Beaches · South of the island, near Rawai
Nai Harn Beach
A crescent bay with a small freshwater lake behind the beach and no town around it.
Access
By road
Entry
Free
Time to allow
An afternoon
Best time
November to February, the calmest months according to one guide
Why go
For a good beach in the south without a town around it: spend the afternoon here, then drive up to the Windmill viewpoint and on to Promthep Cape for the sunset.
What you will find
A crescent bay with a lake behind the beach; sources give its length as 600 m to almost 1 km. It is very busy in December and January. Lifeguards are posted.
Wat Nai Harn, a temple between the lake and the beach, is free to enter: no short shorts or skirts, no sleeveless tops.
Getting there
Songthaews (pick-ups with bench seats) run from Phuket Town to the beaches and back, not between beaches; one guide gives 35 baht to Rawai or Nai Harn. Otherwise you need a taxi, Grab or a scooter: the south is spread out.
Before you go
From May to October the waves make swimming risky and bring surfers; sources disagree on whether Nai Harn is safer than its neighbours, and one drowning was reported here in June 2024. Do not swim under a red flag, and not after the lifeguards have left.
Where this place leads
Common questions
When is the best time to swim at Nai Harn?
From November to February, the calmest months according to one guide; it is usually still calm in March and April. From May to October the waves make swimming risky.
Are there shops and bars at Nai Harn?
Not many: there is no town around the bay. Rawai, nearby, has seafood restaurants but no swimming beach.