✅ Updated on 12.03.2026
Phra Nang Beach
📍 Location
Phra Nang Beach is the most beautiful beach in Krabi and one of the best places for swimming.
You’ll find soft white sand, crystal-clear water, and dramatic limestone cliffs rising straight from the sea. The scenery here is exactly what people imagine when they picture tropical Thailand.
There are also plenty of activities on the beach:
- Kayaking
You can rent a kayak right on the beach. Prices range from 250 to 1000 baht for a two-person kayak, depending on whether you rent it for one hour or a full day. - Rock climbing
Krabi is famous for rock climbing, and this beach is one of the best places to try it. There are climbing spots right on the cliffs, as well as equipment shops and a climbing school nearby. - Hiking
A short but adventurous trail leads to a hidden lagoon. The water there is usually murky, but the hike itself is fun and a bit challenging. - Exploring caves
You can also walk to the Bat Cave, located near the beach.
❌ Downside: Phra Nang is a popular beach, so it can get very crowded during high season. I visited during peak season as well, but still managed to find a quiet spot — you just need to walk a bit farther along the beach.
You can reach Phra Nang Beach by walking along a beautiful path from Railay Beach. On the way, you might see dusky langurs — calm and friendly monkeys that are much less aggressive than macaques.
Railay Beach
📍 Location
Railay Beach, like Phra Nang Beach, is located on a small peninsula that can only be reached by boat. High limestone cliffs cut the area off from the mainland, which is why there are no roads leading here.
There are two ways to get to Railay:
- To East Railay Beach — take a boat from the pier in Krabi Town.
- To West Railay Beach — if you’re staying in Ao Nang, you can take a longtail boat from Ao Nang Beach for about 100 baht per person.
You’ll want to head to West Railay Beach. It’s much more beautiful than East Railay, less affected by low tide, and has far better infrastructure.
Along the beach you’ll find hotels with direct beach access, plenty of cafés, restaurants, and even a small Walking Street filled with bars, restaurants, and laid-back reggae-style spots.
Overall, the Railay Peninsula is a great place to stay for a few days and enjoy the scenery. The only downside is that hotel prices here are a bit higher than in Ao Nang.
✅ Good hotels in Railay:
- Rayavadee — the most luxurious resort in the area with direct access to Phra Nang Beach. Amazing, but extremely expensive.
- Railay Bay Resort & Spa — one of the best options in terms of price and quality.
- Railay Phutawan Resort — a quiet hotel slightly away from Walking Street.
- Sand Sea Resort — beachfront villas and a great location.
- Railay Princess Resort & Spa — another solid mid-range option.
By the way, Railay is just one of many incredible places in the region. If you want more ideas, check out my guide: “Things to Do in Krabi”
Tonsai Beach
📍 Location
Tonsai Beach is located right next to Railay, but it’s much quieter and less crowded, even though it’s just as beautiful.
The beach is especially popular with rock climbers and travelers looking for a more laid-back vibe. Compared to Railay, Tonsai feels more relaxed and a bit more rustic.
There are several ways to get there:
- Walk from Railay Beach via a short mountain trail — it takes about 10–15 minutes.
- Boat from Railay Beach — 300 baht for the whole boat.
- Boat from Ao Nang Beach.
✅ Hotels on Tonsai Beach:
- Tinidee Hideaway — beautiful houses with great sea views, but not cheap.
- Dream Valley Resort — a simpler and more budget-friendly option.
- Tonsai Bay Resort — a decent mid-range choice close to the beach.
- Garden View Resort Tonsai — located a bit farther from the beach and usually cheaper.
Ao Nang Beach
📍 Location
Ao Nang Beach is the most famous beach in Krabi and the main tourist hub of the area. This is where you’ll find most of the hotels, restaurants, and bars, and it’s also the primary departure point for boat tours to islands like Phi Phi, Hong Island, and others.
❗ Important: The pleasant part of the beach actually starts after the bend in the main road near the Aonang Villa Resort. The section before that is honestly not great — it’s noisy, crowded with boats, and often smells like boat exhaust.
Another small inconvenience: parking along the Ao Nang beachfront road is almost impossible. There are “No Parking” signs almost everywhere. I usually parked near the Centara hotel and walked from there.
✅ Good hotels near Ao Nang Beach:
- Aonang Silver Orchid Resort — excellent price-to-quality ratio.
- Sugar Marina Resort — many rooms have great views.
- Adam Krabi — stylish modern design.
- Panan Krabi Resort — not cheap, but a very solid option.
- Aonang Villa Resort — one of the best locations directly on the beach.
- Andaman Pearl Resort — a budget-friendly hotel with an amazing café. I often had breakfast and lunch there — and honestly, it served the best cheesecake I’ve ever had.
