Koh Phangan is filled with some pretty incredible beaches.

Unfortunately, the best of them- in my humble opinion, at least- don’t face west.

The west coast of Koh Phangan is the most busy part of an already overly busy island. And sunset time only makes the crowds larger.

I’ve said it once and I’ll say it forever. Tourists are the absolute worst.

Now luckily for us, there are solutions. For whatever reason, it seems like everyone likes to gather at a few spots once golden hour hits. Leaving a select few other spots less busy for us to enjoy.

So I’ve taken the liberty of compiling a list of the best sunset spots Koh Phangan has to offer. Be warned- there aren’t many beaches on this list, due to the fact that, to reiterate, most of the western-facing beaches on the island are beyond crowded.

But these select few will do the trick.

Anyway, here’s three of the best sunset spots in Koh Phangan.

Koh Ma Beach

Koh Ma Beach is a pretty remarkable place, regardless of whether or not you stay for the sunset.

I write about it more extensively in my guide to the best beaches on Koh Phangan, but I’ll give a quick recap.

It’s a long and beautiful beach, and at low tide a sandbar extends out from the end of the beach to a nearby island. It’s really quite remarkable.

And lucky for you guys, Thailand has a pretty moderate tidal range and the tide should be pretty reliably low around sunset time, allowing you to walk across the sandbar. Or perhaps wade, if that’s not too tall a task.

Koh Ma Beach is located at the Northwestern tip of Koh Phangan. And sunset aside, it’s the best beach you’ll find on the west coast. Quiet, long, and beautiful.

When I was there (deep in high season), basically everyone left once the sun dipped under the horizon, leaving me and my Quebecois friend to admire the bright pink clouds left behind in its path.

While I’m on the topic- the best part of sunset is always after it’s set. I never understand why everyone wraps it up so quickly. Let me know if you agree.

Laem Hat Rin (Leela Beach)

Leela Beach is the only beach on the island that faces west- but isn’t on the west coast.

It’s located on a peninsula jutting out of the southeast corner of the island– a peninsula that also sports Had Rin Beach, world famous for its monthly full-moon parties (and half-moon parties).

It’s proximity to Haad Rin makes Leela Beach quite crowded. But only really at full or half moon. If you come at any point in between, it’s likely that the beach will have a far more relaxed vibe.

Of course, if a sunset party is your thing then you’ll love this beach at those times. I personally like to just relax and focus but I respect that others have different and bizarre and incorrect opinions.

The beach is pretty lengthy and perfect for a stroll. And should you want to continue once you reach the end of the beach, you can. At the left-hand side, there’s a wooden walkway which curves around the rocks protruding out into the sea and leads you to a lighthouse.

The lighthouse itself is nothing too incredible, but its worth the walk to get some new vantage points to watch the sunset from.

Salad Beach

Last (and maybe least- but still incredible!) is Salad Beach.

You may be wondering why it’s called Salad Beach? Well, it has nothing to do with the leaves. It was actually coined Salad Beach by Sir Arthur Salad, who first set foot on its shores in 1186.

Just kidding. I’ve got no clue.

I mean, maybe though.

Located on the west coast of the island, it’s the least busy beach I could find other than Koh Ma Beach. Which makes sense as they’re the two furthest north of the beaches on the west coast.

Salad Beach is a smaller beach. With a feeling of isolation that’s nice but maybe slightly tainted by the few restaurants and resorts it has along the shore. But it still certainly has a more low-key vibe.

In order to see the sun set over the water, you’ll have to station yourself near the right-hand side of the beach. It’s the best and quietest bit, so it shouldn’t be an issue.

Of course, if you’ve got the budget you can use the restaurants to your advantage. You can see one of them in one of the pictures below. No denying that’s a pretty killer view.

I can’t vouch for the food quality, but the prices weren’t too crazy if I recall.

A word about the best sunset spots to avoid on Koh Phangan

Now that we’ve covered the best sunset spots in Koh Phangan, let’s mention some to avoid.

I have a similar section in my best beaches overall in Koh Phangan post, and I’m going to mention the very same beach first.

Which is Zen Beach. Famous for being the best sunset spot on the island.

I mean, it’s the best if you like your beach to have more bodies than grains of sand. If that is in fact your vibe, then you’ll love this place. If it isn’t, then avoid it.

It really must be the most poorly named place on the planet. The only place that comes close is the next beach.

Which is Secret Beach. Which, despite its name, seems to be a secret to absolutely no one.

So just avoid Zen Beach and Secret Beach.

But don’t worry- stick to the first three and you’ll be happy.