Watamu town centre

Watamu, Kenya

Heavily Italian-influenced, with cocktail bars, excellent cafes, fresh seafood, and handmade gelato.

Places in Watamu town centre

Watamu Italian pizzerias Restaurants here serve up pizza and gelato as good as any you'll find in Italy.
Watamu stilt crab shacks Tiny shacks on stilts selling freshly caught crab.
Watamu town cafes Excellent cafes throughout town serving handmade gelato and fresh seafood.
Watamu town cocktail bars Some of the coolest bars on the Kenyan coast, part of Watamu's Italian-influenced scene.

Best time to visit: July and August (cooler winter months) offer dropped humidity and picked-up wind, ideal for both beach and creek activities.
Getting around: Watamu town sits between the marine park and Mida Creek, with Gede Ruins, Arabuko Sokoke forest, and Hell's Kitchen/Marafa all reachable as day trips.
Currency: Kenyan Shilling (KSh)
Language: Swahili and English (both official).
Timezone: EAT (UTC+3)
Current trends: Watamu's dining scene continues to lean into its strong Italian-expat influence, with pizza and gelato quality rivalling Italy itself, while Lichthaus's hammocks over Mida Creek and the UNESCO Biosphere Reserve status of Watamu Marine National Park anchor the town's reputation as one of Africa's best snorkelling and diving destinations.

Watamu Marine National Park district — Covers 229 km and has been designated a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve, one of the best snorkelling and diving destinations in Africa.
Mida Creek district — Home to kayaking, paddleboarding, the Creek Float, waterskiing, kitesurfing, and the Lichthaus hammock bar.