Your life on the Watamu Beach in Kenya will be strongly influenced by tides. In fact, with an interval of almost six hours, sea level changes with intervals that may extend beyond 12 ft. At low tide you can take long walks on the sea bed and reach normally submerged islands. Check with the reception of the Lodge, a tide table will show you the timing of the two phases so that you can plan your excursions.
In front of Lonno Lodge the low tide creates small beaches, and you can take a pleasant walk under the cliffs until Papa Remo Beach, and the beginning of the long beach of Ocean Breeze with very little tourists and therefore very little beach boys. At high tide the beach is always available above to the cliff and is equipped with meditation points. Cozy places where you can relax your mind accompanied by the sound of waves breaking in the coral reefs.
Click here if you want to learn everything about high and low tides.
Frequently Asked Questions:
The short answer is: Yes, we’re directly on the ocean and .. No, we don’t have a beach. Or, better, we don’t have a beach at high tide, we do have a lovely beach at low tide. We’re on a cliff, not too high, with direct access to the beach at low tide, when you can literally reach by foot the village of Watamu (maybe coming back with a Tuk-Tuk) or the tiny islands dotting the coast.
There’s an advantage, though, in not constantly having a beach: curio sellers and beach boys will not bother your rest and relax. Let me say here loud and clear that beach boys (or, if you prefer, “beach operators”) are good guys, and they’re normally the first locals you’d get in touch with. But sometimes they tend to be a little bit too insisting, too pushy, in having you to buy their products or their services (hey, that’s their business!). You’ll have the opportunity to meet them anyway during your walk to Watamu, or you can return to the lodge for peace and silence, until the moment you’re ready for some shopping on the beach 🙂
For snorkeling, we always suggest to go into the Watamu Marine National Park area, where you have the best chance to see a rich marine life, beaches in general are not the best way to go. We can arrange for a private or a shared boat to take you inside the Watamu Marine park.
Very possible! Depending on the season you can cruise with a Dhow or simply go out on a glass bottom boat, to see both dolphins and thousands of colored fish.
Although dolphins stay in Watamu all year around, they’re best seen from November to April since these months enjoy the calmest water for best viewing.
