So. You’ve made it to Koh Phangan. Party central. The Ibiza of Asia, and all that. 

But who cares about all that. Ultimately, an island is measured by its beaches. In my humble opinion.

So I’ve taken the liberty of compiling a list of the best beaches Koh Phangan has to offer. With an emphasis on beaches where you can escape the crowds. Because if there’s one problem with Thailands islands, it’s the sheer amount of tourists. 

To hell with the tourists. 

Anyway, here’s five of the best beaches in Koh Phangan. And a few that I would skip.

Haad Sadet

I’m going to start with my favorite. If you were wondering which beach is in the photo at the top, this is it. And luckily, Haad Sadet beach is one that very few travelers to Koh Phangan have ever heard of.

It’s located on the northeastern part of the island, about as far as you can get from the bustling Thong Sala in the Southwest.

All this makes Haad Sadet generally quite quiet- how I like it. 

The beach isn’t very long- it would probably take just a couple of minutes to walk from one side to the other.

And the scenery is magnificent. The water is the clearest and bluest I saw on the island, with the mountains peaking up in the distance and beautiful rock formations on either side.

Before you leave, head to the Silver Cliff Restaurant up the hill on the left hand side of the beach. You can walk, or drive there by scooter (although the ride is a tad treacherous- nothing you can’t handle though).

My massaman curry was average, but I didn’t care. I was too busy being blown away by the panoramic view the restaurant offered of Haad Sadet and the mountains. 

Even if only for a drink, the view itself is worth every penny. Or baht, I should say.

Koh Ma Beach

The perceptive among you will notice that Koh Ma is the only beach on the western side of the island that I’m including on this list.

Which is unusual because the beaches on the west coast are generally the most popular.

And that’s exactly why I’m not including them.

They’re generally thronged to the breaking point with tourists who never venture past the path most trodden. But I will say, Koh Ma Beach is the exception.

Koh Ma itself is actually an island. The beach is unique because at low tide, a sand bridge emerges between the island and the mainland, and the effect is quite incredible.

And while it can certainly get busy, it doesn’t to the extent that many other beaches on the west coast of the island do.

I should also mention that the snorkeling here was the best I did on the island– which really caught me by surprise. Swim out 50-100m from the shore and you’ll be greeted by an incredibly beautiful coral reef, filled with vibrantly colored fish and other sea creatures. 

As a last note, it’s western facing direction makes Koh Ma Beach one of the best places on the island to watch the sunset.

Thonglang Beach

Thonglang Beach is a hidden gem. 

It’s located just east of Koh Ma, and I discovered it by just looking on maps on satellite view for some bright blue water (a tip I suggest you employ in the search for hidden beaches).

Just turn off the main road, do a little bit of off-roading for a minute or so, and you’re there.

So it’s not exactly secret, as there are a bunch of homes and a guesthouse around the place- but it’s about as secret as it gets on this island.

It gives all you could want- clear blue water, isolation, a view of the islands cliffs disappearing into the sea.

At low tide, rocks emerge a few hundred feet off the beach. It changes the vibe, adding another little element of interest.

Laem Hat Rin (Leela Beach)

Otherwise known as sunset beach, Leela Beach is located directly opposite its neighbor Haad Rin, famous for hosting Koh Phangan’s infamous full-moon parties. 

As you can see on the map below, they’re on a narrow peninsula, allowing the two beaches to face opposite directions even though they’re only a brief walk apart.

As you’ve probably surmised from its nickname, Leela Beach is a great place for the sunset. Come here around 4 or 5 and watch the sun make it’s slow descent. 

Go for a swim, sit and get a drink at one of the beautiful resorts, and stroll to the end of the beach, where you can take a quick 5 minute stroll to the nearby lighthouse. 

Haad Yuan

So first and foremost I have to say- I didn’t actually go to this beach. I made the mistake of choosing Bottle Beach over Haad Yuan on my last day. Which was nice but disappointing. 

I generally stray away from recommending something I didn’t see with my own eyes, but enough reliable people having given glowing reviews and shown incredible pictures that I’d feel wrong leaving it out of this list. 

And by reliable, all I mean is not British. God are they everywhere on this island.

You can’t directly drive to Haad Yuan. You either have to take a boat (I’ve heard it’s around 200 baht) or hike 2 hours or so from Haad Rin beach. 

But the water is supposed to be magnificent. Which makes sense as it’s located on the same side of the island as my personal favorite, Haad Sadet.

You can read in more detail about this beach here.

A few overrated beaches on Koh Phangan

Now that we’ve covered the best beaches in Koh Phangan, let’s do the worst. OK, maybe not the worst- just the most overrated. 

Starting with Zen beach. To be honest, I’m not even sure how nice this beach is. Because when I went, you could barely see for tourists.

If that’s your vibe, then you’ll love this place. If (as I imagine) it isn’t, then avoid it. It’s the most famous beach for sunset, but there are many better options nearby.

Another I’ll mention is Bottle Beach. 

So here’s the thing- there was nothing concretely wrong with Bottle Beach, persay. 

It just wasn’t special. And after hiking for over an hour to get to it, I would say it was disappointing. 

If you’re going to spend your time hiking to a beach, or pay money for a boat, I recommend you choose Haad Yuan instead.  

There you have it- the best beaches Koh Phangan has to offer. Go check them out, and if you find any new ones of your own, let me know in the comments!