Phuket Beaches

Although Phuket is a large island, all of the best beaches are to be found on the west coast, with the busiest areas concentrated around Patong, and to a lesser extent, Kata and Karon.

There are quieter beaches to the north west of the island and, although offering some stunning views of outlying limestone formations, the east coast has very few sandy beaches for visitors to enjoy

Patong Beach

Patong is easily the busiest and most popular of Phuket’s beach resorts, offering a wide range of hotels, bars, restaurants and shopping options.

The resort is popular with all kinds of visitors, from families enjoying the three kilometre long beach with crystal clear waters, to adventure travellers and couples taking in the rich and varied nightlife.

Although not the quietest beach on the island, Patong beach is long and sandy with a varied selection of small beach bars and restaurants offering tasty snacks and refreshments.  The water is great for swimming and there is a wide selection of sports activities.

Patong also offers the best facilities and services in Phuket with a wide range of leisure and recreational activities, hospitals and shopping malls.  Many foreign property buyers are attracted to the varied lifestyle and excellent infrastructure, making Patong a popular destination for expats.

Kalim Bay

Located just to the north of Patong, Kalim is quiet and relaxed. However, the beach is not good for swimming as its quite rocky and there is a coral reef close to shore. The reef is exposed at low tide and locals can be seen collecting crabs and shrimp.

There are a few hotels here, but overall the area is pretty quiet. Kalim is a good alternative if you want to be nearby the bars and restaurants of Patong, but still want peace and quiet.

Kamala Beach

A little further to the north is the stunning beach at Kamala, offering golden sands and good swimming in a very relaxing environment.

The beach is quiet and although there are a few hotels and guesthouses now appearing along the bay, there is an overall laid back feel to Kamala.

Kamala offers another great alternative to the bright lights of Patong.

Surin Beach

Very popular with the locals is Surin beach, an undeveloped stretch of tree lined sand just to the north of Kamala.

Surin beach is only now beginning to attract some small hotels and remains a great place to get away from it all and enjoy local seafood, under the shade of the casuarinas trees.

A few minutes walk from the beach is the predominantly muslim village of Surin, where you can try some delicious muslim curries in one of the small restaurants.

 

Karon Beach

Karon beach is a haven for sun worshippers and is without doubt one of the longest and most beautiful beaches in Phuket.

Stretching four kilometres around a bay just to the south of Patong, the beach has powdery white sand and crystal clear water for swimming.  There are a few very high class resorts and hotels located in Karon, but unlike Patong these are not concentrated together and there is a much more relaxed atmosphere to the beach.
Karon does offer a limited nightlife scene with a few bars and restaurants dotted around the north end of the bay, however the wonderful thing about this lovely beach is that Patong is literally five minutes away.  Staying in Karon gives you the best of both worlds – probably the best beach on the island, with the nearby option of as varied a nightlife as you can handle.

Kata Beach

Offering quite outstanding scenery in a relaxing atmosphere, Kata beach is located in the south western corner of Phuket.

The beach is separated into Kata Yai (large) and Kata Noi (small).

Kata Yai

The larger of the beaches, Kata Yai has much more in the way of hotels, resorts, bars and restaurants and offers stunning view of Pu island, which lies just off the northern end of the bay.

Kata is on the whole rather small however and is very popular with families, looking for a quiet and safe environment in lovely surroundings.  There is however a nice selection of shops, bars and restaurants around Kata Centre and the area offers something for everyone.

Kata Noi

This stunning little beach has experienced very little in the way of development and there are only a few hotels scattered along the shore.  This is a great place to relax and enjoy the scenery.

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