Pate Island

Pate is the largest of all the islands in the Lamu archipelago. Towns on Pate Island include Pate, Siyu, and the island's administrative centre - Faza.

Pate Island's shores are mostly fringed with dense mangroves, and the Island does not have the expansive beaches as some of the other islands in the archipelago. The main reason to visit Pate, however, would not be for beaches - but instead to take in it's rich and varied historical sites.

There are numerous ruins on Pate Island, including an impressive fort at Siyu. The ruined town of Shangu is on Pate Island's south coast, and although much of the ruins are covered in overgrown coastal scrub, they are extensive and varied, and definately worth visiting for those interested in ancient East African history, and the growth of trade along the East-African coast.