Gretchen Stuppy Carlson
Krabi is a beach lover’s paradise. Not only can you find gorgeous sand, but most beaches are surrounded by limestone cliffs and palm trees. The hardest part of finding the best beach in Krabi is deciding which one is your favorite – or make it the mission of your trip to find your favorite.
We enjoyed visiting every beach on this list during our visit in early 2020 and will share our thoughts on each of the best beaches in Krabi based on overall appeal, popularity and more.
Quick Look at the 9 Options for the Best Beach in Krabi
Here is a quick look at the options for the best beach in Krabi – scroll down for details on each beach.
- Railay Beach
- Phra Nang Beach
- Tonsai Beach
- Tub Kaek Beach
- Ao Nang Beach
- Koh Mai Phai (Bamboo Island)
- Klong Muang
- Koh Poda
- Ao Thalane
Things to Know about Visiting Krabi
Krabi is an amazing tourist destination with stunning beaches and gorgeous scenery all with the ease of tourist amenities. You will find a bustling town with places to eat and drink, shops, and plenty of activities.
Best Time of Year to Visit Krabi
The best time to visit Krabi is during the winter and spring month (Nov-May). If you visit in the summer, you will likely experience rain as this is the monsoon system.
How to Get to Krabi
Krabi is easy to get to with a good-sized airport and bus and ferry operations. You can find daily flights from Bangkok to Krabi and a number of other airports. You don’t need a car to explore Krabi, but if you want the flexibility to get to some of the off-the-beaten-path beaches and sites. We rented a car and you can often find good deals through rentalcars.com.
Where to Stay in Krabi
There are many options of places to stay in Krabi for every budget. We rented a house for the week, but looked at several other options.
Best Beach in Krabi (9 Amazing Options)
Below you can find some details on the different beaches in Krabi. Most of these beaches are right in Krabi or can be reached via boat. You can find a few other suggestions for amazing beaches a bit further afield. We are not normally beach people, but we found so much to do in Krabi that we were happy to keep busy and spend part of each day on the beach.
Railay Beach
Railay Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in the world but is no longer an undiscovered gem. When you visit Railay Beach, you will find plenty of places to eat, drink, and get a snack. You can also take a walk from Railay Beach to visit a cave or even explore several other beaches. The best way to reach Railay Beach is by taking a longtail boat from Ao Nang. Just head down to the pier at Ao Nang and you should be able to find a boat ride for about 150 baht.
The beach is nestled between limestone cliffs and is a popular rock climbing destination. You will also find longtail boats coming in and out of the beach so make sure you stay in the area roped off for swimming.
See more details on how to get to Railay Beach from Ao Nang.
Phra Nang Beach
Just around the corner from Railay Beach (about a 10-minute walk) is the beautiful Phra Nang Beach. With crystal clear water and gorgeous white sand, this is a lovely (and sometimes busy) beach. Since it’s so close to Railay Beach, you get many of the same amenities you will find at Railay.
At low tide, there are two small islands you can walk out to visit, or simply enjoy the day lounging around.
Tonsai Beach
Just around the corner from Railay in the opposite direction, you will find Tonsai Beach. You will need to go around the point to get there. You can either kayak around the point or take a short but steep hike to get there. We took the walk in no more than sandals and while there are definitely some steep sections, it’s not too bad. We loved the little walk and the view back to Railay Beach.
Once you arrive at Tonsai Beach, you will feel worlds away from the bustle of Railay Beach. This quieter beach is best for lounging, but does get currents that can make it unsafe for swimming.
Tub Kaek Beach
This beach is a bit outside of town so you will need to drive or take a motorbike. This is a much quieter beach, but there are still places nearby to eat and resorts to visit. Come to Tub Kaek Beach for a relaxing day and ajoy the quieter setting without the waterskis, boats and other busy activities.
Ao Nang Beach
This long stretch of beach is right in town and you can find places to eat and shop up and down the strip. The beach is lovely with palm trees and since it’s so long, there is plenty of space for everyone. It is more developed than other beaches on this list, so while it’s convenient and worth the visit, it’s not our top destination beach.
We did end up visiting this beach almost everyday – sometimes for a quick dip, or other times to take a walk before or after eating.
Koh Mai Phai (Bamboo Island)
This beach is not right in Krabi, but is worth mentioning since it is really stunning and so many boats offer trips out to see the island. Bamboo Island looks like a tropical paradise and you can enjoy the beautiful sand and really excellent snorkeling.
We visited the island on our day trip out to the Phi Phi Islands. It was our last stop of the day ey truly saved the best for last!
Klong Muang
Outside of the town of Krabi and Ao Nang, you will find Klong Muang Beach. We really enjoyed the more laid back vibe here and visited more than once, preferring this to Ao Nang. There is a row of restaurants where you can eat right on the beach and you can catch a boa right on the beach to get out to the islands. The beach is fairly long so you can also walk away from the crowds and enjoy some peace and quiet.
Koh Poda
Another fabulous beach on the Phi Phi Islands, you can visit during a day boat trip from Krabi, or visit during a stay in the islands. This beach gets quite busy during the day, so if you can, try to visit before the tours come in. On the island, you can find excellent snorkeling and kayaking.
Ao Thalane
Unlike the other beaches on this list. Ao Thalane is better suited to kayaking than you other typical beach activities. It really is a lovely beach and we visited late in the day. Try to be plan your visit at high tide to avoid a large muddy area.
You will find many tour companies starting their kayak trips from Ao Thalane.
Best Beach Resorts in Krabi
Another fabulous way to visit the best beach in Krabi, is to stay right on the beach. There are so many excellent places to stay and many of them have direct access to a beach. Here are the best beach resorts in Krabi.
Dusit Thani Krabi Beach Resort, Klong Muang Beach – this is a lovely resort at Klong Muang Beach on 16 beautiful acres with a variety of rooms.
Rayavadee, Railay Beach – A truly stunning location and a wonderful resort – we spoke with a few people who loved their stay here.
Centara Grand Beach Resort & Villas Krabi, Ao Nang – This resort is in a great location and an excellent value on the beach.
