Sand dunes and an unspoilt beach west of Shela, formerly a small hamlet with an unhurried pace of life forty-five minutes walk from Lamu town. Development in recent years has turned Shela into a popular tourist resort but the beach is still unspoilt.Situated 150 miles north-northeast of Mombasa, Lamu town dates from the 15th century AD. The island's importance lies in the fact that it has the only certain source of sweet groundwater in the entire district. The town was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 2001 because it is the oldest and best preserved Swahili settlement in East Africa. Moreover, its architecture and urban development graphically demonstrates the diverse cultural influences that came together over many centuries to produce a distinctively local Swahili style and culture.