Hoi An Beaches

• Costs: Public beaches are free to enter. A sunbed at most beachfront restaurants is covered by ordering a drink or a bowl of Cao Lau, around 50,000 VND ($2.00 USD). Parking runs 10,000 to 20,000 VND ($0.40 to $0.80 USD). Premium beach club minimum spends start from around 200,000 to 500,000 VND ($8.00 to $20.00 USD).

• Best Swimming Season: February through August brings calm, clear water ideal for swimming and snorkelling. October through January is monsoon season. Expect high surf, strong undercurrents, and heavy rain. Experienced surfers love this window; everyone else should plan around it.

• Distance from Town: All three main beaches sit between 4.5 and 5.5 kilometres from the Ancient Town. By bicycle through the rice paddies it takes around 20 to 25 minutes. By Grab or motorbike, under ten minutes.

• Who It Suits: Backpackers, families, luxury travellers, digital nomads, and long-stay expats all find something here. This coastline genuinely has no wrong answer.

An Bang Beach

An Bang is the kind of beach you arrive at for a few hours and somehow end up staying all day. The sand is wide and white, the water is warm and swimmable from March through September, and the strip of restaurants and beach clubs behind the dunes serves everything from a cold Bia Hoi for 15,000 VND ($0.60 USD) to full Western-style menus with cocktails and poolside service. It’s the sort of place where you lose track of time in the best possible way.

Getting in is easy. Head down Hai Ba Trung Street to the main entrance, pay 10,000 to 20,000 VND ($0.40 to $0.80 USD) for motorbike parking, and walk straight through. The beach is completely public and free. Grab a sunbed from any beachfront restaurant by ordering something simple, a coconut water or a bowl of noodles does the job, and you’re sorted for the afternoon. For families, the central section has active lifeguards during peak season.

For groups or couples after more atmosphere, head slightly north or south of the main entrance where the proper beach clubs kick in, complete with pools, sound systems, and cocktail menus. It’s also one of the best places around to catch a sunset with a cold drink in hand. Take your time. There’s nowhere better to be. If you’re still planning your days in town, the Hoi An things to do guide will help you put together a proper itinerary around your beach days.

Cua Dai Beach

Cua Dai has had a remarkable comeback. After years of serious coastal erosion caused by repeated typhoons, major engineering work including breakwaters and geotextile sandbags has brought the shoreline back to life. Today, particularly near the luxury resort strip along Lac Long Quan Street, the beach is beautiful again and worth every minute of the short ride from town.

The atmosphere here is completely different from An Bang. No buzzing beach clubs, no loudspeakers, no touts. Just waves, the occasional resort guest walking past, and an almost meditative calm. This is the beach for families at five-star properties, couples on honeymoon, or anyone who wants total peace without driving far.

The real magic at Cua Dai happens early. Set an alarm for 5:30 AM and head down to the waterline. Traditional round coracle boats called Thung Chai dot the water as local fishermen bring in the morning haul of squid and mackerel. It’s one of those unrepeatable travel moments that no tour can properly bottle for you. If you’re drawn to Vietnam’s boat culture, this stretch of coast will feel like home.

Snacks, Drinks, and Sweet Things

Fresh coconuts straight from the vendor’s cool box cost around 20,000 to 30,000 VND ($0.80 to $1.20 USD) and they are the perfect mid-afternoon drink on a hot beach day. Banh Trang Nuong, the famous grilled rice paper street snack sometimes called Vietnamese pizza, turns up at beachside stalls loaded with egg, green onion, and dried shrimp for around 20,000 VND ($0.80 USD).

For dessert, a cup of Che, the colourful sweet bean and coconut milk soup served over shaved ice, costs around 20,000 VND ($0.80 USD) and is exactly what you need after an afternoon in the sun.

Rolled ice cream has also found its way to the beach strip, with fresh mango, passionfruit, and coconut being the flavours to go for. None of this will dent your daily budget. If you want to pick up some of these flavours in your own kitchen, cooking classes across Vietnam are a wonderful way to do it, and the Hoi An versions are among the most memorable in the country.

The Cham Islands

If you have a full free day and the sea is calm, do not miss a boat trip out to the Cham Islands, a UNESCO-recognised marine reserve around 15 kilometres offshore. The snorkelling and diving here is some of the best in Central Vietnam, with healthy coral reefs and clear visibility from March through September. If you’re thinking about picking up a dive certification while you’re in the country, the Vietnam snorkelling guide covers the best spots up and down the coast.

Day tours depart from Cua Dai pier and typically include snorkelling, lunch on the island, and a return boat. Book through Klook or Get Your Guide for clear pricing and verified operators, with most full-day tours running around 600,000 to 900,000 VND ($23.70 to $35.55 USD) per person. For a wider menu of day trips out of Hoi An including My Son Sanctuary and Marble Mountains, the Hoi An day trips page has all the options laid out by distance and interest. And if the idea of exploring Vietnam’s waters more broadly appeals, the island hopping guide is well worth a look.

Vietnamese beach culture sits on a different wavelength to what most Western visitors expect. Locals swim at sunrise and sunset to avoid the midday heat, often fully clothed or in large t-shirts rather than swimwear. On the tourist sections of An Bang that is perfectly normal alongside bikinis and boardshorts, but if you wander into a local fishing village, a riverside pagoda, or a family-run seafood shack away from the tourist strip, cover your shoulders and knees out of respect. It takes two seconds and it makes a real difference to how you are received.

Tipping is not a traditional custom in Vietnam and nobody expects it at street stalls. If a beach restaurant gave you genuinely great service, rounding up the bill or leaving the small change is a lovely gesture. At beachside markets and watercraft hire spots, gentle bargaining is accepted.

Keep it friendly, keep it light, and remember that walking away politely almost always brings a better offer back across the sand at you. For a fuller picture of how Vietnamese customs and etiquette work day to day, that guide covers everything from temple visits to haggling. If you’re also planning a side trip to see some of the region’s incredible temples and pagodas, the temples guide is a useful companion.

The suburbs of An Bang and Cam An have quietly become one of Southeast Asia’s most appealing long-stay bases. 4G coverage along the entire coastline is excellent, the specialty coffee scene between Tan Thanh and An Bang rivals anything in Hanoi or Ho Chi Minh City, and the cost of living is remarkably low compared to almost anywhere else with this quality of life. Many remote workers base themselves here for months at a stretch, working from beachfront cafes in the morning and spending evenings at the lantern festival or out on the water.

Vietnam’s e-visa system allows stays of up to 90 days, with the option to leave briefly and re-enter. The neighbouring city of Da Nang has a larger coworking ecosystem with faster internet infrastructure if you need the full setup. Living in Da Nang makes an excellent companion read for anyone weighing up a longer coastal stint, since many nomads split their time between the two. For those considering a longer relocation with pets, the coastal neighbourhoods of An Bang and Cam An are consistently rated among the most welcoming areas for expats with animals. See our pet relocation guide for a clear picture of what the process actually involves.