The Best Beaches in Kenya – Your Ultimate Guide

The Best Beaches in Kenya – I spent as much time as I can on Kenya’s incredible beaches, here are the best places to go when you are at the Kenyan Coast.

Whether you realise it or not you have probably seen pictures of beaches in Kenya. Those long stretches of white sand beach framed by palm trees are easily mistaken for Thailand, the Caribbean or the Whitsundays. The only clues that this might be Africa as you gaze at the azure sea are the dhows canoes which lazily traverse the coastline. 

Beaches in Kenya stretch over 500 km from Somalia to Tanzania.  The coast is white sandy coves interspersed with coral cliffs and much of it bordered by reefs which offer some of the best diving in the world.

tiwi beaches in  kenya

 

The Best Beaches in Kenya from Lamu to Galu

At the tip of Kenya, you find Lamu. Then there is nothing but the blue sea, palms and mostly uninhabited coastline until you reach Malindi, Watamu and Kilifi.   South of Kilifi is the port city of Mombasa. One of the most ancient cities in Africa and the second biggest in Kenya. Keep going towards Tanzania and you will find the honeymoon idylls of Tiwi, Diani and Galu… then barely populated Msambweni.

Much can be said for packing a picnic and a bottle of wine and heading to a deserted beach where you will find no human footprint.  The best beaches in Kenya offer miles and miles of such delicious discoveries. Even if you decide to head for the more recognised destinations,  this is no Benidorm or Bournemouth.  You will easily find yourself alone with the ocean even if you are in the busiest of destinations

best beaches in kenya

 

Lamu

The most northern beaches in Kenya start to be habited at Lamu.  Much has been made of its proximity to Somalia and I’d advise you to look into the latest updates of the situation before you travel.  Kidnapping and pirating are common just over the border and so it’s important to be mindful. That said Lamu is a bucket list destination.  One of the few relatively untouched paradises in the world and a step apart from any of the other beaches along the coast. This little island has no cars, all transport is by donkey. It’s Arabic architecture and traditions makes it feel closer to Arabia than Africa.  There are sandy beaches filled with sand dollars and seashells. What you get in Lamu is history and culture and a step back in town that is near impossible to find in many other places.  I highly recommend a stay at the Majlis Hotel which is on neighbouring Manda Island. I can’t think of a more romantic place in the world. 

Where to stay in Lamu

$$$: The Majlis Resort 

$$: The Kijani Hotel 

$: Amu House 

best beaches in kenya lamu

Malindi

Despite being built by African Arabs and further inhabited by Portuguese Malindi now belongs largely to the Italians.   The result is inspired.  This port town offers some of the best Italian food to be found in all of Africa. Malindi is framed by white sand beaches, backed by indigenous forest and peppered with pizzerias.  It has all the makings of a tummy enlarging, slothful holiday if there weren’t so many ‘must do’s’ within the vicinity. As popular as it is, I don’t believe Malindi qualifies as one of the best beaches in Kenya. There are prettier beaches for sure, but there is more to do in Malindi than in other quieter destinations. 

Where to stay in Malindi

$$$ Leopard Point Luxury Beach Resort and Spa

$$ Kilili Baharani Resort and Spa 

$ Kenya Oasis Village

malindi

Watamu

Watamu is high on my list of best beaches in Kenya.  Read my guide to Watamu here. Watamu itself consists of 4 beaches connected by rocky headlands which you can walk over.  Turtle Beach at the southern end is one long white stretch of sun-baked sand fronted by large hotels, namely Turtle Bay and swanky Hemingways. Watamu beach in the middle is a small unassuming cove, home mostly to private houses. The glorious Papa Remo beach at the northern tip is a wide expanse of sand bars and shallows flat in low tide.  Protected by small islets, the waves crash beyond them whilst lovers and toddlers relax in complete safety in the warm waters of the shallows.  The best place in the whole of Watamu is Pepa Remo.  Situated right on the beach you can rent sun beds and spend the whole day lying under the shade of a palm or you can eat their amazing pizza or drink far too many cocktails in the cool, shady makuti thatched lounge.

Watamu Marine Park

Watamu is home to the world famous Marine Park.  4 different species of Turtle swim and nest within its grounds.  During a visit to the Marine Park, you may see shark, whale, dolphin, turtles as well as many different types of tropical fish.  The Marine Park environment is now endangered due to the huge numbers of tourist snorkelling and diving within its waters and damaging delicate coral, as well as tons of tourist boats that chug back and forth all day.  If you visit be mindful and tread with care.

