The Most Beautiful Beaches and Coastal Areas in Hong Kong

While Hong Kong might be more famous for its lively, bustling city with surprises everywhere you look, there are some gorgeous beaches, islands and natural spots that are often unseen by all but locals. At a short trip out of the major city limits, these places are well connected and easy to get to and make for an incredible escape from the busy, hectic city. Here are some of the best beautiful beaches and charming coastal spots you can visit without ever leaving Hong Kong.

Sai Kung East Country Park

Full of rocky peaks and beautiful golden beaches, Sai Kung is another of Hong Kong's hidden gems that rarely faces the sea of tourists crowding the city. The vast country park is not difficult to get to, just take one of the frequent buses to Sai Kung town and then change to one that goes through the park. There are a number of beautiful beaches to the east of the park such as Sai Wan and Ham Tin.

Be sure to also check out the Global Geopark with its incredible rock formations like the basalt cliff at Po Pin Chau.

Sharp Island

With other 250 islands around Hong Kong, there are plenty of stunning places to relax on. Unfortunately many of them are not so easy to access unless you want to rent or charter a boat for the day. Sharp Island is a short journey from the seaside town of Sai Kung towards the east of Hong Kong and some stunning scenery and beaches along its coast. Particularly known for Half Moon Bay, one of Hong Kong's most favored beaches, the island is also a popular diving spot as you'll find some of the clearest waters around Hong Kong here.

Po Toi Island

While you might be forgiven for assuming this is actually an island in the Mediterranean, Po Toi Island is very much in Hong Kong, one of the most beautiful of its outlying islands. A short 30 minute ferry ride from Stanley on Hong Kong Island, Po Toi is surprisingly easy to reach and usually devoid of people for such a picturesque island. Apart from some beautiful beaches, the island also has unique rock formations and carvings that are said to date back to around 3,000 years ago.

Dragon's Back and Shek O Beach

As one of the most popular hiking trails around Hong Kong, Dragon's Back isn't exactly a hidden paradise, however it's easy to get to, located towards the south east of Hong Kong Island. While hiking you'll get incredible views over Hong Kong Island and out over the sea, with plenty of beaches to stop at in the area for a bit of relaxation. One of the largest and most beautiful is Shek O Beach.

Repulse Bay

While it might be one of the more popular beaches around Hong Kong, there's no denying Repulse Bay is one of the best. As one of the longest beaches in Hong Kong, there's plenty of space here even on more crowded days. While most of the buildings here are luxury apartments, some are available for short term rentals, or you can stay in nearby Aberdeen and take the bus there.