Best Beaches in Hoi An – where to go & what to do

Hoi An Beaches Overview

Hoi An is truly spoiled for choice when it comes to scenery. The popular Old Town that has made the spot a UNESCO world heritage site dominates popular imagery of the town, but its beaches help round it out as a great spot to spend a day or a lifetime. Combine the trading town architecture with world class beaches, a river delta system, emerald-green rice fields, and mountains to the west, and you’ve got quite a nice-looking place. It’s one of the main reasons we’ve chosen it as our home base as a motorbike tour site, especially since there’s so much to see in the region. 

We’re here to talk beaches, though, and Hoi An’s are up there with the most beautiful in Vietnam. “Beaches” plural is a bit of a misnomer, as given the right conditions, you could walk along the beach all the way from Hoi An to Da Nang—roughly 30 kilometers or so. 

Top Beaches in Hoi An

In practical terms, the best way to break down Hoi An’s beaches is into three main parts. By far the most well-known of the beaches are An Bang and Cua Dai—though this has changed over the years. 

Each rainy season brings its own pattern of erosion and changes beaches somewhat, and sometimes drastically. A typhoon can significantly alter a beach’s layout, for example, and that happens on a semi-regular basis. However, since most of the infrastructure that makes up the beach communities around these beaches is not directly on the beach itself, little about the restaurants, shops, and so on is phased by seasonal changes. 

An Bang Beach

The longest stretch of beach in town, An Bang is popular with locals, tourists, and expats — basically everyone. The beach itself is made of clean white sand — not quite the powder-white you’ll find in the Caribbean or closer to the Equator, but lovely indeed. It faces east, making it a very popular place to take in the sunrise, and its view of the city of Da Nang to the north and Cu Lao Cham island to the east make for some iconic views. 

Locals will flock to the place in the predawn hours for workouts or walks, and will come again around sundown to enjoy some cooler air and take a swim. The beach itself is often largely deserted during the day, with plenty of room to swim, relax, build a sandcastle, kick a ball around…you get the idea. The water is quite shallow, especially during low tide, and makes for an ideal swimming spot during the hot parts of the year. 

A strip of laid-back restaurants and bars along the beach offer sun loungers, which usually come complimentary as long as you order something to eat or drink. Trinket vendors will likely approach you offering to sell you hand-fans, keyrings, and other souvenirs. Some may find this charming while others find it irritating, so a polite “no thank you” will usually work if you’re not interested in making a purchase. 

After sundown, pop-up restaurants will appear on the beach catering to locals and offering local food. You’ll find grilled seafood, clam and rice porridge (quite delicious), and a number of other offerings along with drinks. 

An interesting note is that An Bang is bifurcated into two sections, which we’ll call An Bang and Tan Thanh Beach (or An Bang 2, depending who you ask). The two halves used to be connected until some genius decided to build a water park complete with a castle on top of sand. The project was suspended after funding dried up, probably because investors realized it was silly, but the castle remains — and stands where the road connecting the two sections used to be. If you take a stroll on the beach, it’s impossible to miss. An Bang 2 is generally a bit quieter than its northern half, though there are still plenty of places to relax, drink, or eat. 

An Bang Restaurants

Lining the entire stretch of beach are a wide variety of restaurants, from locally-oriented seafood to popular expat and tourist haunts like The Deckhouse or Soul Kitchen. While some of the larger seafood restaurants may look impressive at first sight, we recommend perusing menus along the path parallel to the beach behind the restaurants as you’ll see a wide variety of fresh seafood in tanks. Some of the smaller seafood restaurants are hidden gems, while the larger ones cater to mass tourism and offer more impressive sights than dishes. 

Not all of the restaurants are directly on the beach, of course. An impressive amount of quality restaurants have popped up in the near vicinity, offering an equally impressive variety of food. Blackfin and Weaver’s offer excellent brunch and breakfast options, Bikini Bottom serves up good American-style fast food burgers, La Riva provides high-quality Italian food, and Casa Loco offers surprisingly delicious Tex-Mex. There are a number of other options, from coffee shops to local food stalls selling banh mi, cao lau, and much more. Since it’s a touristy area, you can’t throw a rock without finding something to eat or drink. 

Tan Thanh Beach, as we mentioned, is a fair bit quieter but offers some of the more stunning places to hang out. Sound of Silence could well win awards for one of the best beach coffee shops in the world, for example. Esco Beach, Barefoot, and Salt Pub are all higher-end establishments offering cocktails, top-notch food, and relaxed-yet-classy vibes. 

There are plenty of smaller and more local spots to eat and drink, but one we’d like to highlight is Eight Days a Week. Its combination of friendly owners, excellent house-made baked goods like pizzas and cornish pasties, good music, low costs, and laid-back vibes make for a great place to kick back and have a cold beer or quality cocktail at the end of a beach day. Their open mic nights on Mondays can be quite popular. 