Watamu Town itself is tiny with little of note apart from the Crab Shack.  A short Tuk Tuk ride down a road opposite Turtle Bay hotel and you will find yourself in a Mangrove swamp bordering Mida Creek.   The Crab Shack is built on stilts above the Mangrove and only accessed by a boardwalk.  It’s the best place in the world for sundowners and crab samosas.  I’ve heard the seafood is divine.

watamu beach kenya

Where to stay in Watamu

$$$ Hemingways Watamu

$$ Turtle Bay Beach Club Read about my stay at Turtle Bay here

Kidogo Nyambani Backpacker 

Further Reading on Watamu

Discover Gecko Resort Watamu – Hotel Review

Watamu Beach Kenya: The Insiders Guide to Paradise

16 Incredible Watamu Hotels and Villas : Places to Stay in Watamu

Best restaurants in Watamu

A beach holiday in Watamu Kenya

 

Kilifi

Kilifi is the kite surfing, sail boating capital of Kenya.  Its position upon a lagoon makes it an excellent base for beginners to a variety of water sports.  Kilifi is a tiny laid back community, with white sandy beaches, hippies practising yoga and a lot of oysters.   There aren’t many in the way of large hotels but you will find an abundance of private houses for rent.  Read my Kilifi Guide here or my review of Kamili House in Kilifi here.

Where to stay in Kilifi

$$$ Temple Point Resort 

$$ Mnarani Beach Club and Spa 

Kilifi Magreb

best beaches in kenya kilifi

Vipingo

Vipingo lies between Kilifi and Mombasa. Most people go there to stay in the idyllic golf and lifestyle resort that sits high on the ridge above the sisal plantations.  Read more about Vipingo Ridge here. However, there is a gorgeous beach at Vipingo and you can find houses that sit on the beach or along the nearby cliffs.  Look on Kilifi Konnection or Airbnb. Kuruwitu beach at Vipingo Ridge is a marine protected area and part of a private conservancy. There has been a scheme to regenerate the coral beds in this area which makes it one of the best places on the coast to snorkel.  Just a short distance out from shore, you can see the coral nurseries where ‘baby’ corals are being grown. The sea life is just incredible. Vipingo Ridge Beach Bar is a great spot for lunch. 

vipingo best beaches in kenya

Mombasa

Mombasa is a massive port city.  The second biggest in the country.  A belching behemoth by Kenyan standards. Gritty and probably nitty there is beauty here but you often have to search. Visit the old town and its tiny streets and stores stuffed with brass and rugs that sing of former times.  Mombasa also has beaches at Nyali and Bamburi and the beaches are gorgeous and white and sandy, but they are also swarmed by large hotels and beach boys selling their wares. I wouldn’t head here for the best beaches in Kenya.  They are gorgeous and if you are in Mombasa just for a day then they are fabulous – if you have longer then both Kilifi and Diani are just a short drive away.

The 8 Best Restaurants in Mombasa 

12 Amazing Places to visit in Mombasa

How to find the Best Hotel in Mombasa

Where to stay in Mombasa

$$$ Sarova Whitesands 

$$ Bahari Beach Hotel 

Kenya Bay Beach Hotel 

 

Tiwi, Diani and Galu

The beaches of Tiwi, Diani and Galu make up one of the better-known portions of the south coast of Kenya, and all of them are top of the best beaches in Kenya list. A honeymoon destination for adventure seekers, an oceanside paradise often added on to our fabulous Kenyan safaris or an easy and unbeatable getaway for those of us lucky to live in Kenya.

Diani and its sister beaches of Galu and Tiwi are the closest and easiest to reach from Nairobi, These 3 beaches are, in fact, one long beach that runs into each other, only defined by distance and the occasional small headland. Choosing between beaches can be a tough call, but despite their proximity to each other, there are essential differences.

Diani

The best beach in Kenya is probably Diani. Here you will find 10 km of sand so white it dazzles and bathwater warm water in all shade of blue. At low tide, it recedes to show off its reefs and sand islands.

On Diani Beach Road you can find supermarkets: Carrefour and Chandarana, a few restaurants, various tourist shops and even a couple of thumping nightclubs. Despite its prominence in travel agent magazines, this is as busy as Diani gets. Forget the built-up tower blocks of Europe and America, the Kenyan beaches are laid back all the way.

Diani hosts numerous high-end resorts that dot the coastline but secreted between palms are palatial villas, funky cottages and sleepy shambas.  This is the beach for your Instagram snaps and your virtual postcards home.  Nothing beats it for a visual spectacular.

Spend the day sipping cool white wine at  Nomads, visit the infamous Ali Barbour’s Cave restaurant, take a camel ride down the beach or head to Kenyaways and kitesurf.  Diani can be exhilarating and a cool balm of restfulness. The choice is yours.

