When you talk about Hong Kong you usually associate Skyscrapers, crowded streets and Dim Sum with this metropolitan city. Hardly anybody would immediately associate Hong Kong with beaches. However, due to Hong Kong’s geographic location and over 200 small islands Hong Kong locals are quite blessed with countless beaches and places to have a fun summer, short weekend break from work and/or vacation time. Currently, Hong Kong has about 40 public accessible beaches whereas 11 of them are located on Hong Kong Island while the rest are distributed in the New Territories and the outlying islands. One might even argue that Hong Kong locals are spoilt due to the fact that some of the best beaches are just a bus or ferry ride away.

Especially on weekends and public holidays locals will go hiking or enjoy a day at one of the following beaches. During the week you will have a good chance to enjoy the beach almost for yourself. So where are the best beaches in Hong Kong? Keep on reading and we will lead you to the great beaches for every purpose being for a family day out, watersports activities, tanning or simply for taking a swim.

Stanley Beach and St. Stephen’s Beach

Located on the southeastern part of Hong Kong Island, most foreign visitors will associate Stanley with its main attraction: Stanley Market. Adjacent to the village popular open-air market and just a few steps away you will find Stanley Main Beach. Stanley Main Beach is popular among windsurfers and watersport enthusiasts.

In addition, Stanley Main Beach hosts every June the famous Dragon Boat competition. Like many other beaches Stanley Main Beach has lifeguards and shark nets to protect swimmers from sharks. The beach itself is well equipped with changing rooms and washrooms. In close distance you will have several restaurants and bars which cater almost everyone’s need of Chinese and Western food plus the option to go shopping for souvenirs or relax with a cold beer in one of the bars.

On the western side of Stanley is Stanley’s best-kept secret: St. Stephen’s Beach. Since most of the tourist will spend their day either at the Stanley Market or Stanley Main Beach, you will have a good chance to enjoy the beach in a less crowded and more relaxing atmosphere. Having said this you will have a chance to enjoy more the fine sand and spectacular views.

The beach is perfect for the whole family to enjoy a refreshing swim, sand-castle building competition and/or a picnic with the beloved ones. In near distance you will find a small shop selling ice-cream, soft-drinks and some essentials for every beach day as well as a local Water Sports Center where you can rent several beach equipment and book lessons. For all of you who get very hungry after such an exciting day out and don’t want to miss the sunset at the beach…try to give PizzaHut a call…they do deliver right to the beach.

How to Get There:

Take Bus 6, 6A, 6X or 260 from Exchange Square in Central to Stanley. Stanley Market as well as Stanley Main Beach are just a few steps away. St. Stephen’s Beach takes about a 10 minute walk from the Stanley Bus Terminus.

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Repulse Bay Beach,South Bay Beach and Deep Water Bay

The Beach of Repulse Bay

The Beach of Repulse Bay

Located on southern Hong Kong Island, Repulse Bay is one of the most exclusive residential areas in Hong Kong and the Repulse Bay Beach is just located in front of their luxury apartments and homes.

Repulse Bay Beach is one of Hong Kong’s most popular beaches. The main reason for this might be that this beach can be easily accessed by bus and public transportation (similar to the Stanley Main Beach).

Another fact is that this beach has extensive facilities like showers, bathrooms, parking spaces, lifeguards and safety shark nets for swimmers. To my opinion the beach is popular due to its beautiful sand, large open spaces for tanning and swimming in combination with the great panoramic views of the ocean and horizon.

Many locals will take a day or half-day off just to relax at the beach and enjoy the sun. Close by and definitely worthwhile to have a look is the Tin Hau Temple, the “building with the hole for the dragon” as well as the Kwun Yam Shrine. Be aware that due to its location this beach is very crowded especially on weekends and public holidays. This beach is perfect for tanning and swimming.

Close to the Repulse Bay Beach is a lesser known beach: the South Bay Beach. This beach is several minutes far away from Repulse Bay. Due to the lack of direct public transportation South Bay Beach is less crowded (especially during the week you will have the beach almost for yourself) and much for quieter than the before mentioned beaches. At weekends this beach becomes very popular among local youngster since there is one of the famous beach clubs (South Bay Beach Club) located. If you are looking for a quiet beach with one of the best (may be the (!) best) sunsets in town then this is the beach for you.

Just almost adjacent to Repulse Bay Beach is Deep Water Bay Beach. This beach is one of the most popular among locals and usually very crowded at weekends. For no obvious reasons it seems that this beach attracts less tourists. Deepwater Bay Beach and Repulse Bay Beach are connected with a small pathway. If you just like to walk on the beach, do some tanning and/or you just have a few hours time this might be an option to have a look due to its proximity to Central.