Cua Dai Beach

Cua Dai beach was (and is again now) one of the crown jewels of Hoi An. Just a few kilometers south of An Bang, it offers a wider strip of beach lined by coconut trees and spectacular views of Cu Lao Cham island. It’s a popular spot for beach volleyball, kite flying clubs, kids playing, and — of course — swimming. 

Unlike An Bang, Cua Dai’s sit-down restaurants are to the north side, meaning there’s unimpeded access from the road to the beach itself. You can easily park a motorbike for a small fee at any number of vendors or take a taxi and hop out. Rather than full-scale establishments, a number of ladies operate small carts with smaller chairs to sell drinks. You’re under no obligation to purchase anything from them as the beach is a public beach (unless you want to sit in their chairs), but if you want a refreshing coconut they’ll set you up. 

Cua Dai has been through a significant refurbishment since 2023, with the local government building boom structures on both the north and south side to prevent erosion via currents. The beach suffered significantly in a storm around 2013, during which much of the sand got washed away. The effort put in by the local government has paid off and it’s now one of the most popular destinations in town for everyone. Don’t expect as much infrastructure as in An Bang — just a nice, sandy spot to get some sun and hang out. 

Cua Dai Restaurants

There is a stretch of sleepy restaurants on the north end of Cua Dai that have large menus and offer seafood as well as Western food. Though they’re usually quiet at night, they offer a relaxing place to sit and enjoy the waves while eating something straight out of the ocean. Prices are quite reasonable as well. 

If you want to get down with the locals and go to the popular local seafood spots, however, you’ll want to head a bit further south. There is a stretch of seafood restaurants that are usually packed on evenings and weekends — and any wise traveler knows that local restaurants packed with local people is a good sign. Our personal favorite of these is Gio Bien, though they’re all quite good — and very affordable. 

Hidden Beach

Hidden Beach is somewhat of a misnomer, since we’re discussing it here. However, it was — just a few years ago — one of the most beautiful stretches of beach in Hoi An. Unfortunately, typhoons and the rainy season during 2022-23 washed away much of the sand, making it a shadow of its former self. 

What made the beach appealing to begin with was that it was indeed more hidden and far quieter than An Bang or Cua Dai. This is because it’s only access point is at the end of a small, dead-end street that’s easy to miss. Even though you can walk directly from An Bang to Hidden Beach, the twenty minute to half-hour trek usually kept people away. 

As it is now, a few small restaurants operate near the beach, one of which sticks out directly over the water. It didn’t used to. Houses that used to line the beach and be comfortably away from the water fell into the water during a typhoon. This isn’t sea level rise talk: It’s just the standard erosion that happens during the rainy season. 

Work is being undertaken to restore the beach, though much of it is paid for by local business owners rather than a large government invested. Those of us who live in Hoi An would love to see this beach return to its former glory. 

Ha My Beach

To the north of An Bang, and getting further out of Hoi An, is Ha My beach. Ha My beach, in terms of beachiness, is very similar to An Bang. In terms of its local amenities, however, it’s quite different. 

Ha My is where you start to get into resort territory. The stretch of beach between Hoi An and Da Nang is dominated by huge luxury resorts, and they begin here, with familiar names like Wyndham and Four Seasons populating the area. 

There’s a public opening to the beach, however, since it is still a public beach. Getting a taxi or taking a motorbike here is only really worth it if you’re looking to try something new, or head to Papa Shark Beach Restaurant—an independent spot round that way. 

Hoi An Beach Nightlife

If you’re looking to get a beverage or go out at night, the place to do it is around An Bang. Several popular bars populate the area, offering relaxed spots to get a beer or cocktail and have a chat. Some local favorites include:

• Double Cat, a popular expat haunt, with a prime location and cheap beer
• Soul Kitchen, which often features live music 
• Bungalow Beach Bar, featuring a pool table, actual pool, and a wide selection of beers
• Chango’s, a laid-back bar with frequent live music that often runs til late
• Veranda, a spot a little off the beach which has excellent food and a good selection of beer
• Tama, named after its owner, a small and energetic bar (also like its owner) that is often open late
• Eight Days a Week, in An Bang 2, which offers excellent cocktails and a music selection that’ll make you feel nostalgic

Cham Islands and Cu Lao Cham

Not far off the coast of Hoi An are the Cham Islands, known locally as Cu Lao Cham. These laid-back islands have been inhabited for thousands of years, though locals will joke these days more monkeys live on the island than people. For reference, there are roughly a couple of thousand people on the island at maximum. 

During the spring and summer months, the island can make an excellent getaway from town, as it’s a significant change of scenery and has a well-earned small town feel. A number of homestays have popped up on the island over the last few years, owing to the 24-hour electricity added just in 2017 after an underwater electric connection was built to the mainland. 

