Koh Tao Beach Guide: 12 Best Beaches In Koh Tao, Thailand

1.9K

Thailand is loaded with nice beaches, and the island of Koh Tao is no exception.

We spent almost an entire month exploring Koh Tao last year, and it seemed like almost every corner of the island had awesome white sand beaches and turquoise water.

Here is our Koh Tao beach guide, with a list of 12 of the best beaches in Koh Tao!

 

West Koh Tao Beaches

1. Sairee Beach

Sairee Beach is the biggest and most popular beach on Koh Tao island. If you’re looking for white sand, lazy palm trees, and a great place to watch the sunset, this is where to go!

Read More: Sairee Beach

 
 

2. Sai Nuan Beach

This beach is one of the more secluded places in the island, and it’s never crowded at all, so it’s a great spot for hanging out on the sand under some lazy palms.

Sai Nuan is actually split into two separate beaches. Both are nice and worth a visit! You can walk between them on a short trail through the palm trees, or you can swim or kayak between them in just a few minutes.

It’s a nice area for kayaking and snorkeling, and you could use it as a good base for paddling to other nearby spots like Jansom Bay, Tao Thong Bay, and June Juea Beach.

Sai Nuan is just a 15 minute drive from the main pier and tourist areas at Sairee Beach. The road is well paved but very steep, so it can be a little tricky on a scooter if you don’t get up to speed first.

BONUS: On the drive to Sai Nuan, there’s a small pull-off spot in the palm trees where you can get a great view of Koh Tao’s coastline!

 

3. Koh Nang Yuan Beach

Koh Nang Yuan is a pair of small islands right next to the west coast of Koh Tao. There are several cool things to do at Nang Yuan. The famous viewpoint is the main attraction, but the sandbar connecting the islands also makes a nice place for tanning or swimming.

Read More: Koh Nang Yuan Beach

 
 

South Koh Tao Beaches

4. Freedom Beach

Freedom Beach Koh Tao is one of the most popular and beautiful beaches on the south end of Koh Tao island in Thailand.

It’s super easy to reach, and there are lots of great opportunities here for chilling, snorkeling, kayaking, and just taking some amazing photos of the tropical scenery.

There are two little beaches here and you can walk between them on a short trail through the trees, or you can kayak between them in just a few minutes.

This area is very popular for kayaking, and you could use it as a good base for paddling to other nearby bays and beaches like Chalok Baan Kao, Taa Toh Bay, and even Shark Bay.

Freedom Beach is a 15 minute drive from the main pier and tourist areas at Sairee Beach. There’s a small entrance fee for the beach, but you can usually avoid it and get in free if you go there in the morning.

 

5. Taa Toh Beach

Taa Toh Beach is one of the less known spots on the south end of the island, but it’s a great place to unwind and pull up a sunbed or sip a drink, and since it’s facing west it makes a great sunset beach too.

This spot is great for sunbathing, snorkeling, and kayaking, and there are even a couple of volleyball nets set up.

Taa Toh has a small boardwalk connecting it to Freedom Beach, so you can walk back and forth between the two easily.

 

6. Chalok Baan Kao Bay

Chalok Baan Kao is the second biggest beach in Koh Tao, but it’s less busy and more quiet than Sairee Beach because of its location in the south.

This is a great place for relaxing and taking a dip, kayaking, and more. The white sand is soft, and the water is shallow enough to make it a good beach for families with kids. There’s even a sandbar you can walk out on when the conditions are right.

Even though it’s a quiet beach, Chalok has its fair share of restaurants, bars, and dive shops nearby, along with a pharmacy and 7-Eleven. Since it’s facing west, it makes a great sunset beach too!

This beach is just a stone’s throw away from some other amazing spots like Shark Bay, Taa Toh Bay, and Freedom Beach.

 

7. Shark Beach

This is a private beach hidden in the rocks near OK2 Bungalows. It’s very small, but the sand is nice and it’s mostly a secret beach! The name comes from the friendly black tip reef sharks that like to hang out here.

