Hong Kong has a long and jagged coastline with many bays and beaches. The shelter provided by adjacent mountains keeps wave sizes generally small, and most beaches are thus suitable for swimming and recreation, if they can be reached.

About half of Hong Kong's more accessible beaches are gazetted and thus managed by the Leisure and Cultural Services Department (LCSD). Many that are not gazetted are also popular, and some privately owned beaches are publicly accessible.

With the increasing development and urbanisation of Hong Kong, water quality has worsened resulting in the closure of several beaches previously suitable for swimming. These include Approach Beach, Ting Kau Beach, Anglers' Beach, Gemini Beaches, Hoi Mei Wan Beach, Casam Beach and Lido Beach in Tsuen Wan. In 2011, Lido Beach, Casam Beach, Approach Beach and Hoi Mei Wan Beach were reopened following an improvement in water quality."Four beaches in Tsuen Wan to reopen with improved water quality", Leisure and Cultural Services Department, Press Release, June 13, 2011

Gazetted beaches A total of forty-two beaches in Hong Kong are gazetted and managed by LCSD. Twelve of these are located on Hong Kong Island, with the remaining 30 spread across the New Territories, including the Outlying Islands. Some are temporarily closed to swimmers.

Full list

Tuen Mun District 1. Butterfly Beach () 2. Castle Peak Beach () 3. Kadoorie Beach () 4. Cafeteria Old Beach () 5. Cafeteria New Beach () 6. Golden Beach () Tsuen Wan District 7. Anglers' Beach () 8. Gemini Beaches () 9. Hoi Mei Wan Beach () 10. Casam Beach () 11. Lido Beach () 12. Ting Kau Beach () 13. Approach Beach () 14. Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach () Sai Kung District 15. Trio Beach () 16. Kiu Tsui Beach () 17. Hap Mun Bay Beach () 18. Silverstrand Beach () 19. Clear Water Bay First Beach () 20. Clear Water Bay Second Beach ()

Hong Kong Island 21. Deep Water Bay Beach () 22. Repulse Bay Beach () 23. Middle Bay Beach () 24. South Bay, Hong Kong () 25. Chung Hom Kok Beach () 26. St. Stephen's Beach () 27. Stanley Main Beach () 28. Hairpin Beach () 29. Turtle Cove Beach () 30. Shek O Beach () 31. Rocky Bay Beach () 32. Big Wave Bay Beach () Lamma Island 33. Hung Shing Yeh Beach () 34. Lo So Shing Beach () Cheung Chau 35. Kwun Yam Beach () 36. Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach () Lantau Island 37. Silver Mine Bay Beach () 38. Pui O Beach () 39. Upper Cheung Sha Beach () 40. Lower Cheung Sha Beach () 41. Tong Fuk Beach () Tai Po District 42. Tai Po Lung Mei Beach ()

Tuen Mun Kadoorie Beach

Kadoorie Beach () is located at 18¾ milestone, Castle Peak Road. The enquires of the beach are 2450 6336 and 2451 3461. There are BBQ area, changing rooms, shower facilities and toilet. Lifeguard service hours are 0900–1800 in April to May, September to October, and also on Mondays to Fridays in June to August. On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays in June to August, lifeguard service hours are 0800–1900. Lifeguard services are suspended during winter (November to March).

Cafeteria Old Beach Cafeteria Old Beach () is located at 18¾ milestone, Castle Peak Road. The enquires of the beach are 2450 6306 and 2451 3461. There are refreshment kiosk, BBQ area, changing room, shower facilities, toilet and bathing shed. Lifeguard service hours are 0900–1800 in April to May, September to October, and also on Mondays to Fridays in June to August. On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays in June to August, lifeguard service hours are 0800–1900. Lifeguard services are suspended during winter (November to March).

Cafeteria New Beach Cafeteria New Beach () is located at 18½ milestone, Castle Peak Road. The enquires of the beach are 2450 6440 and 2451 3461. There are refreshment kiosk and beach volleyball court. Lifeguard service hours are 0900–1800 in April to May, September to October, and also on Mondays to Fridays in June to August. On Saturdays, Sundays and public holidays in June to August, lifeguard service hours are 0800–1900. Lifeguard services are suspended during winter (November to March).

