Where are the secret beaches of Phuket?
There are still secret beaches in Phuket and some hidden and quiet spots, most of which are beautiful. Of course, some are difficult to find, but surprisingly, many are in plain sight and easy to access. People are just not trying very hard to find them. Despite the permanent tourist complaints, more than ten beaches range from ‘quiet’ to ‘deserted’. Most don’t have beach chairs or vendors, but you would quickly find a couple of local restaurants and tiny bars. They are what Phuket Island used to be 20 years ago. So take the time to get there!
We do not include here the few ‘private beaches‘ only accessible by guests of some hotels occupying the entire length of their beach, making access impossible to outsiders: Karon Noi Beach (Le Meridien Beach Resort), Naithon Noi Beach (Andaman White Beach) and Pansea Beach (Amanpuri Resort).
Phuket Most Quiet Beaches
1. Laem Singh Beach
What? Laem Singh Beach is a quiet beach. Yes, it is now!
There are two reasons why Laem Singh became a secret beach. If you came two years ago, it was packed and full of life. In April 2017, there was a dispute with the landowner, who decided that no one should cross his land anymore. For a year, it was inaccessible. Suddenly someone remembered that if you can’t pass through the area around, no law forbids you to come by the sea! And think about the business opportunity! You can now go back to Laem Singh beach by riding a small boat from Surin beach for just 100 baht per person. Enjoy while it’s quiet; it might quickly become a popular business. Read More
Peace Level: Great
Access: Easy but has to be by boat or via a hidden path
Sand Condition: Great
Swimming Condition: Great
Beach Facilities: only one nice restaurant on the cliff
2. Ao Yon Beach
Ao Yon is one of those beaches that have remained very local, no matter how much people talk about it. Maybe because it is far from the tourist area or because sand and water are not as striking as beaches on the west coast. The central area, with many tall palm trees, is very photogenic, and there are now some nice hotels, small restaurants and even a beach club. Read more
Peace Level: Good
Access: Difficult to find
Sand Condition: Medium
Swimming Condition: Medium to Good
Beach Facilities: a couple of restaurants, a trendy beach bar and a fancy rooftop.
3. Sai Kaew Beach
Haad Sai Kaew beach is a long deserted strip of sand located north of Phuket island, one of the last beaches before the Sarasin bridge. With a few bamboo restaurants on the beach, it is an excellent place for lunch in the north. Note that the food price is a bit above average. Read more
Peace Level: Perfect!
Access: Effortless, but far from everything
Sand Condition: Very Good
Swimming Condition: Good
Beach Facilities: two excellent local restaurants made of bamboo and thatched roofs, great local food and cold drinks
4. Layan Beach
Layan Beach has always been a hideaway; however, it is still far enough from other crowded beaches to be a great escape for the day. Read more
Peace Level: Good
Access: Easy
Sand Condition: Pretty good
Swimming Condition: Good
Beach Facilities: Some small restaurants
5. Merlin Beach
Merlin Beach is often mistaken for its neighbour Tri Trang Beach, but this is the beach in front of the Phuket Marriott resort Merlin Beach, south of Patong. It is not too busy because not many know there is a way in. Read more
Peace Level: Good
Access: Not apparent at first
Sand Condition Good
Swimming Condition: Not very good with coral
Beach Facilities: restaurants and beach massage
6. Mee Sook Beach
Peace Level: good but sometimes plays music
Access: entry fee required 100 baht
Sand Condition: rough
Sea Condition: Not great for swimming but good for bathing and snorkelling.
Beach Facilities: Small restaurants above the water
7. Haad Pak Phra Beach
Haad Pak Phra is the last beach of Phuket, located near the Sarasin Bridge. It’s not a great beach, but it brings you the silly pleasure of a little discovery. Stop there on your way to Thanoon Seafood on the mainland or on your way to Phang Nga. Read more
Peace Level: great!
