hang out along the shore while watching the waves wash away.
Pirates Beach receives so many visitors because it’s easily accessible; it’s very close to the main road (Malindi Road).
Those who are from Haller Park, City Mall, Nyali Center, Mamba Village, and from Bamburi area can easily get to pirates without a problem.
Read also; 8 Affordable Places To Visit In Mombasa Kenya
This public beach is also well-known in Mombasa because of the local kiosk setups at the entrance and along the shore that enable the locals and tourists to get drinks, food, and snacks at a cheap price.
Most people who go to Pirate Beach are the locals. For those coming to Mombasa for the first time who are within Kenya, the first beach they think of visiting is Pirates.
It’s one of the active public beaches that draws a lot of locals and tourists. The beach is usually super crowded during weekends and holidays.
During the festive seasons in Mombasa, Pirates Beach gets full to the brim. It’s even becoming harder to walk around and swim because of how crowded it gets.
It’s not the space is small, but the number of visitors during festive seasons in Mombasa increases.
If you want to experience the crowds at Pirates Beach, you should visit Mombasa in December.
Read also; Is December A Good Time To Visit Mombasa?
Another reason why Pirates Beach is one of the popular public beaches in Mombasa is because there are a lot of cheap activities to do.
Things to do at Pirates Beach in Mombasa;
- Try street foods at Pirates Beach.
- Riding camels along the shores.
- Enjoy swimming in clean crystal clear blue waters.
- Enjoy tube riding in the waves of the Indian Ocean.
- Collect shells along the shore.
- Buy colorful art, Dera, Bracelets, and Vitenge around the beach.
- Chill and watch the sunset along the beach.
- Enjoy boat riding.
- Ride jet skis.
The above are just a few of the activities you can do at Pirates Beach, thus making it one of the best public beaches in Mombasa.
This beach surely offers you a raw view of how the locals handle their lifestyles.
There are a lot of beach boys who try their luck to find love and money from the tourists.
Pirates Beach is located along Malindi Road around Bamburi.
The beach is well-known in Mombasa for the positive things it offers, but it also has its downside.
Pirates Beach isn’t the cleanest beach since the shores are rarely cleaned. Plastic bottles and seaweeds accumulate along the shore.
It is also not that safe, you might get your belongings stolen if you leave them on the shore without anyone taking care of them.
When it’s super crowded during the holidays, you can get mugged and robbed by the bandits and no one will help you.
So, you have to be cautious if you are visiting Pirates Beach during the festive seasons.
Don’t stay at the beach until later at night because during that time things get a little bit tense.
The drug addict guys from Kisauni and Bamburi take advantage of the situation and start robbing and hurting the visitors.
2. Mombasa Beach.
Mombasa Beach is also one of the Beaches you should explore when you visit Mombasa.
The beach is also colourful like Pirates but it’s a little bit different when it comes to what you should expect.
What I can say is that the beach is touristic; most of the locals doing business along the beach aim to trap the tourists.
The raw authenticity of the is thereby vanished. Apart from that, the beach is well-kept compared to Pirates Beach because of the number of tourists visiting the beach to chill and enjoy coconut drinks.
Most of the activities that you can do at Pirates Beach, will also find them at Mombasa Beach.
Along the shores you can see palm trees everywhere, boats floating on the water when the tide is high, and amazing restaurants with Swahili dishes that will tempt you to dine.
Mombasa Beach Hotel is just along the shore, thus its name, after some hours chilling in the ocean, you can get yourself an incredible meal at the hotel.
There are giant coral reefs along the shore which increases the beauty of this beach.
You can spend your day sand bathing, walking along the shore, capturing amazing pictures and videos, riding camels and boats, drinking coconut water, and writing your name on the white sands to capture a memory.
The beautiful thing about this beach is that it usually doesn’t get congested compared to Pirates Beach.
You will have the best time hanging out at the beach and exploring the beauty of this Coastal Paradise in Mombasa.
I nearly forgot to mention an important point, the beach is considered safe for tourists and locals.
You don’t have to worry too much about getting robbed. But this doesn’t mean you should let your guard down.
Be vigilant and look at the people who approach you.
You will come across hawkers who will try to sell you shells, snacks, and coconut drinks along the beach.
Their selling tactics aren’t lovable, they can annoying because they will try to get you to buy something even when you have no intention to buy.
