Malindi Historical sites

Malindi is a town in Southeastern Kenya. It is Kenya’s little Italy as it is home to many Italian citizens, hotels & restaurants. It’s also known for its beautiful beaches and friendly locals.

My first time in Malindi was in 2015, i had planned to visit as my places as i could and try the different cuisines. Unfortunately it didn’t go as planned and i wasn’t able to achieve my goal. This year i had another opportunity to visit Malindi, i decided to use this opportunity to explore the town and have some adventure. Below is a brief-intro to Malindi’s historical sites, enjoy😊.

Malindi has 4 historical sites; Vasco Da Gama Pillar, The Portuguese chapel, The house of columns & Malindi cultural complex. These sites are managed by the National Museum of Kenya(NMK). One can visit all 4 sites at a price of 1, that is, with 1 ticket you’re allowed entry into the 4 historical sites. This is only applicable if you visit the sites on the same day as the ticket purchase date. For ticket pricing refer to the image below.

More details:

Accessibility: the 4 historical sites are near each other. One can either walk or use a motorbike/tuk-tuk/taxi/self-drive. If you’re using public means, it’ll cost you Ks.50 to move from one site to another.
Opening hours: Daily 0700hrs-1800hrs. At times they may extend closing time to 1830hrs.

Vasco Da Gama Pillar

With the permission of Malindi’s sultan, the pillar was erected in 1499 by Vasco Da Gama and his sailors as a mark to guide future explorers and seafarers. To preserve the pillar and prevent it from erosion, NMK has done renovations to it; they’ve built a concrete wall around it and added benches to it. These renovation have made this site a great relaxing spot and it can also act as picnic site. Next to it is Malindi pier (a concrete bridge spanning into the Indian Ocean).

If you are planning to visit the other sites, I’ll advise you to make this your last site as it has a nice relaxing vibe.

The Portuguese Chapel

The chapel was built in 1498 by Portuguese solders who had been left behind by Vasco Da Gama on his second visit to Malindi. It’s the oldest christian church in East Africa. The chapel compound also has graveyard which was used by the British.

In 1542 ,St. Francis Xavier(a catholic saint), stopped over in Malindi to bury a seaman at the chapel’s graveyard. Because of this, he has always been associated with the chapel. Every 3rd & 7th December Catholics meet to celebrate mass at the chapel.

The House of Columns

The house of columns is a house of many firsts. It was Malindi’s first hospital. In 2004 it was opened as Malindi’s first national museum. The house has 2 floors; lower and upper floor. The lower floor houses Malindi Coelacanth museum while the upper floor houses a library.

Curious to learn about a rare and unusual fish species that was thought to be extinct for over 65 years, only for it to be caught in Malindi? The Malindi Coelacanth museum is the place for you. It narrates how the fish was found, the research conducted and how long it took until it was identified as Coelacanth.

This was my favorite site; it was captivating, fun and educating. Not a place to miss.

Malindi Cultural Complex

The building was constructed by the Imperial British E. African Company (IBEACO) in 1890s. During colonial days it was known as The Boma or Kwa Balozi as it housed the D.O’s (District Officer) offices and living accommodation.

The building as 2 floors, lower and upper. The lower floor has the Swahili and marine history exhibitions while the upper floor has Mijikenda, Taita/Dawaida people history and Islamic religion exhibits.

My favorite part was learning the Mijikenda people history. There are so many things we assume about people, getting to know their culture & why they do things in a certain way; gives one a chance to understand them and be one with them❤.

For anyone planning to visit the 4 sites, make this your 1st site because it is the biggest and has a lot of things to learn from.

The Seafarers Monument

The monument was erected in 1960 in honor of Prince Henry the Navigator as a memorial to mark 500 years since his death. Also to honor the Sultan of Malindi and Ahmed Ibn Majid, the Malindi pilot who navigated the flotilla of Vasco da Gama for the first time to India.

The monument is at Malindi’s cultural complex entrance.

For more information visit: https://malindians.com/attractions/prince-henry-navigator-monument/