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Lamu is an island of the Lamu Archipelago of Kenya. A port was founded on the island by Arab traders at least as early as the fourteenth century, when the Pwani Mosque was built. The town prospered on the slave trade.

After defeating Paté in the nineteenth century, the island became a local power, but it declined after the British forced the closure of the slave markets in 1873. In 1890 the island became part of Zanzibar and remained obscure until Kenyan independence. Tourism developed from the 1970s, mainly around the eighteenth century Swahili architecture and traditional culture. It is now a World Heritage Site.

The island is linked by ferry to Mokowe on the mainland and to Manda Island. It is known for the Maulid Festival and for its use of donkeys for transport.

Notable buildings on Lamu include Lamu Fort, Mnarani Mosque and the modern Riyadha Mosque. There are several museums, including the Lamu Museum, home to the island's ceremonial horn; other museums are dedicated to Swahili culture and to the local postal service.

The main settlement on the island is also known as Lamu, while other villages include Shela, known for the Shiathna-Asheri Mosque.

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