All beaches of Phuket and the best beaches of the island - description from personal experience

I have wintered in Phuket 3 times already, so it was time to go for a drive on different beaches and make reviews of them. This post is collective, after describing each beach, you will find a link to a detailed story about each of the beaches with photos. You can also read detailed reviews of the beaches Phuket, Samui, Phangan, Pattaya, Koh Chang, Krabi, Phi Phi, Koh Lanta and Hua hin.

Phuket beaches will run in order from north to south counterclockwise. And in order to better understand where and what, look at the map of all the beaches at the very bottom of the article, where you can click on a point on the map and follow the link to read a detailed description with a bunch of photos. You can also download various paper beach maps.

The content of the article

List of the best beaches in Phuket

The first thing to know is only in the west of Phuket and in the south there are bathing beaches. Yes, there are a couple more in the east, but they are absolutely not for everybody..

The best beaches for long-term stays in my opinion: Nai Harn and Bang Tao. Both are calm, there are few hotel tourists, most of the houses for rent, there is enough infrastructure. There is even a Tesco supermarket in Bang Tao. But when we talk about Nai Harn, we mean that you need to live in the Rawai or Chalong area (that's where all the houses are for rent), and ride a bike or car to Nai Harn itself. On Bang Tao, you can also settle within walking distance from the sea. You can also still Kamala consider - there is a BigC supermarket, there is housing and the sea will be close.

Best suited for a beach holiday Karon, Kata and Kata noi. Listed in decreasing order of the number of people. But if we talk about the beaches themselves, then Karon will be prettier, and Kata more comfortable. In general, the best of them, in my opinion, is Kata Noi, but the hotels there are very expensive and the infrastructure is not enough. In principle, no one bothers to go to Kata Noi to swim, or even walk, if you live on Kata, there is not far. For an average budget, I would choose a hotel between Karon and Kata. Then it turns out that all 3 beaches will be nearby and within walking distance. Plus there is a Makro supermarket on Kata.

Hotels in Phuket>

I know that many people like calm for relaxation. Surin beach. It is good, I don’t argue, but I’m still more for Kata-Karon, somehow they are more pleasant, if we talk not about the coast, but about the area. If you need places with less infrastructure, then consider Knighton and Nai Yang. The latter in general, one might say rustic.

Lovers of nightlife and parties have a direct road to Patong. It not only resembles a small town, but also has the most developed infrastructure in the area. Shops, bars, clubs, and a small branch of Pattaya - its own Walking Street. It also has the most budget hotels..

The main beaches of Phuket

Nai Yang Beach

Nai Yang is located just south of the airport. The infrastructure is not particularly developed, there are cafes, hotels, minimart, the market is on the sidelines. The place is not very promoted, there are not many people on the shore. The central part is best suited for swimming, there is a fairly quick entrance and sun loungers on the beach with umbrellas. Casuarines grow on the shore and create shade.

But in the northern and southern parts, the entrance is very long, and at low tide it is generally impossible to reach the depth. Moreover, in the southern part, where the casuarine forest is full of stones and the locals gather seafood there at low tide. In details about Nai Yang with descriptions and photos.

Nai Yang Beach

Naithon Beach

Not very big beach near Phuket airport. Creates the impression of a resort place. There are a lot of people on the shore, near the cafe there are laudatory reviews of the guests in Russian. There is a road along the beach, behind which there are hotels. Buildings are dense here.

The beach itself is beautiful and pleasant. The sand is fine, the water is clear, the coastal strip is wide. A casuarine forest belt separates from the road. The sun loungers are arranged in several rows. In details about Knighton with descriptions and photos.

Naithon Beach - Naithon Beach

The next piece of the beach, after climbing the mountain, belongs to Andaman White Beach Resort. I was not allowed there, they say, private property.

Bang Tao Beach

Bang Tao is a long beach, about 5 kilometers. As a rule, they live in its southern part, because in the northern part there are very few hotels, rental houses, cafes and shops. There are more wastelands and several cafes on the shore. In general, Bang Tao can be described as a calm place. Very detailed about Bang Tao with descriptions and photos, and below, briefly.