Access: Hard to find
Sand Condition Not great,
Swimming Condition: Not great
Beach Facilities: None
8. Freedom Beach
Freedom beach is the most beautiful beach on the island, and despite being close to Patong, it has remained relatively quiet because the only (easy) way to reach it is by longtail boat, and the ride costs more than 1,000 baht. There is a way down from the hill above but it is quite a challenge to walk back up!. Go there while you can: if the land access becomes public, you can kiss your freedom goodbye! Read more
Peace Level: can be a bit busy in January
Access: Only accessible by boat during high season
Sand Condition: Amazing
Swimming Condition: Amazing
Beach Facilities: a couple of restaurants and beach chairs under the trees
9. Banana Beach
Banana Beach is so out of the way and so hard to spot, but it has remained relatively secret despite its charm. Of course, as it is human nature to run after anything hidden, it goes busier, but overall, it is still a great place to spend the day. During the low season, the beach is all yours anyway! Read more
Peace Level: good to great (except in January, the peak season)
Access: Complicated to find, with a steep slope to access
Sand Condition: Great
Swimming Condition: Great
Beach Facilities: A local restaurant, beach chairs, basic toilets
19. Ao Sane Beach
Note: Ao Sane Beach is partially closed to the public for construction
Ao Sane is a discreet beach next to the famous Nai Harn and has remained low-key as most people don’t notice it, because to go there you have to drive through The Nai Harn Resort! The beach is small but pleasant with a nice shady restaurant, good for snorkelling and great for kids. Read more
Peace Level: Good
Access: Tricky to find
Sand Condition: Good, a bit rough
Swimming Condition: Good
Beach Facilities: Restaurant, beach chairs
11. Laem Ka Beach
Note: Laem Ka Beach is still closed to the public
Laem Ka Beach is the only real beach on the east coast of Phuket. It can be quiet, but you might be visited by disembarking speedboats at some hours. The beach is pleasant, and food and drink are available during the high season, while during the low season, the place is deserted. Read more
Peace Level: good in low season
Access: Hard to find
Sand Condition: Good
Swimming Condition: Acceptable
12. Khao Kad Beach
Khao Kad Beach (sometimes called Panwa Beach) on the west coast is a beautiful strip of sand with picture-perfect coconut trees lazily leaning above the beach. Great to escape the crowd but not suitable for swimming as the water barely covers a rocky bottom. Read more
Peace Level: Great!
Access: Out of the way
Sand Condition: Good
Swimming Condition: Not great, the seafloor is rocky
Beach Facilities: A couple of local shacks, several hotels
13. Hua Beach
Hua Beach is a very isolated beach very tricky to spot. It’s not a swimming beach but a perfect hideaway as there is barely anyone on it. Swimming is impossible because of the rocks and corals under the surface. Read more
Peace Level: Great!
Access: Very hard to find
Sand Condition: Average
Swimming Condition: Poor
Beach Facilities: Just a local shack
14. Rayee Beach
Rayee Beach is often called ‘the other Kamala beach’ as it is just south of the busy main Kamala beach. It’s not a swimming beach as the seabed is full of coral but great to relax with some nice little local restaurants above the sea. Read more
Peace Level: Great
Access: Easy
Sand Condition: Acceptable, a bit rough
Swimming Condition: No swimming
Beach Facilities: Small restaurants above the water
15. Promthep Beach
This tiny beach is not well known; we don’t even know if it has a name, so we call it Promthep Beach. For a long time, it was not accessible, but lately, a path has appeared, starting opposite a new cafe across the street called CY Cafe. Now, don’t hold your breath! The hill is so steep that they added some ropes to help you go down, and the last part of the way is really scary. The beach is small, and swimming is not possible, but the little secret or hidden beaches of Phuket are hard to resist! 😀
Peace Level: Great
Access: Almost impossible!
Sand Condition: Acceptable, a bit rough
Swimming Condition: No swimming
Beach Facilities: none
16 and 17: The 2 Secret Beaches!
These two secret beaches might be the last ones on the island, so we will not reveal them openly here! They are hard to find and hard to reach, so let’s make a deal 🙂 Follow us on instagram.com/phuket.101 and send us a message, and we will tell you where it is.
Peace Level: Perfect
Access: Not easy to find and hard to reach
Sand Condition: soft white sand
Swimming Condition: great during the high season
Beach Facilities: one has a small restaurant, sometimes
18. The Ultimate Secret and Hidden Beach
This latest beach deserves special mention. It’s a beautiful one, but to reach it requires dedication. However, the pleasure of finding it is undoubtedly proportional to the effort it takes to find it. So far, we don’t even have a name for it. As for the two beaches above, we won’t share them with everyone; only a few get to know where this gem is: follow us on instagram.com/phuket.101 and send us a message, and we will tell you where it is. (Don’t worry; people are generally somewhat lazy, and you will still be alone once you reach it!)
This story was first published on June 6, 2012
We do not include here the few ‘private beaches‘ only accessible by guests of some hotels occupying the entire length of their beach, making access impossible to outsiders: Karon Noi Beach (Le Meridien Beach Resort), Naithon Noi Beach (Andaman White Beach) and Pansea Beach (Amanpuri Resort).
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