The flagship beach of the Kenyan coast: 25 kilometres of brilliant white coral sand backed by a strip of coastal forest, with the Indian Ocean warm and flat on the other side of the offshore reef. Diani is consistently rated among the best beaches in Africa, and it deserves the reputation.
The infrastructure is well developed by Kenyan standards — there are dive operators, kite-surfing schools, boat trip operators, glass-bottom boats for reef viewing, and a good strip of restaurants and beach bars. The Colobus Trust, based in Diani, runs conservation work to protect the endangered Angolan colobus monkeys that live in the forest behind the beach; their white-and-black coats are a common sight in the trees. At low tide the reef is walkable and you can find starfish, sea urchins, and small fish in the pools.