North Bang Tao. There are very few people on the beach, almost no one at all. There may be big waves that are not suitable for small children. The depth builds up rather quickly. The water is clean and the sand is medium in size. The beach strip is wide and separated from the road by a casuarine grove and a fence. There is shade from trees only in the first half of the day. There are entrances to the beach only where there are cafes. Large parking lot near Nikki Beach Hotel.

Bang Tao beach north

Middle of Bang Tao. Solid resorts around the lakes, a pretentious and expensive place. The main area is occupied by Laguna Beach Resort. The road runs straight along the beach and there are cafes in a row between it and the shore. Immediately it ends somewhere, a dead end. And in order to drive to the southern part of Bang Tao, you need to go back a little (to the north), go around the Lagoon. There is a parking lot near Moevenpick Resort, which is free for everyone at the time of this photo. The sand is fine. There are already more people here than in the northern part, but it is still quite normal. But from the middle to the south, there are much more people. The shadow will most likely have to be mined here with the help of umbrellas..

Bang Tao beach middle

South Bang Tao. Dense and cramped buildings, many hotels, shops, cafes, houses for a long time. There is a normal Tesco. The main road passes here one and a half km from the beach and goes to the Surin beach. The rest of the paths are narrow, the car is cramped, it is better to ride a bike. The main entrance to the beach is near Bangtao Beach Resort, although other resorts can be accessed as well. There are decent people on the shore, full of sun loungers. The depth doesn’t grow quickly, but you don’t have to go too far. The shade can be found under casuarines (in the morning) and under umbrellas.

Bang Tao beach south

Surin Beach

Surin seemed to me a cramped beach, where there are too many people and movement. All around you can hear Russian speech and many Russian inscriptions. Such an ordinary resort place. Most of the beach is lined with sun loungers. The sand is shallow, the depth increases average. Natural shade can be problematic. It is better to park your car on the football field, it is slightly away from the main entrance, where the temple stands (there is rarely a place there). In details about Surin with description and photo.

Near Surin is Pansy Beach. I could not get to it, I ran into a resort and a barrier, but you can get there on foot, they let me in without problems.

Surin Beach

Kamala Beach

Kamala is a long beach and infrastructure depends on the part where you stay, in this respect it is similar to Bang Tao. And likewise gives the impression of a calm «rustic» beach because there is no resort nightlife here. More in detail about Kamala with photos and descriptions, and below, read briefly.

North of Kamala. From the side of Surin, you can get here through the pass, the road goes along the coast. This part of the beach has little housing and lots of empty spaces. Between the road and the beach there is some kind of fenced-off zone, inside it there are only trees and wastelands. All hotels are located across the street from the coast. There are enough people on the shore, but not to say that there are a lot. The sand is very shallow near the water, and closer to the trees it is larger. The depth increases quickly, which is convenient for adults. There is a shade from casuarins only in places and in the morning.

Kamala beach north

Middle of Kamala. The road goes from the coast towards the land. There are many more people in this part of the area. Dense development starts from here and goes to South Kamala. There is a mini Tesco, a small BigSi, the entire infrastructure is located from the middle to the south. The beach is the same as in the north, only the depth is growing much more slowly. Despite hotels and «city» I liked the atmosphere, not very direct tourist.

South of Kamala. In the very south, the road goes along the beach again, although it is no longer the main one (it goes to Patong), but a secondary one. The beach runs straight along this road, there are almost no people, there is natural debris on the sand. In the south and south-middle there is a long entrance, you will have to walk 50 meters on the water.

Kamala beach south

Patong Beach

Patong Beach is the most famous beach on the island. Some people call it the Pattaya branch because it has almost everything there is in terms of nightlife. Actually, they come here to hang out. And also on the tour, most of the bags get here. There are a lot of people here, both on the shore and in the city. Yes, this is a real city with traffic jams, busy traffic, and shopping centers.

From Kamala you can get here through a long pass, and from the Karon side the path is much closer. There is a road along the beach itself, it is one-way, keep this in mind when moving. Between the road and the shore there are trees, sellers of all sorts of things, trees. You can get to the beach anywhere. The beach is crowded, there are a lot of sun loungers all over the place. The water is dirty, there are massage services, jet skis everywhere. But on the southernmost part behind the pier there is almost no one, no people, no sun loungers. I don't know why, most likely because the boats are parked there. Learn more about Patong with description and photo.

