10 of the Best Beaches in Hong Kong

There are nice beaches in Hong Kong? I don’t blame you for being surprised — it came as a shock to me too. I figured the beaches in Hong Kong would be average at best because of how built up the city is and its proximity to the industrialised mainland of China. If you’re planning a trip to Hong Kong, make sure you check out some of these beaches (I visited beaches on Hong Kong Island, Lamma Island and the New Territories).

Beaches in the New Territories

Sai Wan Beach

This is actually two beaches broken up by a rocky headland. When I visited (on a Monday afternoon) both were completely deserted. Sai Wan Beach is definitely one of the best beaches in Hong Kong (if not the best) — the sand is white, the water is clear and the surrounding emerald hills make for a great backdrop.

Ham Tin Beach

From Sai Wan Beach it’s a 45 minute walk in the sun up and over a hill to Ham Tin Beach. It’s a really wide beach, perfect for a bit of cricket, football or volleyball. The white sand, the scenery and the clear blue water, not to mention the view of the beach as you approach it from the hill, combine to make it one of my favourite beaches in Hong Kong. We visited Sai Wan Beach and Ham Tin Beach as part of the Maclehose Trail (Section 2) — it’s a great walk. You can also take boats to these two beaches, although that might be difficult during the week. My advice is to hike the trail – it’s the perfect escape from the city.

Beaches on Lamma Island

Hung Shing Yeh Beach

Lamma Island is home to some of the best beaches in Hong Kong and hiking between them made for a great day trip. First up is Hung Shing Yeh Beach (assuming you arrive on the ferry at Yung Shue Wan). It’s a 20 minute walk from the village, past boutique shops and rural Hong Kong life. There is a huge power plant visible from the beach but it doesn’t detract from the natural beauty too much. Sections of this beach were pretty crowded (it was a Saturday afternoon) but it’s easy to get a section of sand all to yourself.

Lo So Shing Beach

Lo So Shig Beach is probably my favourite on Lamma Island — it was really quiet, the sand was golden and flat, and the water was clear. I would have gone swimming there if I was more prepared! It’s a short, scenic walk from Hung Shing Yeh Beach, and if you want to visit both it makes sense to arrive on the ferry at Yung Shue Wan and return to Hong Kong Central via Sok Kwu Wan.

Shek Pai Wan Beach

Shek Pai Wan Beach takes a bit more effort to get to and a lot of people seem to skip it. You’ll see a path leading uphill just before entering Sok Kwu Wan. This will take you in a loop, first to the top of the hill for a panoramic view, then down to the beach and eventually into Sok Kwu Wan, a small village famous for its seafood restaurants. The first section of this beach, or series of beaches, was full of trash (it would have been a great beach too) but the rest of it is clean. The golden sand, rocky headland and wavy water makes for one of the wilder beaches in Hong Kong, and it’s definitely one of my favourites (it reminds me of a beach I recently visited on Big Corn Island, Nicaragua).

Beaches on Hong Kong Island

Deep Water Bay

This is the first beach we visited in Hong Kong and its pretty good, considering its urban location. You can see Ocean Park in the background, and from the end of the beach you can walk around a coastal track, which will eventually take you to Repulse Bay.

Repulse Bay

This is one of the most built up beaches in Hong Kong — there are tall buildings in the background, a shopping mall, and dozens of tour buses lining the streets close to the sand. It’s still a great beach though and is well worth a visit.

Stanley Bay

We made a quick stop at Stanley Bay after visiting Repulse Bay. Stanley Bay a cool little village; there’s a lookout / boardwalk, a market and lots of boutique shops. The beach is a short walk from all the action, and while there are better beaches in Hong Kong, the laid-back atmosphere and proximity to good food/shopping make it an appealing option for a relaxing afternoon.

Big Wave Bay

We visited Big Wave Bay as part of the Dragon’s Back hiking trail. This is one of the best beaches in Hong Kong for surfing, and even though the waves were pretty small, there were plenty of surfers making the best of it. This is the most crowded beach that we visited in Hong Kong (it was a Sunday afternoon) but it’s nice, and the small village seems to have some good food options.

Turtle Cove Beach

This is the smallest beach that we went to in Hong Kong and also the toughest to get to – we had to climb down (and then back up) a steep staircase. This kept the crowds away though; we only saw one other person, a local who was swimming in the calm, clear water.