Diani Beach is a major beach resort town located about 30 Kilometers (19miles) south of Mombasa.
Regarded as Kenya’s finest beach, in 2013 CNN voted Diani as one of the top 25 beaches in the world and it has also been consistently voted as Africa’s leading beach destination since 2015. The beach is about 17 kilometers (11 mi) long, from the Kongo river to the north and Galu beach to the south (the southern point of reference is an old Baobab tree). Diani is one of the most prominent tourism resort areas of Kenya. The indigenous people of the area are the Digo, one of the nine ethnic communities known as the Mijikenda.
The water remains shallow near the shore, with some underwater sandbars near the surface which allow wading with a clear view of the sandy bottom. Inland from the beach, there is extensive vegetation, including numerous palm trees which cover the coastal areas. The general area is known for its coral reefs, black-and-white colobus monkeys, and for the nearby Shimba Hills National Reserve, a wildlife reserve which looks out over the Indian Ocean. Diani Beach has upmarket restaurants, hotels, supermarkets, and several shopping centers. Popular activities in Diani beach include kitesurfing, sky diving, jet-skiing, and snorkeling.
The 16th century Kongo Mosque is located at the Northern tip of Diani Beach, where the Kongo River flows into the ocean. It is the last remaining ancient Swahili structure in Diani. In addition to the clear shoreline, mature palms trees dot the white sparkling sand swaying to the cool ocean breeze. Diani Beach is well known for its gigantic coral reef, which serves as a natural shield against waves and ensures that the water is wonderfully quiet and relaxing.