Read More: Shark Beach

 
 

8. Haad Tien Beach

This is another beach at Shark Bay, except it’s a long strip of white sand lined with palm trees. This one is managed by (and accessed through) Haad Tien Resort.

Read More: Shark Beach

 
 

9. Sai Daeng Beach

Sai Daeng is a nice white sand beach with shady trees to sit under, and views of Shark Island in the distance.

It’s not the biggest beach on Koh Tao, but it was almost empty when we went so it felt a bit like a hidden beach! There’s a restaurant and a nice resort at the beach if you want to stick around longer.

Snorkeling here gives you a chance to see Christmas tree worms, friendly black tip sharks, and the occasional sea turtle. The best snorkeling is supposed to be on the west and east ends of the bay.

The road to the beach is a little steep at times, but it’s a good concrete road. Beach access is through the Sai Daeng Resort.

After you’re done exploring the main parts of the bay, rent a kayak and paddle out to Shark Island to continue the adventure!

 

10. Ao Leuk Beach

Ao Leuk Beach is one of the busier beaches, but it also has perfect sand and turquoise water, and it’s not too remote. There’s a restaurant and resort at the beach too if you want to stick around longer.

Read More: Ao Leuk Beach

 
 

East Koh Tao Beaches

11. Ao Tanote

Tanote is one of the nicest beaches on the east side of Koh Tao island. The views and snorkeling are some of the best, and the beach is never crowded!

When snorkeling around Ao Tanote, you can expect to see some good fish and corals, baby sharks, and maybe even manta rays. Snorkel gear and life jackets can be rented at the nearby restaurants.

If you need to get your adrenaline fix, there’s a big boulder in the middle of the bay that’s great for rock jumping. The height is about 10 meters (30 feet).

Tanote is just a 15 minute drive from the main pier and tourist areas at Sairee Beach. The road is well paved but very steep, so you may want to park up the hill.

       

 

12. Ao Hin Wong

Hin Wong Beach is hidden in an epic bay on the east side of Koh Tao island. Green palm trees and massive boulders line the coast, and so far the bay hasn’t suffered from crowds or over-tourism.

There’s a restaurant and some small hotels, but it doesn’t feel over-developed yet, and most people only seem to come here on boat tours.

The beach has a small strip of sand that’s good for hanging out, and there are kayak and snorkel rentals too if you want to do more exploring in the water.

We had actually heard this was one of the best snorkeling spots in Koh Tao, so of course we had to go take a look! Sure enough, Hin Wong has some fantastic snorkeling.

While Intan played Candy Crush on the beach, I swam over to the south end of the bay and found schools of bright yellow fish, colorful parrot fish, and some great corals.

The best corals and fish seemed to be farther out in the bay, where most of the tour boats weren’t going.

Hin Wong is located on the north east side of Koh Tao island. The road to the beach is steep and rough at times, so you may want to park up the hill.

They charge a small fee at the last parking area, but if you park farther up the hill it’s free.

 

Koh Tao Island Map

Here’s a Koh Tao island map you can use to plan your trip. You can click the icons to get more info and directions for each point of interest, but keep in mind some of the locations on this map may be approximate.

For more detailed information on how to get to each of the spots on this Koh Tao map, you can check out my individual travel guides for each location.

 

More Koh Tao Travel Tips

I hope you were helped by this list of the best beaches in Koh Tao, Thailand.

Don’t forget to check out my complete Thailand Travel Guide with free tips, info, photos, and more!
 

Where We Stayed

We stayed at a hotel called Aukotan Place in south Koh Tao. The price was $25 USD for a big double room with cold A/C, hot shower, and good WiFi.

This hotel includes free buffet breakfast even though it’s not mentioned on Booking.com. They also give a free daily transfer to and from the pier, and Sairee Beach, which was super handy, and they have scooter rentals for a good price.

The location of the hotel was perfect. It’s a 15 minute walk from Freedom Beach, Shark Bay, and John Suwan Viewpoint.

Prices may fluctuate from time to time, so just keep an eye out for a good deal.