Phuket Beaches

Phuket’s main attraction is its beaches. With about 50 beaches of all sizes and shapes, Phuket Island is certainly a great holiday destination for beach lovers. The most famous beaches are on Phuket's west coast. The east coast of the island features mangrove forests and has retained a more genuine touch. Here, you'll find fisherman's villages, rocky capes, and 4 large yacht marinas.

 

On the west coast, Patong, Kata, Karon, Kamala and Bangtao are the most touristic beaches. Each of them features resort towns housing restaurants, shops, and nightlife entertainment venues that provide the many island visitors (3.4 million in 2015 according to CBRE) with all that they need to spend a pleasant vacation in Phuket.

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Despite its ever growing popularity, Phuket Island still has small and hidden beaches that still offer a bit of privacy. Beaches such as Freedom, Banana, Laem Ka, and Mai Khao still have an off-the-beaten-track atmosphere.

 

Phuket Town, officially elevated to the status of City in 2004, retains a charming provincial atmosphere. The historic centre called Phuket Old Town is especially worth a visit. Situated on the east coast of the island, Phuket Town doesn't host any swimmable beach, but it's the main commercial hub of the island home to a large choice of modern shopping malls, supermarkets and boutiques.