6 Unbelievable Resort Style Hotels in Diani Beach, Kenya

27 Inspiring Things To Do In Diani Beach

Ali Barbour Cave Restaurant Diani

diani beach kenya

Where to stay in Diani

$$$ Sands at Nomad  Read about my experience here 

$$ Swahili Beach Resort

Shalom Cottages

 

Galu beach

10K along the beach from Diani is Galu. Ostensibly this is the same beach, being that one long stretch of sand runs into another. It is possible to walk the entire stretch from north of Diani to past Galu. What Galu lacks in shops and commercial enterprise, it gains in the softness of the sand and beauty. Walking the beach in Galu is to sink into sand so powder like it’s more akin to dust. Here the fishermen sail the reef with spear guns in the early morning and you can visit the local shops for freshly caught lobster, snapper, prawns or octopus. Galu is quieter than Diani but far from deserted. One can find 5* restaurants and laid back beach bars but you will need to travel to Diani to stock up on home supplies. Galu has fewer resorts, more cottages and is a quieter, prettier alternative to Diani.

Where to stay in Galu:

$$$ Lantana Galu Apartments 

$$ Neptune Paradise Beach Resort 

$ Kenyaways Kite Surf

Tiwi

Tiwi sits on the northern side of Diani. Whilst it’s hard to separate the beaches of Galu and Diani, Tiwi is a different experience entirely. In Tiwi, the reef, which protects most of the Kenyan coastline, comes in close to the beach. The white sand becomes golden and filled with shells. The endless white beaches of Diani meet cave speckled coral cliffs interspersed with sunshine-filled secret coves. The beaches at high tide are glorious in their Mediterranean style beauty but it is at low tide that they come into their own. At Tiwi, it’s possible to walk all the way out to the reef without it reaching past your knees. The reef and rock pools are a childhood dream; an unrivalled opportunity to spend hours hunting out crabs, fish, sea urchins and shells. On the reef starfish of all shapes and sizes are innumerable.

Tiwi has no bars; shops, restaurants and the resorts are far between. In Tiwi you rent a house, kick off your shoes and relax. Days are for rock pooling or surfing, nights are for sundowners on the deck of your private house.  This is my favourite beach and definitely a best beach in Kenya. 

Where to stay in Tiwi

Tiwi doesn’t have many big resorts, most are private houses.  Take a look at the Kilifi Collection website for holiday homes all over Kenya or visit Flipkey.com to book Airbnb style accommodation, or visit the impossibly scenic (although quite basic) Sand Island Beach Cottages. 

 

tiwi beach

Reaching the Kenyan coast from Nairobi:

Flying to Mombasa from Nairobi

The fastest and easiest way is to fly. Flights depart from JKIA and Wilson hourly throughout the day and take approximately an hour.

For the southern beaches, you can fly into Mombasa but it’s easier to book a flight to Ukunda, which is situated right in Diani. Book in advance and you can be flying for as little as 4200.
For Watamu, Malindi and Kilifi there is an airport at Malindi or the taxi takes two hours from Mombasa
Lamu requires a direct flight and it isn’t advisable to drive.

Train to Mombasa from Nairobi

The SGR train runs from Nairobi to Mombasa twice a day. The 8 am departure is a 6-hour journey past Kilimanjaro and through Tsavo.

First class tickets are 3000 and second class is 1500 for adults.

Driving to Mombasa from Nairobi

It is approximately a 9-hour drive on the very unfriendly Mombasa road to the beach, but it does take you past some amazing scenery. You can also break up the journey with a stop en route consider Voi or Mtito Andei for an overnight safari in Tsavo.

Looking for somewhere to stay in Nairobi then check out this blog on the best hotels.


Book Your Kenya Trip: Locally recommended Logistics

Find everything you need for visiting Kenya on my TRAVEL RESOURCES page

Find everything you need for moving to Kenya in my THE EXPAT GUIDE TO LIVING IN NAIROBI book

Book Your Flight
Use Jetradar to find a cheap flight. It is one of the largest airline booking engines in the world with over 750 airlines.

Book Your Accommodation
I always use Booking.com. They have the cheapest rates for hotels and guest houses in Kenya. Agoda sometimes features hotels that Booking.com hasn’t picked up. TripAdvisor is my go to portal for checking reviews on accommodation / restaurants in the local area. I never book without checking TripAdvisor first.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance
Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. I recommend the following

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Check out GetYourGuide for tour trips to most popular tourist sites in Kenya. Or my tour guides page for local tour companies.

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This Post Has 16 Comments

  1. Anastasia

    Hi- it would have been been good if you’d mentioned the fact that most of the places are closed in June… and the beaches are covered in seaweed. We’ve just got here after reading your blog and are now not sure what to do with our selves. Very unhelpful and annoying.

    1. Nadine

      Not sure how its my fault that the beaches are covered in seaweed. The seaweed blows in from the ocean sometimes during the winter months, this is particularly bad on Turtle bay beach so if are in Watamu simply head down to Garoda or short beach, or perhaps even Papa Remo will be clearer. Places don’t generally shut during June. Again, really hard to say given I have no idea where you are. I think Kenyaways may be currently closed for a refurb.