👮♂️ One more tip: at one point on the Ao Nang road there was often a police checkpoint where officers stopped foreign tourists riding motorbikes. If you’re renting a bike, make sure you wear a helmet and carry a valid motorcycle license. (I’ve already explained how to get a driver’s license in Thailand in another article.)
Pai Plong Beach
📍 Location
You can reach Pai Plong Beach from Ao Nang by walking along the famous Monkey Trail, a wooden walkway that goes over the hill between the two beaches.
I had heard that monkeys often hang around this trail, but during my visit I didn’t see a single one.
To be honest, the beach itself didn’t look very impressive at the time. The hotel next to it was under renovation, and there was a construction barge near the shore where debris was being loaded from the site.
Maybe once the renovation is finished, the beach will look much better.
You can also take a longtail boat from Pai Plong to Railay Beach, but in practice it’s much easier to do this directly from Ao Nang.
Nopparat Thara Beach
📍 Location
Nopparat Thara Beach (also marked on maps as Ao Nang Landmark Beach) isn’t the best place for swimming — the water here is usually murky.
However, if I visited Krabi again, I would probably stay near this beach for several reasons:
- The beach is very long, which makes it perfect for running or long walks.
- One of the best gyms in the area, Heroic Fitness Club, is located nearby.
- There are plenty of parking spots along the beach road (which is rare in Ao Nang).
- The area has many cafés, restaurants, and a night market within walking distance.
So even though it’s not ideal for swimming, it’s a very convenient place to stay.
✅ Hotels near Nopparat Thara Beach:
- Ahad Suite — affordable, but you’ll need to walk a bit to the beach.
- Deevana Plaza — more expensive than Ahad Suite, but closer and more comfortable.
- Sea Side Ao Nang Landmark — simple accommodation near the beachfront.
- Apple A Day Resort — excellent price-to-quality ratio.
- T2 — budget-friendly hotel with balconies, though the beach is a short walk away.
- Maneetel — top location right by the beach.
- Little Home Ao Nang — minimalistic and bright, located near the gym.
- Anda Sea Tales Resort — each room comes with a private pool.
Tubkaek Beach
📍 Location
Tubkaek Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Krabi. It has clear water, soft sand, and incredible views of limestone islands rising from the Andaman Sea.
❌ However, there are two main downsides:
- Shallow water. You’ll need to walk quite far into the sea before it gets deep enough for proper swimming.
- Remote location. The beach sits at the end of the road, and beyond it there’s only the national park area.
That said, sunsets here are absolutely fantastic. Watching the sun go down from one of the beachfront restaurants is a great experience.
This area is also popular with wealthy European travelers, and hotel prices during high season can reach $400–$1000 per night.
✅ Hotels on Tubkaek Beach:
- Banyan Tree — the most luxurious resort in the area, but very expensive.
- Amari Vogue — a beautiful hotel, though it tends to attract an older crowd.
- Anyavee — a solid price-to-quality option.
- Tup Kaek Sunset Beach Resort — another good mid-range choice.
Klong Muang Beach
📍 Location
Honestly, Klong Muang Beach didn’t impress me at all. The water was murky, there was some trash along the shore, and the beach is also used as a departure point for tour boats — which means noise and boat exhaust.
Because of that, the overall atmosphere here isn’t very relaxing.
Ao Nam Mao Beach
📍 Location
Ao Nam Mao is probably the worst beach in Krabi.
In fact, it’s not really a beach at all — it’s more like a boat hub. Longtail boats depart from here to Railay Beach, so the area is mostly filled with piers, boats, and transport activity, rather than a place to relax or swim.
The Secret Beach
📍 Location
And now for the cherry on top — this beach doesn’t even have a proper name.
Technically, it’s just a stretch of beach located near the Sofitel hotel. But since all beaches in Thailand are public, anyone can come here and enjoy it.
Out of all the beaches in Krabi that don’t require a boat to reach, this one had the cleanest water and the best swimming depth, even during low tide. If having a great swimmable beach next to your hotel is important to you, this area is one of the best places to stay.
✅ Hotels near this beach:
- Sofitel — located directly across from the beach.
- VARANA — stylish and high-quality, though not cheap.
- The Pelican Residence & Suite — spacious apartment-style accommodation.
- Enjoy Krabi and Relax — I actually booked a place here for my mom. The beach is about a 4-minute walk away.
One small downside: there are a few rocks when entering the water, but overall it’s still one of the best hidden beach spots in Krabi. 🌴
Krabi Beaches Map
You can open this map on your phone, save it for later, or share it with friends. It will help you easily find all the beaches mentioned in this guide while exploring the area.