If you are a tourist you should expect something like this to happen.
Most tourists go to Mombasa Beach because of the hotel. They can have an amazing view of the beach while they are in their hotel, an amazing dining area, and peace of mind since the hawkers won’t bother them.
You should take your time and enjoy the rest of the day at Mombasa Beach — if you want peace of mind and enjoy the cool breeze from the shore.
The beach is cleaner than Pirates Beach because of the many restaurants, hotels, and bars along the shore.
It’s an incredible place to be if you want a piece of Paradise in Mombasa that will take you away from the heat and offer you relaxation of a kind.
3. Nyali Beach.
Nyali Beach is another beautiful beach around Nyali’s outskirts that is so clean, peaceful, less crowded, and has stunning coral reefs along the shore.
Nyali is one of the best areas to stay in Mombasa because of the countless services you can get around the area.
Read also; 7 Best Areas To Stay In Mombasa
It’s considered one of the richest neighborhoods in Mombasa, thus reflecting this to its beach.
Nyali Beach is one of the best beaches in Mombasa because of how incredible it’s maintained.
The beach is clean, with clear white sands to bathe in, a great view of the boats floating on high tide, and blue waters to dive in.
You can ride boats, jet ski, canoeing, and hire tubes to just float in water as you are watching the sunset.
Riding a jet ski is one of the things to do on my bucket list, I’ll definitely try out that when I go back to Mombasa.
It’s one of the most amazing experiences you can get while exploring the beach for the day.
It’s definitely a great place to be if you are within Nyali and you don’t want to go all the way to Bamburi to access Pirates Beach.
During the low tide, you can walk along the beach, collect shells, see aquatic animals, and enjoy the view of the wide beach.
The best time to visit this beach should be connected to the best time you should visit Mombasa.
Read also; What Is The Best Month To Visit Mombasa?
Go to Nyali Beach when the sun is high in the sky, the skies are clear and there is no sign of a heavy downpour.
You don’t want to be at the beach when it rains. Things get out of order, the beach is left dirty and the view is absolutely ruined.
Nyali Beach is one of the best beaches that you can explore with your family and friends because it’s less crowded and safe.
The location of Nyali Beach is so convenient since you are truly close to amazing restaurants and hotels a few minutes away from Mamba Village and wild waters.
4. Jomo Kenyatta Public Beach.
Jomo Kenyatta Public Beach is also one of the top beaches you should visit when you are in Mombasa.
It’s located along Malindi Road a few minutes’ drive away from Pirates Beach just around the Bamburi area.
The beach isn’t that famous compared to Pirates Beach but it’s known for its amazing serene environment, beautiful white sands, amazing swimming spots, and nightlife.
Most of the activities that you can find at this beach are just similar to the ones you will encounter at Jomo Kenyatta Public Beach.
The beach isn’t five-star clean but its environment is serene, calm, and peaceful when it’s not that crowded.
You just have to be careful with the people who will approach you to buy their services. Always ask about their prices before you take anything from them.
Some will try to take advantage of you and rip you off especially if they realize you are a tourist.
When it comes to the safety rate of the beach, it’s not top-notch, but you don’t have to be too worried about your safety.
No one will mug and rob you in the daylight. You just have to keep your belongings secure.
If you want to enjoy your time swimming, leave your staff at the thatched shades, of course, you will have to pay them to take care of your items.
At Jomo Kenyatta Public Beach you can enjoy boat riding, swimming, riding camels, drinking coconut water, and even getting yourself in the amazing bars along the beach.
The beach is not family-friendly because of the chaos it can get when it’s crowded and considering the cleanliness of some areas.
As with any other public beaches in Mombasa, we also have vendors who are aggressive and will try to sell you things at a touristic price.
So, if you want to buy anything at the beach you have to at least ask the locals around before doing that if you don’t to be overpriced on something cheap.
Jomo Kenyatta Public Beach is known for its incredible services of boat riding and snorkeling — the prices are a little bit expensive but it’s worth a try.
Boat riding services at the beach start at about Ksh 2000 to Ksh 8000 depending on how long you want your ride to be.
If you pay more you will have more time riding around and enjoy snorkeling when the tide is low.
You have to pick the guys with badges or printed t-shirts, they are more official and experienced in what they do.
If you don’t have a chance to ride the boats you can just enjoy your time chilling at the shore, watching people swim and ride camels.
