National Museums of Kenya has smartly grouped the major cultural sites of Malindi under the one general ticket of this circuit.
The most compelling attraction covered in the Historic Circuit is the House of Columns . The structure itself is a good example of traditional Swahili architecture and, more pertinently, contains great exhibits of all sorts of archaeological finds dug up around the coast.
The Vasco da Gama pillar is admittedly more impressive for what it represents (the genesis of the Age of Exploration) than the edifice itself. Erected by da Gama as a navigational aid in 1498, the coral column is topped by a cross made of Lisbon stone, which almost certainly dates from the explorer’s time. There are good views from here down the coast and out over the ocean. To get here, turn off Mama Ngina Rd, by Scorpio Villas.
The tiny thatched Portuguese church is so called because Vasco da Gama is reputed to have erected it, and two of his crew are supposedly buried here. It’s certainly true that St Francis Xavier visited on his way to India.
