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The coastal town of Malindi may be overshadowed by its more famous neighbor, Mombasa, to the south, but the town practically laid down the welcome mat to greet Vasco de Gama after he'd been rebuffed at Mombasa (where his anchor lines were sliced through) at the end of the 15th century. The Portuguese were so warmly welcomed that they made Malindi their operational base while struggling over the next century to conquer the coast. A monument marks the spot at Vasco de Gama Point where de Gama first came ashore. Malindi today shows more of its Arab roots than its Portuguese influence, however. The majority of the locals are Muslim, and the town is rich in Arabic architecture, including a number of stunning mosques. Malindi and the cluster of surrounding villages have a combined population of around 20,000. The Old Town sector -- actually, its buildings only date back to the 1930s -- is the center of the local Swahili population; the Giriami tribe also makes up a large section of the populace. Since 1964, Malindi has also been home for a space launch and satellite telemetry station for the international San Marco Project (SMP)'s San Marco Equatorial Range (SMER),which works in cooperation with the European Space Agency (ESA) and NASA. Recreationalists come to Malindi for its deep-sea fishing, clean, quiet beaches, and year-round surfing, some of the best on the coast. The Malindi Marine Park, whichborders on Silversand Beach, is perhaps the most secure of the three major beaches, since the park is controlled (and patrolled) by the Kenya Wildlife Service; the crystal-watered park is known, among other things, for its coral reef. Another local natural attraction, Uhuru Gardens, features a World War II memorial, while several snake parks have given Malindi a reputation for its slithering sights.