Mombasa Town is built on an island opposite a convenient gap in the barrier reef and is linked to the mainland by bridges and a ferry in the south. It boasts the largest port in East Africa. The town dates back to the 12th-century when spice traders arrived from Arabia blown across on the Trade Winds. The Old Town, dominated by the Medieval Fort Jesus, has a distinctly Arabian feel, with sellers of spices, jewels and gold in the narrow streets.
