Top Things to Do in Sanya – China’s Top Seaside Paradise

Located at the bottom of Hainan Island, Sanya is renowned for its year-round tropical climate, white-sand beach, and clear blue water. China may not be the first name for a ‘beach holiday,’ but with easy access from anywhere in China, Sanya can be your perfect getaway when cold, brittle winter hits.

If you’re in the mood for some beach holidays with a fair share of relaxation and adventure, check out these top sights and activities in and around Sanya Pacific Prime has gathered for you.

Hit the Beach on Yalong Bay

Yalong Bay is about 15 kilometers east of Sanya, but well worth the 20 to 30-minute bus or taxi ride to get there. While Sanya is alive and bustling with tourists, beach hawkers, seafood stalls, bars and clubs, and traffic, Yalong Bay feels quiet and remote.

The seven-kilometer stretch of white sand offers sandy beaches without the rowdy hectic atmosphere of Sanya. Its calm, clear blue water could also rival many of the best beaches in Asia for both natural beauty and cleanliness.

Following the domestic tourism industry boomed, Yalong Beach was quickly scouted by international luxury hotel chains for its quiet, relaxed, uninhabited surroundings.

Looking for a trip on a budget? Fear not, because Yalong Beach also provides ample choices of budget-friendly accommodations for travelers to choose from, just across the main road that runs the length of the beach.

Most importantly, the beach is public, which means it can be fully enjoyed no matter the room rate.

Try the Beach Barbecue on Dadonghai Beach

For anyone looking to immerse themselves in Chinese street food culture, beach barbecue is a great introduction. Hainan, as a major agricultural and fishing center in China, can offer you a variety of fresh and tasty ingredients perfect for beach barbecue.

Dadonghai Beach is located in Tiandu town, southeast of Sanya. The beach boasts a vibrant line-up of cafes, bars, and restaurants to enjoy your meals while taking in the seaside scenery. Dadonghai is also where to go if you are up for a generous choice of water sports.

As you enjoy Hainan’s freshest seafood, succulent meats, and delectable vegetables grilled on skewers, make sure you have some cold local beer or fresh juice with you as well. Beach barbecue, especially just before sunset, is a quintessential part of Hainan’s local island culture.

Spend a Day on Wuzhizhou Island

Just two kilometers off the coast in Haitang Bay, Wuzhizhou Island, barely a kilometer long with one long beach on its north side, offers a great destination for a relaxing one-day trip.

The island is known for its exceptional diving and snorkeling spots in its surrounding waters, as well as easy hiking trails for travelers to immerse themselves in nature despite Sanya’s status as bustling tourist hotspots.

Unless a large tour group decides to join you for a day, Wuzhizhou Island and its pretty beach can give you the relaxing getaway you are looking for.

Learn to Surf

Surfing in general is still very new in China, but Dadonghai Beach has provided a vibrant scene for surfing and watersports enthusiasts for years.

If you are new to surfing and would like to try your hands for the first time, several local shops and guides are available to get you started, from rental boards for beginners to surfing lessons and excursions for beginners.

Dadonghai’s water is warm and forgiving, so it is a good place to give water sports a try. Waves are small and manageable, and the sandy bottom means that there is very little risk of injury, even for first-timers. October to March is the best time of the year for surfing with larger swells.

For more serious surfers who are looking for more challenging waves to tackle, we recommend the best surf beach in China: Riyuewan. Situating one and a half hours northeast of Sanya, Riyuwen hosted an annual surf competition in October and was an official stop on the professional Quiksilver Surf Tour in early 2012.

Waves on Riyuewan tend to run consistently at about one to one and a half meters and the location is as remote and uncrowded as any surf enthusiast could ever ask for.

Rent a Bike

Part of the beauty of Sanya is found in its simplicity, and one of the very best ways to see the long shoreline is on two wheels. There are plenty of shops and hotels that will rent bicycles to visitors for the day, making covering lots of ground easy and fun.

For the more adventuresome, there are also a few places to rent motor scooters. However, we would recommend this to seasoned motorcyclists only as local traffic laws and etiquette can be baffling for beginner motorcyclists.

Hainan Island is also popular for long-distance cycling. However, cyclists are recommended to bring their own bikes as local shops may not have suitable bicycles available for rental.

Pedaling through the jungle on Hainan’s smooth roads is a great way to see some of the less explored nature and culture around Sanya. Or, if time permits, you can embark on a 700-kilometer trip to circumnavigate the entire island over several days as well.

Conclusion

Sanya is a city with a rich culture and some of China’s most beautiful scenery. If you are looking for a sunny seaside holiday, you should certainly consider Sanya for its friendly people, warm weather, and refreshingly slow tropical pace of life.

And while you’re enjoying Sanya’s long beach and fresh seafood barbecue, let us get your healthcare covered with the right short-term insurance plan or international health insurance plan. This will ensure you can travel worry-free and have access to medical care wherever you go.

With over 20 years of experience in the insurance industry, Pacific Prime can help you find the right insurance plan that suits your needs and budgets. As we do not work for any particular insurer, you can rest assured that the quotes and packages we compared for you are without bias.

Contact us today for a FREE, no-obligation plan comparison.