Jomo Kenyatta Public Beach (Pirates Beach)
Locally known as Pirates Beach, Jomo Kenyatta Public Beach is where Bamburi really comes alive — camel rides threading past beach volleyball nets, the smell of grilled fish drifting from makeshift grills, and the Indian Ocean glittering behind it all in impossible shades of turquoise.
The pulse of Bamburi's shore
Unlike the private stretches fronting the big resort hotels, Jomo Kenyatta Public Beach is genuinely public — and that is precisely its charm. Locals and visitors share the same pale sand, the same hawkers selling fresh coconut water, and the same reef-calmed shallows that make swimming here safe and unhurried. The beach is backed by palm trees and flowering beach convolvulus, and the offshore reef keeps the water shallow and remarkably calm even when the wind picks up.
Come on a weekday morning to get the best of it: the sand is quieter, the vendors friendlier, and the light turns the water a colour that makes every photo look filtered. Weekends draw big local crowds, which brings its own energy — beach football, live music from the bars, and the smell of nyama choma on the breeze.
Water sports and beach activities
The beach is a hub for water sports operators offering jet skiing, snorkelling, boat rides, and camel rides along the shoreline — the camels are a genuine Bamburi institution and make for an unforgettable late-afternoon silhouette shot. The famous Pirates waterslides are also here, a perennial favourite for families and a good landmark for orienting yourself on the strip.
For a slower pace, glass-bottom boat trips depart from the beach into the Mombasa Marine National Park and Reserve, where coral gardens hide sea turtles, sea cucumbers, and brilliantly coloured butterflyfish. A 45-minute trip from Dana Bay to Mombasa Island is one of the coast's great bargain experiences.
Jomo Kenyatta Public Beach (Pirates Beach) on video
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