Secret Beaches Near Hong Kong You Have to Visit 2026

A resident of Hong Kong for fifteen years recently told me, with genuine conviction, that Hong Kong has no good beaches. He had been to Repulse Bay twice, found it crowded, and drawn his conclusion. I have thought about this periodically ever since, in the way you think about statements that are technically based on facts but are catastrophically wrong in their implications.

Repulse Bay is fine. But it is not what Hong Kong's beaches are. What Hong Kong's beaches actually are — in their fullest expression — is a forty-five minute ferry ride or a two-hour hike away from the city, on the far sides of islands and in the mouths of valleys that have no road access and no shops and no apartment towers behind them. They are the beaches that the city keeps to itself, for the people willing to take the effort to reach them.

Tai Long Wan, Sai Kung — Hong Kong's Most Beautiful Beach

I want to be precise about this because "most beautiful beach in Hong Kong" is a claim that invites dispute: Tai Long Wan (大浪灣, Sai Kung) is the most beautiful beach in Hong Kong by near-universal consensus among people who have actually seen it. The four beaches — Ham Tin Wan (鹹田灣), Tai Wan (大灣), Sai Wan (西灣), and Tung Wan (東灣) — form a continuous system of white-gold sand separated by rocky headlands, set in a remote valley in Sai Kung East Country Park. The water is an aquamarine that seems invented. The hills behind are green and uninhabited. There is no road. There are no apartment buildings. There is a small noodle shack at Ham Tin Wan, and after that, the sea.

The hike from Pak Tam Au follows the MacLehose Trail Stage 2 westward, descending through open hillside to the coast. The trail is well-marked and manageable for anyone with reasonable fitness, though the terrain is uneven and appropriate footwear is necessary. The descent to Ham Tin Wan is steep in the final section. Allow two hours from the bus stop, carry at least two litres of water each, and start early — the hike in summer heat is significantly harder.

The kaito boat is the right choice for families with young children or anyone who wants to maximise beach time over hiking time. The boats leave from Sai Kung Town pier when there are enough passengers — typically 8–12 people — or can be chartered privately. The 45-minute crossing is an adventure in itself: open water, small fishing islands passing on either side, and the gradual appearance of the Tai Long Wan valley as you round the headland.

Camping is permitted at Ham Tin Wan, Tai Wan, and Sai Wan — free, no booking, first-come-first-served. The campsites at Tai Wan are particularly fine: you wake with the sun rising over the headland and the beach empty of everyone except you and whoever else was wise enough to spend the night. For details on the camping culture and what to bring, see our outdoor activities guide.

Hap Mun Bay, Sharp Island

Sharp Island (橋咀洲), also known as Kiu Tsui Chau, sits in the water off Sai Kung Town and is accessible by kaito in fifteen minutes. It has two beaches: Hap Mun Bay (蛤蚧灣) on the north side and Kiu Tsui Beach on the south side, separated by the island's rocky ridge. Hap Mun Bay is the main managed beach — a neat crescent of sand with a government-managed campsite, basic toilets, and good swimming. The water here is clear and relatively shallow, sheltered from the open ocean.

Kiu Tsui Beach and the Sand Tombolo

Kiu Tsui Beach (橋咀灘) on the south side of Sharp Island is the less-visited of the island's two beaches, but it holds one of Hong Kong's most remarkable natural features: a sand tombolo that appears at low tide. The tombolo — a narrow strip of sand connecting Sharp Island's main body to a small adjacent islet — is approximately 200 metres long when fully exposed. At mid-tide it is ankle-deep. At low tide, you walk across it on dry sand with the sea on both sides.

Check tide tables before planning your visit. The Hong Kong Observatory publishes daily tide predictions; you want a low tide between 10am and 3pm for the best tombolo experience. The walk from Hap Mun Bay over the island ridge to Kiu Tsui takes about thirty minutes on a rough trail — bring shoes with grip.

The shoreline of Kiu Tsui also features natural hexagonal rock columns — a result of ancient volcanic activity — that are among Hong Kong's best examples of this geological formation. They appear along the water's edge on the eastern approach to the tombolo. The UNESCO-listed Hong Kong Global Geopark designation covers much of this area, and the geology here is genuinely remarkable once you start looking for it.

Pak Lap Bay — The Wild One

Pak Lap (白蠟) is in the running for least-visited accessible beach in the Sai Kung area. The bay faces south from the Sai Kung Peninsula, receiving swell from the open ocean and offering a beach experience that is genuinely untamed — no managed facilities, no BBQ pits, no lifeguards, and on a weekday in October, quite possibly no other people. The sand is coarser than Tai Long Wan's, the setting dramatic, and the hike required to reach it enough of a filter that the crowd self-selects for people who actually want to be there.

Tung Wan, Cheung Chau — The Island's Quiet Side

Cheung Chau (長洲) is well-known for Tung Wan beach on its western side — the main beach most visitors reach from the ferry pier. But Tung Wan (東灣) on the island's eastern side is a different proposition: quieter, facing the open sea, with enough swell on the right days for bodyboarding and a distinctly less organised atmosphere that suits certain temperaments very well.

The walk from the ferry pier to the eastern side of Cheung Chau crosses the narrow isthmus of the island — about twenty minutes through the village streets. The contrast is immediate: the western side is tourist-facing (restaurants, bicycle hire, busy beach), while the east opens quietly onto the South China Sea with fewer people and a more meditative atmosphere. Bring a mat and a book. The bodyboarding is a bonus.

Getting to Remote Beaches — Practical Guide

For the more accessible beaches and those suitable for families with young children, see our guide to the best family beaches in Hong Kong. For the full island adventure with ferry times and food recommendations, see our family day trips guide. For watersports at these beaches, see our watersports guide.

Frequently Asked Questions