5. Bamburi Beach.
Bamburi Beach is one of the top public beaches in Mombasa that you can access for free.
The beach is located around Bamburi areas along Malindi Road.
Bamburi Beach is known for its incredible hotels and restaurants that provide amazing Swahili dishes you can get in Mombasa.
Along the shore you can buy coconut drinks, bathe in the sand, enjoying the cool breeze from the ocean and the great view of palm trees everywhere.
Walk along the shores and collect shells. You don’t need to buy them from the vendors.
If you have an eye for art check them out along the shore in the thatched shades.
The downside of this beach is that it’s not that safe — you have to be on guard, look at the people who are around you, and keep your belongings secure.
Don’t expose your phone and camera when you are surrounded by the locals, let them pass before you think of snapping some shots.
The drug addicts are usually chilling at the beach waiting to take advantage of the tourists and locals when it gets dark.
So, if you are planning to explore the beach you have to be mindful of that.
6. Shelly Beach.
Shelly Beach is another beach that is a little bit hidden from the city. It’s one of the biggest beaches that is located in Likoni.
Shelly Beach is just one beach shore that is subdivided into sections which also offers access to the entire beach.
You can enter the beach via several access points which are all free, walk along the shore, and emerge to different subsections of the beach.
I lived in Likoni for more than 10 years thus spending more time at this beach than any other.
Shelly Beach is one of the best beaches in Mombasa that is underrated because it’s not in the city.
To get to Shelly Beach you will have to get to the Likoni Ferry channel, board the ferry, and alight on the other side.
You will be out of Mombasa Island. After there take a tuktuk and ask them to drop you at Shelly Beach.
The entire beach is shelly beach but each sub-section has a different name.
You will hear names like Nash Ville, Cent Kumi, Pungu Villa, and Kwetu Beach — all these beaches are along one shore.
When you are at one section of the beach you can walk to the other easily.
It’s called Shelly Beach because its sand is full of beautiful shells. I used to spend hours walking along the shore searching for colorful shells.
Even we have locals who collect shells at the shore and sell them.
So, if you want to collect beautiful shells and enjoy the beautiful view of the ocean and the palm trees, this is one of the beaches you should visit.
The beach isn’t that crowded compared to Pirates and Jomo Kenyatta Public Beach.
Other sections of the beach are usually calm and peaceful because not so many locals and tourists go there.
The sub-sections of the beach that receive a lot of tourists and locals are usually super clean.
And once in a while NGOs organize a cleaning spree to clean the shores — I was fortunate enough to be involved in one of the cleaning sessions.
There are not so many services you can find at this beach because it’s not as touristic as the other public beaches in Mombasa — which makes it a perfect spot for those who want peace of mind from the chaos of the city.
The beach is located along a beautiful road that stretches to the end of the beach. You can skate along the road since it’s not usually that busy especially during the weekdays.
You can get snacks, drinks, and swimming tubes that are hired along the shore.
You can hire swimming costumes, and there also changing rooms and chairs for hire to sit and chill and watch the sunset.
The only downside of Shelly Beach is that it’s unsafe because of the group gangs of kids wandering at the shore while using drugs.
It’s one of the reasons why not so many tourists visit the beach. But as time goes by the beach has been improving and very soon it’s going to take over beaches like Pirates and Jomo Kenyatta Public Beach.
Lastly…
These are some of the best public beaches in Mombasa that you can explore and enjoy your time.
Most of the beaches are stunning — the perfect blue and white that Mombasa City is known for is vividly seen on these beaches.
There are several public beaches you can choose from depending on your preferences.
If you are still thirsty for beach adventures after you have visited most of the public beaches I have shared — visit Diani Beach in Ukunda (Kwale County).
Diani Beach is rated as one of the top beaches in the world. It’s more touristic than the rest of the public beaches I have talked about in this article.
There are also other public beaches that I haven’t mentioned in this article because they are not well known and they are just smaller sub-sections.
Those beaches tend to be a little bit more unsafe since not so many people visit them.
Most bandits tend to hide out in these areas just to pick up on the locals and the few tourists who go there.
All the public beaches I have mentioned aren’t 100% safe, so you have to take precautions to keep yourself safe from harm’s way.
If you visit Mombasa without exploring these beaches you haven’t truly seen the beauty of the coast. The beaches are one of the things that Mombasa takes its pride in.
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