Golden Beach Golden Beach () is located at the 18½ milestone of Castle Peak Road, Tuen Mun. It is the largest beach in Tuen Mun with a total area of 78,500 m2 and a length of 545 metres. It is the first artificial beach in Hong Kong. It is classified as a Grade 2 beach, meaning that the water quality is fair. Refreshment kiosks, a hotel and a shopping mall are to be found adjacent to the beach.

Golden Beach is unique amongst the beaches of Hong Kong in that it has a volleyball court. The Hong Kong Beach Volleyball Team occasionally practises on Golden Beach.

Golden Beach is served by KMB bus routes 52X (Tuen Mun Central ↔ Mong Kok), 53 (Yuen Long station ↔ Tsuen Wan), 61A (Yau Oi South → Tuen Mun Road Interchange), 61M (Yau Oi South ↔ Lai King North), 252B (Handsome Court → Tsim Sha Tsui), 252X (Handsome Court/Chi Lok Fa Yuen ↔ Lam Tin station) and 261B (Sam Shing → Kowloon station); by Citybus bus routes 962/N962 (Lung Mun Oasis ↔ Causeway Bay), 962B/962S (Chi Lok Fa Yuen ↔ Causeway Bay); by Long Win Bus bus routes A33 (Airport ↔ Tuen Mun Road Interchange); by MTR Bus feeder bus routes K51 (Fu Tai ↔ Tai Lam) and K53 (Tuen Mun station ↺ So Kwun Wat).

Tsuen Wan Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach – Ma Wan Ma Wan Tung Wan Beach () is located on Ma Wan island.

Hong Kong Island

Deep Water Bay Beach

Deep Water Bay Beach (泳灘) is located on southern Hong Kong Island. See Deep Water Bay Beach.

Repulse Bay Beach Repulse Bay Beach (), traditionally Hong Kong's most popular because of its easy access by bus and extensive facilities, is located on southern Hong Kong Island. See Repulse Bay Beach.

Middle Bay Beach and South Bay Beach These two small beaches at South Bay and Middle Bay are located within walking distance of Repulse Bay Beach. However, since they are not directly accessible by public transport, they tend to be quieter and less crowded than Repulse Bay.

Turtle Cove Beach The beach situated east of Stanley and west of Tai Tam Reservoir is Turtle Cove Beach () which is a Grade 1 beach of less than 70 meters in length. Turtle Cove is very well equipped; with changing rooms, toilets and showers as well as a small playground, a soft drinks kiosk and seven barbecue pits.

Turtle Cove Beach is accessible by bus No.14 from exit A of the Sai Wan Ho MTR station or mini-bus 16X from Chai Wan; the beach is located near the Red Hill estate stop (past the Tai Tam Reservoir). From near the bus stop, stairs lead down the hill to the beach.

Big Wave Bay Beach Big Wave Bay Beach () in Southern District is also the site of prehistoric rock carvings similar to those found on Cheung Chau Island.C.Michael Hogan, 2007, Cheung Chau Rock Carvings, The Megalithic Portal, ed. A. Burnham Not to be confused with other places called Big Wave Bay or Tai Long Wan in Hong Kong.

Lamma Island Hung Shing Yeh Beach Hung Shing Yeh Beach () is the most popular beach on Lamma Island. The sand on the beach is very fine, like powder. The water of the Beach is clean and it is classified as a Grade 1 beach.

Near the beach, there is a barbecue area, refreshment kiosk, and shower and changing facilities.

There is no public transport on Lamma Island. To reach the beach one must travel to Yung Shue Wan from Central by ferry, and then walk for about 20 minutes. The route is signposted.

Lo So Shing Beach Lo So Shing Beach () is located on Lamma Island between the main villages of Yung Shue Wan and Sok Kwu Wan. The water of the beach is clean and it is classified as a Grade 1 beach. Some years ago the government of Hong Kong built shower and refreshment facilities there, which remain almost unused because of the beach's remote location and the absence of public transport.

To reach the beach one must travel to Yung Shue Wan or Sok Kwu Wan by ferry, and then walk for about 40 minutes.

