In Kenya there is an archipelago, very close to the mainland, with white sand beaches, mangrove forests, calm waters and navigable channels connecting the islands, where big wooden boats (dhows) spread their white sails – the Lamu Archipelago, last stronghold of the Swahili culture.
Lamu Town is the busy center of all trade and transport among the islands and the mainland.
The most peculiar thing is that, on all the islands, there are no cars, nor roads.
Only little streets, some of them sandy, winding through the villages.
Transportation is by donkeys, big carts pulled by men and dhows.
Walking half an hour from Lamu Town, following the shoreline, you reach Shella village, located on the southern tip of the island.
From Shella, a wide, long uninhabited beach of about 16 kilometers begins, bordered by high dunes.
The ocean here is transparent – most of the times calm – with no seaweed and no dangers.
Big tides transform and shape this beach, leaving it different every few hours. It is a paradise for swimmers.