Patong Beach - Patong Beach

Karon Beach

Karon can be reached through a small pass from Patong, and from the south side from Kata Beach, which flows smoothly into Karon. Infrastructure and hotels are all along, I did not notice much of a difference. The road goes along the coast almost everywhere, and between it and the coastline there is only sand and trees, that is, you can enter the beach at any point. The beach is popular, but not as busy as Patong, although there are not much less people on the coast. There is a pond and some empty spaces in the Karon Park area.

There are many people. The sand is quite fine. At low tide, the water does not go too far, but the entrance is always relatively long. Learn more about Karon with photos and descriptions.

Karon Beach near Karon Park

Karon beach south

Kata Beach

Kata Beach is a civilized beach, you can see it immediately from the buildings. There are many people, as well as on Karon. Narrow roads, dense buildings. There is a long, fenced resort along the entire beach. There is a road between it and the beach. You can park on it without any problems throughout. Kata flows into Kata Noi. The entrance is long, at low tide it is very noticeable. The sand is fine. The beach itself is less beautiful than Karon, but some consider it more cozy. Personally, I prefer to book a hotel between Kata and Karon, a very convenient place. More details about Katya with photo and description.

Kata Beach

Kata Noi Beach

Kata Noi can be accessed from Kata Beach over the hill. It is small, but steep, you cannot find it on foot. The buildings are even more civilized than on Katya. The coast is separated from the road by hotels, you can only go through 2 entrances: at the beginning, on a hill and almost at the end of the beach. And parking in a car is also not entirely easy, there are no parking lots (there is for a bike), and the road is narrow. The beach is small at all. There are few people, a lot of sun beds. The sand is medium in size. There may be waves. In details about Katya Noy with photos and descriptions.

Kata Noi Beach

Nai Harn Beach

In my opinion one of the best beach on the island. The road does not pass along it, there is a casuarine grove with a shadow nearby, we visit locals. There are not many hotels nearby, only expensive ones. There is also almost no infrastructure, so it is not very convenient to live here, and there is nowhere, if we are talking about a long stay. It is good to ride a bike here, living in Rawai, literally 10 minutes drive. There is a large pond and a temple near the beach. There is no crowding, the place is not too resort-like, although there are enough people. The sand is medium in size, the entrance is fast, even at low tide you can swim, just go a little further. There may be high waves, and then it is forbidden to swim here. More in detail about Nai Harn with photos and descriptions.

Nai Harn Beach

Not the main beaches of Phuket

Mai Khao Beach and Sai Kaew

Two beaches in the very north of Phuket near the airport. Mai Khao is partly located in the national park. In some places on the beach there are cafes where locals come on weekends. Both beaches are deserted, with casuarine trees and a very sharp entrance, the depth is already addictive. They say that swimming here can be dangerous, you have to be careful. A little more details about Mai Khao beach.

Mai Khao Beach

Banana Beach

On the way from Naithon towards Bang Tao there is a not very noticeable and not very popular Banana Beach. From the road down to it there is a steep path between the trees. The beach itself is quite small, literally 100 meters, or even less. There are few people, but not a few either. There is a cafe. The car or bike must be left on the road, there is little parking space. In details about Banana Beach with descriptions and photos.

Banana Beach

Laem Sing Beach

Laem Sing is a very small beach. It can be clearly seen from the roadside viewpoint. There is no access to the beach. You need to drop the transport at the top of the road and go down the mountain path. Thais have made paid entrance to the beach and paid parking. Moreover, there is very little space for this, and in the season, at best, you only find where to stick the bike. But, if you are not too lazy to walk a hundred meters, then from Laem Sing towards Kamala there will be a couple of places along the road (one of them is near the trash heap) where you can even park a car. Or, alternatively, park at the viewpoint.

The beach is average in terms of crowds. Its area is small, so it depends on the influx of tourists. The depth increases at an average rate. Large blocks stick out of the water, at low tide they are completely exposed. More details about Laem Sing with photos and descriptions.

Laem Sing Beach

Kamala Beach near Aquamarine Resort

A small piece of the beach in Kamala Bay near the Aquamarine Resort & Villa. This is the southernmost part of Kamala. Most likely, it is not worth going here on purpose, only if you sit in a cafe on the shore, she is there alone. Solid resorts, pretty cool. Quiet, calm, there are no people. The sand is coarse with shells, there are stones in the water. The coast is narrow, just a few meters in total, but this is at high tide. The depth builds up for a relatively long time. And at low tide the water leaves, and it will be problematic to swim here. More about this section of Kamala.

