Gedi Ruins — Gede, near Watamu
Museums & Learning

Gedi Ruins

Gede, near Watamu Open daily

Gedi is the overgrown ruin of a Swahili town that flourished from the 13th century and was abandoned some 400 years ago, its palace, mosques, tombs and houses now standing among huge baobabs and forest. Paths wind between the coral-stone walls with monkeys crashing about overhead, and a site museum displays the Chinese porcelain and glass beads dug up here. The mystery of why everyone left is the hook that gets kids exploring.

Good to know: Take a site guide — the ruins are far more interesting with the stories, and the forest paths are easy to lose.

Get directions on Google Maps

Photo: Mgiganteus / CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

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