Beaches in Hoi An

An Bang is the main beach for Hoi An, about 4 km from the old town and easily cycled, and it is where the beach bars, loungers and seafood restaurants are. The sand is coarse and golden and the water is warm. It replaced Cua Dai as the town's beach after erosion took much of that one, so this is where the crowds now go. How to Reach: About 15 minutes by bicycle or 10 by taxi from Hoi An old town. Best Time to Visit: February to August, when the sea is calm.

Ha My sits on the road between Hoi An and Da Nang, about 7 km north of the old town, and it is the quietest of the beaches within easy reach: a long stretch of sand with resorts and homestays behind it and very little else. Good for a day of doing nothing. How to Reach: About 15 minutes by taxi or 25 by bicycle from Hoi An old town. Best Time to Visit: February to August.

Binh Minh means sunrise, which is the reason to come: it faces east into open sea and gets very few people at dawn. It is a short taxi ride south of Hoi An, with white sand, calm water and a handful of hotels on the road behind. The Cham Islands sit on the horizon, and boats out to them run from nearby Cua Dai. How to Reach: About 20 minutes by taxi from Hoi An old town. Best Time to Visit: February to August, at sunrise.

Cua Dai is 5 km east of the old town and used to be Hoi An's main beach, but serious erosion has narrowed it and much of the frontage is now behind sandbags and breakwaters. Some stretches are still usable and the seafood restaurants along the road remain good. The cycle out along the river is the nicest part of the trip. How to Reach: About 20 minutes by bicycle from Hoi An old town. Best Time to Visit: February to August.

Tam Thanh is roughly 50 km south of Hoi An near Tam Ky, so it is a half-day trip rather than a beach afternoon. It is a long empty stretch beside a fishing village, and the reason to make the drive is the Tam Thanh Painted Village next to it, where the houses are covered in murals of village life. How to Reach: About an hour by car from Hoi An. Best Time to Visit: February to August.