Kamala Beach near Aquamarine Resort

Nakalay Beach

I didn't get to Naklai Beach, I just photographed it from above. There, everything is fenced off by the Nakalay Beach Resort, there is an inscription on a shield near it. «Do not enter». From above did not see any of the people on the shore. More about Nakalai Beach.

Naklay Beach

Kalim Beach

Kalim Beach is located in the north of Patong and is literally a small stretch of sand by the road. There were not many people on my visit. The depth builds up quickly, there may be waves. In details about Kalima with photos and descriptions.

To the north, Kalim is a rocky coast, where at low tide the locals collect something all the time, and in general they have some kind of party there. And to the south of Kalim, Patong Beach begins almost immediately..

Kalim Beach

Tri Trang Beach

If you go south from Patong not along the main road (it goes to Karon), but along the coast, then through the hill we will get to Tritrang beach. It is located near the Tri Trang Resort of the same name, where you can get to the coast itself, near the resort the path goes down sharply. I was scared to go. The sand is ordinary, as elsewhere. There are few people, quiet and calm. The beach is small in length. The depth does not grow quickly, at low tide it is incurable and stones. More about Tritrang with photos.

Tritrang Beach - Tri Trang Beach

Freedom Beach

Smooth coastline, about 500 meters long, consisting of pure white and fine sand, on one side, immersed in the real jungle. A small paradise beach, once little known, but now quite popular and crowded, despite the isolation and some inaccessibility. The beach is located to the south of the bustling Patong Beach, behind a forested cape. More about Freedom Beach with photos and descriptions.

View of Freedom Beach from the right entrance

Beach of the hotel Le Meridien (Le Meridin Phuket Beach Resort)

The small beach of the Le Meridien hotel, which is surrounded on both sides by green hills overgrown with tropical vegetation. The sand on the beach is white, fine and clean. The entry into the sea is gentle and comfortable. The water is also clear, azure color. It takes about 10 minutes' drive to get to the beach from both Patong and Karon. Since the hotel stands alone and in a rather secluded place, mostly hotel guests swim on the beach.. More details about the beach at Le Meridien hotel, with photos.

Hotel Le Meridien Beach - Le Meridian Phuket Beach Resort

Ao Sane Beach

A very small beach, several tens of meters long. To get to it, you need to go from Nai Harn to the right through the hotel. The road is dead end. The beach itself is with large rocks and medium-sized sand. There are usually not many people, and divers come here. Detailed description of Ao Sane beach.

Ao Sane Beach

Ya Nui Beach

A very small beach, literally a few tens of meters. He is often photographed from above. There are kayak rentals, cafes. The entrance is relatively long, stones in the water. Learn more about Yanui beach with photo and description.

Yanui Beach - Ya Nui Beach

Rawai Beach

On the beach itself, hardly anyone is swimming. This is «technical» the beach where fishermen's boats are parked. It is good to sit on the waterfront in one of the many cafes, or take a walk along the pier. There are also many rental houses in the area where Longsters live. We ourselves once lived here. The location is also good because it is 10 minutes from Nai Harn. More in detail about Rawai Beach with photos and descriptions.

Rawai Beach

Chalong Beach

Roughly the same as Rawai. Boats and boats are parked here, you cannot swim. And in the same way it is convenient to live here, because there is a lot of housing and infrastructure, too. Tesco is nearby, and Phuket Town with its shopping centers is also very close.

Phuket beaches map

Phuket beaches

Phuket beaches:

Phuket beaches map (north)

Phuket beaches map (south)

P.S. The review is missing some small or private beaches. I list: beach at Trisara Resort, beach at Layan Beach Resort, Pansea Beach, Hua beach, Paradise beach, beach of Merlin Beach Resort, Siam Beach, Nui Beach, Laem Ka Beach, Ao Yon Beach, Cape Panwa. Perhaps I will photograph them later, but for now I just marked them on the map..

P.P.S. If you need a hotel in Phuket, then I have a personally compiled selection of hotels. In general, the choice of housing in Phuket is presented for any budget, it remains only to choose.

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