How to Get There:

Take Bus 6, 6A, 6X or 260 or Minibus No. 40 from Exchange Square in Central to Repulse Bay. If you want to enjoy your day out at South Bay Beach you need to walk from Repulse Bay Beach approx. 20-30 minutes. For Deepwater Bay Beach take bus 6 or 6x from Central or get off at Repulse Bay and walk the pathway. Alternatively, you can take a taxi which will cost approx. HK$ 35.

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Silvermine Bay Beach (Mui Wo – Lantau Island)

Silvermine Bay Beach is located on Hong Kong’s largest island: Lantau Island. The advantage of Silvermine Bay Beach is that is very clean and there are not a lot of people. Besides that it can be very conveniently reached by ferry. Silvermine Bay Beach is ideal to take a break from the hectic, noisy, hustle and bustle from the downtown area.

Take your Frisbees and kites with you. Lots of people enjoy these activities due to the large area. You also can rent a bike or go hiking. The beach is a perfect base for exploring the island. And of course, you can take a swim. There are several lifeguards on duty and take care that nothing will happen.

If you get hungry you have the choices of several small restaurants, shops and refreshment kiosks along the road fronting the beautiful beach. For all of you who don’t want to go back to the hectic life in the city you can consider to stay overnight at the Silvermine Beach Hotel or other guesthouses and hotels in Mui Wo (the unofficial capital of Lantau Island). One last piece of advice: don’t miss the other sightseeing attractions on Lantau Island such as the Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car and Big Buddha statue.

How to Get There:

Simply take the Ferry from Central Pier No. 6 to Mui Wo. The Silvermine Bay Beach is approx. a 5 minute walk from the Mui Wo Ferry Terminal. There is no way to miss it. One piece of advice: double-check the time-schedule for the ferry returning to Central. Especially on weekends and evenings the frequency of the ferry is at the evening hours every 40-60 minutes. Depending which ferry you choose the trip is about a 35 (fast ferry) to 55 (ordinary ferry) minutes ride. Prices range from HK$ 14.5 (adult weekday ticket for ordinary ferry) to HK$ 40.8 (adult weekend ticket for fast ferry). A fare-table and sailing schedule can be found here.

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Lo So Shing Beach (Lamma Island)

Beach of Lamma Island

Beach of Lamma Island

The Lo So Shing Beach is located on Lamma Island. If you want to visit this beach we would recommend you to spend a whole day on Lamma Island since the beach is little bit far away from the ferry terminal. It takes about 40-60 minutes walk to get there, but you will be rewarded with one of the cleanest and most quiet beaches in Hong Kong (especially during the week).

The beach is equipped with lifeguards, changing rooms and showers and of course shark nets. There are some small vendors along the way and refreshment kiosks next to the beach, but we recommend you to take some food and beverages along with you. Besides going to the beach Lamma Island is a great getaway for some outdoor activity like hiking.

The island has a very relaxed atmosphere and is not only the only reason stressed Hong Kong people loved to travel there to get away from the hectic downtown life. Lamma Island is also well-known for its many seafood restaurants. So make sure to stop by of the many seafood restaurants on your way to the ferry to Central.

Btw…did you know that one of Hong Kong’s most famous actors is born on Lamma Island? Chow Yun-Fat grew up in the village of Tung O (Yung Shue Wan) and in matter of fact his family still operates a small family restaurant named “Shau Kee” which specializes on seafood and pigeon dishes. For all of you who loves Hong Kong Kung-Fu movie you should not miss the chance to stop there. May be you will have a chance to meet him.

Beach of Lamma Island

Beach of Lamma Island

How to Get There:

Take a ferry from Central Pier 4 to Yung Shue Wan (Lamma Island). There are ferry services to both of the small villages of the island (Yung Shue Wan and Sok Kwu Wan). Expect an average traveling time to Yung Shue Wan of about 25-30 minutes and for Sok Kwu Wan about 30-40 minutes. An adult single ticket is HK$ 16.1 (Mon-Sat) and HK$ 22.3 on Sundays and public holidays. Ferries run in about 20-30 minutes interval. For a detailed sailing schedule as well as an overview of fares please click the link.

There is also a ferry running from Aberdeen to Yung Shue Wan. The route is operate by Tsui Wah Ferry Service Ltd. And the boarding location is at Pontoon at the Aberdeen Promenade. The adult fare per trip is HK$ 17.7 and the approx. traveling time to Yung Shue Wan is about 35 minutes. For more information about the ferry schedule please click the link.