There are two main towns on Cham Island: Tam Hiep and Bai Huong. Tam Hiep is the main town and the port, where speedboats unload tourists. Many tourists come to the island as part of daytime packages and leave at night, so while the small strip of oceanfront may seem busy during the day with tourists, it’s busy at night with locals. Monkey Homestay offers the best views from its top-floor room, which is often booked out in advance, though there are a number of other completely serviceable homestays on the main road. 

The best beach on Cu Lao Cham accessible from town is Bai Xep, which could easily compete for the best beach in Central Vietnam. There is no infrastructure on it aside from a tire swing under a tree, and a fresh spring that comes out of the mountain (which allows for a cold, refreshing bucket bath) so you’ll need to bring your own supplies. It’s a 15 minute walk up a steep hill from Tam Hiep, though the views make it well worth the hike. There’s a decent coral reef immediately off the beach that requires no equipment to see except goggles and a snorkel. We hesitated to add this part to our blog to protect both the reef and this hidden beach, but since our readers deserve the best, we figured we’d add it. 

Other beaches on the island are usually reserved for daytime snorkeling trips as part of package tours and are not easily accessible via the main road on the island. If you’re interested in part of a day trip for snorkeling, you’ll most certainly stop at Stone Giant beach, for example, whose name keeps changing for some reason. Do note that some of these package tours that cater to locals will charge you for “snorkeling” and then not provide you a snorkel, thinking a mask alone will do the trick. We recommend checking in with your tour provider to ensure they will in fact offer you a snorkel. 

Best Time to Visit Hoi An Beaches

Hoi An features a monsoon-forward climate, meaning there are distinct seasons in the area. Many are surprised to turn up in December to find the weather rainy and chilly for example, since the expectation in Southeast Asia is that any time of year is warm enough to go to the beach. 

Hoi An is in the perfect location to receive the northeast monsoon which comes all the way down from northern China and Siberia, picking up huge amounts of rain on the way and dumping it on Central Vietnam. This occurs during winter in the northern hemisphere. If you keep in mind typical winter months in the northern hemisphere and add a couple on either side, you’ll get a good idea of when’s good to visit Hoi An’s beaches. 

To be clear, the best time to visit the beaches are between February and October. February, March, and April are gorgeous and make for fantastic beach weather. May-August almost always has hot weather, which makes jumping in the ocean and any watersports a perfect idea. September and October can offer some nice beach days, but rain storms become more common around that time of year — though they’re not guaranteed. November and December are often wet and chilly, with occasional dry days thrown in. January is dry and cool, and then the whole thing starts again. 

Check out our guide on Vietnam’s weather to get a better idea of just how to plan your trip around that weather so you don’t run into any expectable surprises. 

Travel Tips for Hoi An Beaches

There’s not a whole lot you’ll need to know about Hoi An’s beaches in particular if you already have some familiarity with beaches. There are no sharks, crocodiles, or other dangerous animals around to beware of. However, currents can be strong, and most beaches are either free of lifeguards or very underguarded, so beware of currents and keep a close eye on any children. Unfortunately, accidents can happen, so don’t underestimate the ocean and its currents. 

The beaches are not lit at night, which means there is an excellent opportunity to see the stars. Fishermen often come out at night, so don’t be surprised to see men fishing from the beach at night. Carry a flashlight or have one on your phone in case you struggle to see in the dark. 

Recall that, at 15 degrees of latitude, the sun can be very strong during the day. If you don’t feel like putting on sunscreen, a wise move is to avoid direct sunlight for extended periods between 10 am and 2 pm, when the sun is brightest, to avoid a sunburn. Sunburns are easy to get, especially with cheap sunscreen that washes off in the salt water, and the water is cool enough to not feel the burn until too late. 

Unlike beaches in Da Nang, there are few rules on Hoi An’s beaches. That means dogs and bonfires — which are banned in Da Nang — are good to go. 

Generally, the beaches are quite safe as well. Crime is almost unheard of, though of course you’ll want to take normal precautions like not leaving your valuables unattended. 

Motorbike Trips in and Around Hoi An

Since you’re on a motorbike tour page, you may find yourself interested in motorbike tours. Wouldn’t you know it — you’re in the right place! Whether Hoi An is just a quick stop for you as part of a longer journey or a launching off point for inland adventures, you’ll find no end to things to see on two wheels. 

Some trips to consider launching off from in Hoi An are: 

• The Hai Van Pass, one of the world’s best ocean roads, which can be combined in a day trip to see Monkey Mountain
• Heading from Hoi An to Hue, which also leads you through the Hai Van Pass
• My Son Sanctuary, an ancient Hindu site that was a focal point of the Cham culture
• Inland road tours to local sites like Prao and A Luoi, through winding, beautiful roads

There’s of course much more to see, and two wheels is the best way to do it. If you’re feeling like you’re in the mood to plan a trip, give us a shout and we’ll set you up with the best way to travel in style — and knowledge — in Vietnam.