Hoi An Beaches: An Bang vs Cua Dai — Which One to Choose?

Hoi An isn’t just lanterns and tailors — a proper beach sits a 15-minute ride away. But which one? The short answer in 2026 is An Bang Beach: a relaxed strip of white sand, casuarina trees and brilliant beach bars that has firmly replaced the eroded Cua Dai as the place to swim and sunbathe. This is our honest guide to both: where to lay your towel, the seafood and beach clubs, the Cua Dai erosion story, surfing and water sports, the Cham Islands day trip, prices, safety and exactly how to get there. (Planning the whole trip? Start with our complete Hoi An guide and the Hoi An activities guide.)

1. Hoi An Beaches at a Glance

Here’s the picture in one box before we go deeper:

2. An Bang vs Cua Dai: Which Beach?

For years Cua Dai was the Hoi An beach. Then severe erosion — driven by storms, dams upstream and rising seas — swept much of its sand away, and the resorts lined the shore with sandbags and breakwaters. Travellers drifted north to An Bang, which is now firmly the main beach.

• Go to An Bang for swimming, beach bars, sunset drinks, seafood and a lively-but-laid-back scene.
• Cua Dai still works if you’re staying at one of its big resorts, or catching the speedboat to the Cham Islands from Cua Dai harbour.

3. An Bang Beach: The Main Event

An Bang is everything most people want from the Hoi An beach:

• The sand & sea: a long white-sand strip backed by casuarina trees, with generally calm, swimmable water in the dry season.
• Beach bars & clubs: a famous run of relaxed bar-restaurants right on the sand (see the next section).
• Sunrise: the beach faces east, so dawn here is glorious — and quiet.
• Seafood: shacks and bars grilling the day’s catch, just steps from your lounger.
• Easy from town: a flat 15-minute cycle or a cheap Grab, so it’s a perfect half-day or a sunset trip.

4. The Beach Clubs & Sun Loungers

An Bang’s beach-bar scene is a big part of the appeal. The deal is simple and traveller-friendly:

• Loungers are usually “free” — you just order food or a couple of drinks and use the sunbed and umbrella for the day. Otherwise expect to pay around 50,000₫.
• The names you’ll see: Soul Kitchen, Sound of Silence, La Plage, The Deck House and An Bang Beach Village — each with food, drinks, music and loungers.
• What to expect: sun beds, showers and toilets, decent Western and Vietnamese food, cocktails and sometimes live music or DJ sunsets.
• Tip: arrive earlier on busy days to grab a front-row lounger; weekends and holidays fill up.

5. Cua Dai Beach & the Erosion Story

Cua Dai, about 5 km east of the Old Town, is the cautionary tale of the Hoi An coast:

• What happened: from the 2010s, heavy erosion stripped away much of the beach. The shoreline is now lined with sandbags, breakwaters and sea walls protecting the resorts.
• What’s there now: large resorts (Palm Garden, Victoria, Vinpearl and others) with their own managed beach sections, plus some restored stretches.
• Why you’d still go: if you’re staying at a Cua Dai resort, or taking the speedboat to the Cham Islands — they leave from Cua Dai harbour.

For a public, lively swim-and-eat beach, though, An Bang wins easily.

6. Swimming, Surfing & Water Sports

There’s more to do than sunbathe:

• Swimming: calm and clear in the dry season; mind the currents and flags in rougher months (see safety below).
• Surfing: central Vietnam has a real autumn–winter swell, and An Bang gets beginner-friendly waves — lessons and board rental are available.
• SUP, kayaking, jet-ski & parasailing: seasonal operators set up on the sand, mostly in the calmer dry months.
• Just lounging: honestly, a lounger, a book and a seafood lunch is the classic An Bang day.

7. Cham Islands: the Day Trip

The best water excursion from the Hoi An coast is a day trip to the Cham Islands (Cù Lao Chàm), a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve about 15 km offshore:

• What you do: snorkel (or sea-walk) over coral, swim at quiet island beaches like Bãi Chồng, and eat fresh seafood.
• How: a speedboat from Cua Dai harbour takes ~15–20 minutes; most tours include hotel pickup, lunch and gear.
• When: the islands are best in the calm dry season (roughly March–August); rough seas can cancel trips in the wet months.
• Book ahead: compare the snorkelling day tour on Klook and KKday — it’s the one genuinely bookable highlight of a beach day here.

8. What to Eat at the Beach

The beach food is a highlight, not an afterthought:

• Grilled seafood: prawns, squid, clams and the catch of the day at the seafood shacks and beach bars.
• Beach-bar menus: a mix of Vietnamese dishes and Western comfort food, plus cocktails and cold beer.
• Local specialities: you’re minutes from the Old Town’s cao lầu and white rose if you want the classics too.

9. How Much a Beach Day Costs

A day at An Bang is cheap. Rough prices:

10. How to Get There from Hoi An

An Bang is an easy hop — about 4 km northeast of the Old Town:

• By bicycle: a flat, scenic 15-minute ride (follow Hai Bà Trưng street); many hotels lend bikes free, and you can detour via Tra Que village.
• By scooter: 8–10 minutes; see our scooter guide. Guarded parking at the beach is ~5,000–10,000₫.
• By taxi or Grab: ~10–15 minutes, ≈70,000–100,000₫.
• Cua Dai is a similar distance due east; the Cham Islands boats leave from Cua Dai harbour.

11. Best Time to Visit & Sea Conditions

The beach changes a lot with the season. Pair this with our Hoi An weather guide and best-time guide:

12. Safety: Currents, Flags & Swimming

It’s a real sea, so a few sensible rules:

• Rip currents can occur, especially in the wet season — swim between flags or where the beach bars net off a safe area.
• Don’t swim out far or after drinking; the drop-off and currents catch people out.
• Lifeguards are seasonal and not everywhere — keep a close eye on children.
• Jellyfish appear in some months; ask locally and watch for warnings.
• Sun: the central-Vietnam sun is fierce — hat, sunscreen and water (see our essentials for what to carry).

13. With Kids, Families & Sunset

An Bang is great for families and golden-hour lovers alike:

• Families: the beach bars with loungers, showers, food and (in calm months) gentle water make an easy day with kids — more ideas in our Da Nang with kids guide.
• Sunrise vs sunset: the beach faces east, so sunrise is the spectacular one; sunset still glows behind you with a drink in hand.
• Quiet vs lively: walk a few minutes from the main bar cluster for a calmer stretch of sand.

14. Is the Hoi An Beach Worth It? Tips & a Plan

Yes — An Bang is a lovely, easy half-day and the perfect counterpoint to the Old Town. White sand, good swimming in season, brilliant beach bars and seafood, all 15 minutes from the lanterns. Just go in the dry season for the best of it, and treat the Cua Dai/erosion situation with realistic expectations.

Tips: cycle out (via Tra Que); bring sun protection and small cash; pick a beach bar and use its lounger for the price of lunch; swim only when it’s calm; and book the Cham Islands trip ahead if you want the water adventure.

A sample beach day

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