Koh Lipe Beaches

There are three main beaches on Koh Lipe: Pattaya Beach, Sunrise Beach and Sunset Beach. All of them are a short walking distance from each other (no more than 20 minutes at a very slow pace). On the western side of the island you will find a few tiny and deserted beaches. Some of them are private but nobody will stop you if you just walk in with a smile.

Pattaya Beach

This is the main beach on Koh Lipeand it is the first one you will see arriving in Koh Lipe in the high season. In fact all the ferries and speedboats will stop here.

The beach is about 1 km long and it forms an arc in the south side of the island. The sand is absolutely superb, white and soft as you can (usually) only see on a postcard. The water is pure clear and always calm, and you’ll be able to spot fishes and corals even without goggles.

The downside is that it’s always quite busy.

A lot of resorts and bungalows rub shoulders for the entire length of the beach and with all the boat traffic (not only ferries but many longtail boats are docked right off the beach all day long) you will hardly find a quiet spot to enjoy the sun and the water by yourself unless you wake up pretty early.

Snorkelling might be dangerous due to the high boat traffic, so make sure you swim safely only in the designated area.

In the evening it could be a little bit noisy here but all the beach bars close quite early so you are likely to have enough peace and quiet to sleep well. This is the place to be if you want to enjoy a bit of the nightlife on Koh Lipe. But don’t expect anything crazy: the beach is named Pattaya but it has nothing to do with its (un)famous namesake.

Sunrise Beach

Sunrise is the biggest beach on Koh Lipe and it covers all the East side of the island. It is connected to Pattaya Beach by Walking Street and as you can imagine by the name, it is the best spot to admire fantastic sunrises.

It is a lot less crowded than Pattaya Beach and even in the water you’ll find a lot less boats – no big ferries nor speedboats but just few picturesque longtail boats ready to pick you up for a snorkel trip. The sand in Sunrise Beach is not as soft as in Pattaya Beach but still it is a pleasure to touch and to walk in.

Any type of accommodation can be found here as well, but compared to Pattaya Beach the bungalows and resort are a lot more scattered around and the view from the sea is a way more pleasant.

A good spot for snorkelling without being too bothered by the traffic can be found at the northern tip of the beach. At night-time you’ll find just a few beach bars with soft music, but everything will close super early.

Important notice if you come in low season, the ferries will disembark people in this beach and not in Pattaya Beach. It shouldn’t be a problem anyway because in low season there’s only one boat and more than likely the beach will be deserted for the rest of the day.

Sunset Beach

On the northern side of Koh Lipe, in a small bay facing west, Sunset Beach is the most secluded and romantic of the three main beaches.

Many people just come there once during their holiday to take a few pictures at sunset, but it is actually a perfect spot to spend a whole day without many people (or no one at all if you’re really lucky) around you. Just a few small bars, good enough to buy cool drinks – no need to bring them with you from the other side of the island.

To get to Sunset Beach from Pattaya Beach follow Walking Street until you find the 7/11 on your left and turn left at the crossroad.