Cheung Chau

There are two main beaches on Cheung Chau: Cheung Chau Tung Wan Beach () and Kwun Yam Beach (). Cheung Chau Tun Wan Beach and Kwun Yam Beach are 230 and 100 metre-long gazetted beaches on the east coast of Cheung Chau with Grade 1 water quality as classified by the Environmental Protection Department. The beaches have access to windsurfing, standup paddleboard, and kayak rentals. Cheung Chau is where Hong Kong's first Olympic medalist, Lee Lai Shan, first learned and practised windsurfing. In 1975, a café and windsurfing centre was opened by her uncle and first coach, Lai Gun, between the two beaches.

Lantau Island Silver Mine Bay Beach

Hong Kong's largest island, Lantau, has several clean, accessible beaches. The first step to reaching theses beaches is taking the ferry from Central to Mui Wo. The beaches of Lantau can be accessed by bus.

Silver Mine Bay Beach (), which is a Grade 1 beach, is the easiest one to get to, since it is located about a 5-minute walk away from the Mui Wo ferry pier. Since there is a sandbar area, this beach is ideal for flinging frisbees or flying kites. Further along the beach is a swimming area with several lifeguards on duty. Many visitors rent a bike for the afternoon, and stop off at the many refreshment kiosks and little restaurants along the road fronting the beach. If people do not feel like hurrying back into the city, they can also choose to stay overnight at the Silvermine Beach Hotel, located right on the waterfront. Also, there are several other hotels and guesthouses in the area where people can stay.

Pui O Beach

Cheung Sha Beaches

Cheung Sha Beach is located in Cheung Sha, on the southern shore of Lantau Island. It is divided into two parts by a small headland: Upper Cheung Sha Beach (east) and Lower Cheung Sha Beach (west). It is 3 km long and is one of the longest beaches in Hong Kong.Time Out Hong Kong: "Get Out: Cheung Sha Beach" , 8 May 2009 The beaches are accessible from South Lantau Road.Leisure and Cultural Services Department: Lower Cheung Sha Beach Tong Fuk Beach is located nearby, to the west of Lower Cheung Sha Beach.

Tong Fuk Beach

Non-gazetted beaches A number of Hong Kong's larger non-gazetted beaches are popular, with the lack of official oversight and facilities often seen as part of their attraction. Other, smaller locations may be difficult to reach and likely exclusive for any visitor that finds them. However such non-maintained beaches may have accumulated significant flotsam and jetsam of varying attractiveness. A few bays, such as Hoi Ha, lie within protected areas and swimming may be prohibited.

Chung Wan () South Crooked Harbour, North District Cheung Sha Wan () Northeast Ping Chau Crescent Bay () Crescent Island, Mirs Bay Lo Kei Wan () Crescent Island, Mirs Bay Tung Wan () Wong Wan Chau, Mirs Bay Wu Kai Sha () Wu Kai Sha, Ma On Shan Lung Mei () Plover Cove, East Tai Po Hoi Ha Wan () Hoi Ha Wan, North Sai Kung Peninsula Nam She Wan () East Sai Kung, Mirs Bay Tung Wan () East Sai Kung, Tai Long Wan Tai Wan () East Sai Kung, Tai Long Wan Ham Tin Wan () East Sai Kung, Tai Long Wan Tai Long Sai Wan () East Sai Kung, Tai Long Wan Long Ke Wan () Long Ke Wan, East Sai Kung Long Ke Tsai () Long Ke Wan, East Sai Kung Pak Sha Chau () Sai Kung Hoi, Sai Kung Pak Lap Wan () High Island, South Sai Kung Ma Tau Wan () High Island, South Sai Kung Kam Lo Wan () High Island, South Sai Kung Nam Fung Wan () High Island, South Sai Kung Kau Sai Wan () Kau Sai Chau, Sai Kung Whiskey () Kau Sai Chau, Sai Kung Campers' Bay () Port Shelter, Clearwater Bay Pak Shui Wun () Port Shelter, Clearwater Bay Bayside () Port Shelter, Clearwater Bay Little Palm () Port Shelter, Clearwater Bay Lung Ha Wan () Port Shelter, Clearwater Bay Ung Kong Wan () Bluff Island, Clearwater Bay Lung Kwu Upper () Lung Kwu Tan, west Tuen Mun Lung Kwu Lower () Lung Kwu Tan, Tuen Mun Dragon Bay () Tsing Lung Tau, Tsuen Wan To Tei Wan () Shek O, Cape D'Aguilar Tai Pak Wan () Discovery Bay, East Lantau Island Tai Long Wan () Chi Ma Wan, South Lantau Island