Pate Island

Pate is bigger than Lamu Island but sees a fraction of the visitors, and it holds several old settlements: Pate town, once a powerful Swahili city-state that rivalled Lamu and now a village among the ruins of its former self; Siyu, with a nineteenth-century fort built by a community that held out against Omani control longer than its neighbours; Faza and Kizingitini, working fishing towns; and Shanga, a ruined site with a mosque, tombs and evidence of settlement back to the eighth century. Getting around means walking between villages or hiring a boat, and reaching the island at all depends on the tide, since the channels through the mangroves are shallow. There is almost no tourist infrastructure, and visits are arranged through boat captains and local hosts rather than agencies.

What you'll find

• Siyu Fort - the nineteenth-century fort and its history of resistance.
• Pate town ruins - the remains of the old city-state among the village.
• Shanga - an early Swahili site with mosque and tombs in the bush.
• Fishing villages - Faza and Kizingitini working the channels.

When to go

Dry seasons for boat comfort; the crossing is exposed in the monsoon months. Tides govern departure and arrival times entirely. Trips need arranging a day or more ahead in Lamu.

Things to know

There is essentially no tourism infrastructure: no hotels beyond very basic rooms, no restaurants, no transport. Boats are open and crossings can be rough and long. Local advice on current travel conditions in the far north of the coast is worth taking before planning a trip.

Nearby

Lamu and Manda islands lie southwest; Kiwayu is northeast.

Key facts