Having been declared a World heritage site in 2011, this legendary fortress holds ages of history embedded within its walls. Fort Jesus was built in 1953 on Mombasa Island, following an order from King Phillip I who was then ruler of the joint kingdoms of Spain and Portugal.  It was designed by an Italian Architect and Engineer by the name of Joao, Batista Cairato. The Fort was built in the shape of a man as he could be viewed from the air and it was for this reason that it earned the name Fort Jesus (The Fort of Jesus).

The objective of this stronghold was to protect the Portuguese living along the Kenyan Coast from attacks and invasion by rivals who wanted to take charge of the port of Mombasa, which was a main trading center during the Indian Ocean trade. This was trade between three continents, Africa, Asia and Europe via the Indian Ocean. It was strategically built facing the Indian Ocean so that the Portuguese could have a clear view of their

The Sacred Mijikenda Kaya Forests in the Coastal lowland combine history, culture and add to the aesthetic appeal of Kenya’s natural scenery. The Kaya forests consist of 11 forests on a 200km stretch of land. A “Kaya” is a Mijikenda term for a homestead while the Mijikenda is a term referring to the nine Coastal groups namely the Giriama, Digo, Duruma, Rabai, Kauma, Ribe, Jibana, Kambe and Chonyi. The Sacred Mijikenda Kaya forests are listed in the UNESCO World Heritage Sites.

The Kaya forests exist to this day due to the cultural beliefs of the Mijikenda. The Mijikenda were driven out of their former settlements in upper Tana by nomadic pastoralists such as the Galla and Oromo. The Mijikenda people were forced to relocate to the forest settlements in the Coastal region. The forests were considered shelters, which protected the Mijikenda’s villages from outsiders.