Central Island National Park

Northern Kenya


Bursting from the depths of Lake Turkana, and home to thousands of living dinosaurs, is the Jurassic world of Central Island volcano, last seen belching molten sulphur and steam just over three decades ago. It's one of the most otherworldly places in Kenya. Quiet today, its stormy volcanic history is told by the numerous craters scarring its weathered facade. Several craters have coalesced to form three sizeable lakes, one of which is home to thousands of endemic fish.

Both a national park and a Unesco World Heritage Site, the island is an intriguing place to visit. Budding Crocodile Dundee types will love the 14,000 or so Nile crocodiles, some of which are massive, that flock here at certain times of year (May is the most crocodile-friendly month, but there are some crocs here year-round). The most northerly crater lake, which is saline, attracts blushing pink flocks of flamingos.


  • placement: superzone
  • path: Destinations/POIs/superzone
  • possible size: [970, 250], [970, 90], [728, 90], [1, 1],
  • targeting:
    {
      "url": "kenya/marich-to-turkana-s-western-shore/attractions/central-island-national-park/a/poi-sig/1460713/1331275",
      "destination": "Northern-Kenya",
      "continent": "Africa",
      "country": "Kenya",
      "region": "Northern-Kenya",
      "position": "superzone"
    }