The Chun Kee Ferry Ltd. Operates a route from Aberdeen to Sok Kwun Wan. Boarding location is also at Pontoon at the Aberdeen Promenade. The Adult fare trip is HK$ 9.2 on Mondays – Saturdays and HK$ 13.8 on Sundays and Public Holidays. The traveling time is about 30-35 minutes (depending how long the ferry stops at Mo Tat). For more information as well as an overview of the time schedule please click the link.

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Lower Cheung Sha Beach (Lantau Island)

The Cheung Sha Beach on the southern shore of Lantau Island is divided into the Upper Cheung Sha Beach and Lower Ceung Sha Beach. The Lower Cheung Sha Beach is also known as “Long Coast Beach”. As the name already indicates Lower Cheung Sha Beach is among the longest beaches in Hong Kong. The complete Cheung Sha Beach is about 3km long.

The Lower Cheung Sha Beach is stretching approx. 2km and a perfect beach to get away from all the busy downtown actions. You will be able to enjoy fine sands, clear water and a tranquil and quiet environment.

For all of you who just want to have a relaxed day on the beach to unwind from a hectic and stress week this is the place to go. Make sure to take some novels, books or your iPod with some favorite and relaxing music with you to relax on the beach. In addition, it is also a great place to enjoy all different kinds of water activities. There are several shops where you are able to rent kayaks, wakeboards, etc. to have a fun day out in the water.

How to Get There:

Simply take the Ferry from Central Pier No. 6 to Mui Wo. Depending which ferry you choose the trip is about a 35 (fast ferry) to 55 (ordinary ferry) minutes ride. Prices range from HK$ 15.9 (adult weekday ticket for ordinary ferry) to HK$ 44.9 (adult weekend ticket for fast ferry). A fare-table and sailing schedule please click the link.

From the Ferry Terminal you can take one of the following New Lantao Buses: No.1, No.2, No.4 or A35 to Lower Cheung Sha Village. The fare ranges from HK$ 6.2 – HK$ 27 depending on the day (weekday or Sunday) and which bus route you travel. An overview of the different bus routes including time schedules and fare information can be found by clicking the link.

The New Lantao Buses company also offers a Lantau Day Pass which entitles the pass holder for a day of unlimited rides. This might be an interesting option if you want to explore more of Lantau Island and/or want to take Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car. The Lantau Day Pass is available from HK$ 35. For more information of Lautau Day Pass please click the link.

Alternatively, you can travel the MTR to Tung Chung and then take one of the following New Lantao Buses: No. 11, No. 23 or A35 towards Lower Cheung Sha Village. This option might be more suitable and convenient if you want to combine Ngong Ping 360 Cable Car Ride, a visit at the Big Buddha and may be half-day on the beach.

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Shek O Beach and Big Wave Bay Beach

The Shek O Beach is located on the south of Hong Kong Island and is a popular weekend destination for local Hong Kong people. The beach is equipped with changing rooms, showers, shark nets, etc. Close by are several bars, restaurants, a public BBQ area and a small golf course.

Besides that you will be able to rent wakeboards and body board. For all of you who love Canto-pop and love to watch all the music videos you might recognize some of the sceneries. Shek O Beach and the area around it is a favorite place to shoot music videos from local pop singers as well as for some movie productions. So keep your eyes open. May be you will have chance to see the how the latest music video of Andy Lau, Twins or some of the other popstars are produced.

Close by Shek O Beach is another beach: Big Wave Bay. Among surf enthusiasts this beach is well-known and the place to be. As the name already indicates you will have some waves at Big Wave Bay. During the winter months Big Wave Bay becomes often the place to hold surf competitions. The uprising northern wind creates almost perfect conditions for surfers to show their skills. During the summer months it is an excellent place for beginners to learn how to handle the surfboard. A surf shop is close by called Surf 360 as well as small restaurants and kiosks.

How to Get There:

Take the MTR from Central to Shau Kei Wan. The traveling time is approx. 20 minutes and adult fare for a single-journey is HK$ 7.5. Then take Exit A3 to the Shau Kei Wan Bus terminus. The First Bus Company with bus No. 9 will take you to Shek O. Traveling time is approx. 30 minutes and fare for a single- journey ticket is HK$ 6.9. Alternatively, you take one of the red minibuses as well.

Important remarks: For both beaches (Shek O Beach as well as Big Wave Bay) you can get off at Shek O. Big Wave Bay is about a good 10 minute walk away from the bus terminus at Shek O. The First Bus Company has arranged special stops at Big Wave Bay. For more information which buses will stop there as well as a general fare overview and time schedule can be found by clicking link.

The above mentioned beaches represent only a small selection of Hong Kong’s beaches. Where do you love to go for a swim in Hong Kong? Which is the best beach for tanning, picnic and/or bbq? Which has the nicest sand and the best waves? Which is the most quiet and relaxing one for you?

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