Chale Island is a 1.5 sq km coral island lying 600 meters off the South Coast at Galu Beach. Sacred to the Digo branch of the Mijikenda, the island’s central forest is still protected as a kaya, a traditional spiritual sanctuary, and a small freshwater spring on the eastern shore is said to have healing properties. Half the island is given over to the Sands at Chale Island resort, and the other half to dense mangrove and indigenous forest. The white-sand beach on the western side is one of the prettiest in Kenya, with shallow turquoise water flat enough to walk a kilometer offshore at low tide. Day trippers can access Chale on a tractor across the low-tide flats or by motorized dinghy at high tide. The Skynile day excursion includes use of the resort pools, a Swahili lunch buffet, and a guided walk to the sacred spring and Kaya forest fringe. Watersports on the island include snorkeling on the offshore reef, kayaking through the mangroves, paddleboarding, and dhow excursions. The on-site Maya Spa offers signature massages using coconut oil and local botanicals, a popular post-lunch indulgence.