Despite its powder-soft sand and sea water in a dozen shades of blue, Diani Beach on Kenya's Indian Ocean coast always has you looking up at the sky.
Up at the black-and-white colobus monkeys darting through the trees and bounding across the roofs of the beachfront villas. At the skydivers and kitesurfers soaring high above the shore. And, if you get up early enough, at those unbelievable sunrises over the Indian Ocean.
Sitting roughly 30 miles south of Mombasa, Diani feels more like a tropical island than a slice of the African mainland. And it's far from the coast's only sandy paradise.
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While Kenya is rightly famous for its national parks and wildlife, it also boasts some of the finest beaches on the continent.
Perched on the equator at roughly the same latitude as the Seychelles, the Maldives, Bali and northern Brazil, Kenya shares the same geography as some of the world's best sun, sea and sand destinations.
The Indian Ocean is soothingly warm and painted in every shade of green and blue. Coral reefs, many of them protected within marine national parks, blanket much of the coastline and provide a habitat for a wealth of marine life.
There's enough wind for sailing and adventure sports, but not so much that you'll be blown away.
There was once a time when you'd find few coastal hotels beyond Mombasa and Malindi. Today, though, there's accommodation for every budget, from backpacker hostels to chic boutiques.
The same goes for the dining scene, where a wide range of venues serve modern takes on traditional Kenyan cuisine alongside international fare.
Most of Kenya's best beaches lie north and south of Mombasa in the southeast. The northeast coast is all but deserted, apart from the exotic island of Lamu and a few tucked-away spots around Mambrui. Read on for the best beaches in Kenya.
Diani
Framed by coconut palms, Diani is wide, white and very long. Coral reefs shield the beach from heavy surf, creating perfect conditions for wading, swimming or snorkeling. Beachfront bars and cafes serve snacks and cool drinks, and once the sun goes down you'll find the best nightlife on Kenya's coast.
Diani also makes it easy to pair surf with safari at the nearby Shimba Hills and Mwaluganje Elephant Sanctuary, both a little over an hour's drive away. It's an adventure-sports hub too, known for kitesurfing, skydiving and deep-sea fishing.
Places to stay span a broad range, from backpacker hostels and modest guesthouses to beachfront boutique hotels like AfroChic and upscale private villas such as Alfajiri.
Chale Island
Kenya's only private island resort sits less than a football field's length from the mainland, yet feels a million miles away.
Ringed by coral reefs and cloaked in dense tropical vegetation, the island has one main beach plus several small secluded coves where your footprints in the sand are likely to be the only ones. Aside from the flippers of amphibians, that is, because Chale Island is a nesting site for several endangered species of sea turtle.
The Sands at Chale Island hotel curves around the main beach on the island's windward shore. The main activity is beach lounging, but the hotel can also arrange snorkeling or scuba diving in Kisite-Mpunguti Marine National Park, kayaking through the mangroves, catamaran sailing, deep-sea fishing and excursions up the coast to Diani Beach.
Gazi
Set along the coastal road between Diani and the Tanzanian border, this secluded stretch of sand is known only to the most devoted fans of Kenya's beaches. Sheltered by Chale Island, the waters here are calm, and the sand is backed by old coconut groves that offer shade to anyone who finds the equatorial sun a bit too fierce.
Mangroves thrive at the northern end of the beach, reached via the Gazi Women's Mangrove Boardwalk, a landmark project in coastal ecology and ecotourism. Women from the village run the site and lead tours through the mangroves. The nearest hotel is Cove Treehouses, a mangrove's distance from Gazi village.
Kikambala
This lovely stretch of coast between Mombasa and Malindi is different from the rest of Kenya's beaches. Just a few years ago, this shoreline was better known for its sisal (agave) plantations than for sunbathing.
But a handful of new mega-resorts have transformed the beach area into something closer to the Caribbean. The most famous is Vipingo Ridge, a hilltop complex with incredible views over the Indian Ocean and the best golf course in Kenya. Also new is a daily Safarilink air service connecting Kikambala with Nairobi and Diani Beach.
Despite the rapid development, the southern end of Kikambala, along with the area farther north around Kilifi Creek, still hides refreshingly empty sands and more modest cottages.
Lamu Island
The old Swahili town of Lamu is a living museum of the hybrid African-Islamic-Arab culture that ruled the East African coast for hundreds of years.
Shela Beach on the island's windward side is long, soft and completely undeveloped. And because there's no barrier reef, it's one of the few places on the Kenyan coast where you can ride waves that are genuinely worth surfing.
Check in at Kizingo resort and spend your evenings strolling the waterfront, dropping in for a drink on the cool terrace of Peponi or at the rooftop bar of the old and venerable Petley's Inn.
Mambrui
A few minutes' drive north of Malindi along the coastal road, Mambrui flies under the beach-holiday radar as a snug retreat for those who know the coast well. Steady sea winds make it another kitesurfing nirvana, but Mambrui also lends itself to deep-sea fishing, snorkeling in Malindi Marine Park, long walks on all but empty beaches and quick trips to neighboring Tsavo East National Park.
The town has a few modest hotels, but the best place to stay is Che Shale out on the headland. Founded in the 1970s and still run by the Anyer family, this stylish coastal retreat caters to couples, keen kitesurfers and anyone who simply wants to get away from it all.
Watamu
One of Kenya's most popular coastal resorts, Watamu is a string of beaches set around turquoise bays on a sandy peninsula that separates Mida Creek from the Indian Ocean.
Just 10 miles south of Malindi, this beach area offers chic, secluded spots such as Lonno Lodge, some of the finest restaurants on the Kenyan coast and plenty of chances for water sports: scuba diving and snorkeling, kite and windsurfing, sailing and deep-sea fishing.
There's history here too, in the stone ruins of the medieval Swahili town of Gede, a nominee for UNESCO World Heritage status. On the western side of the coastal road lies Arabuko Sokoke Forest Reserve, a protected area that shelters a remarkable range of animals: elephants, antelopes and the reserve's namesake, the wild Sokoke cat.
Nyali
Set across the creek from Mombasa, Nyali is Kenya's most urban beach. Fortunately, the absence of high-rise hotels and city traffic makes it feel farther from the big city than it really is.
Behind a long band of white sand sit upscale beach houses and resorts such as Whitesands and Serena. The coral reefs and seagrass meadows of Mombasa Marine National Park are ripe for exploring with scuba gear or a snorkel.
There are plenty of city attractions too: shopping malls and supermarkets, butterfly and crocodile farms, Hindu temples and even a golf course.
