Written by the Beka Travel guide team on Cat Ba Island. We run boats out of Ben Beo most days of the week and walk the town beaches on our days off, so the notes below come from the water as much as from a map.
Last updated: 1 August 2026
Quick Summary: Cat Ba packs a wide variety of shorelines into one small island, from lively town beaches to quiet pools tucked between limestone cliffs. This guide ranks the best Cat Ba beaches by how easy they are to reach, from the busiest to the most secluded.
Most travellers who visit Cat Ba end up spending more time on the sand than they planned, and the island has that effect on people. Some beaches sit a five-minute walk from town, others take a boat or a scooter ride down a jungle track to reach.
Nine are worth knowing, and they split into two groups. Four sit on the island itself and need nothing more than a short ride to reach. Five sit out in Lan Ha Bay and can only be reached by boat, which also means a bay sightseeing fee. The list below runs from easiest to hardest.
The three Cat Co beaches sit just minutes from Cat Ba town centre, and each one has its own personality. Cat Co 1 is the most popular and vibrant, with plenty of energy and locals swimming alongside visitors throughout the day. Cat Co 2 sits right next door but feels calmer, with a quieter, more intimate vibe that suits travellers who want to relax without the crowds. Cat Co 3 rounds out the trio with modern facilities and a wide coastal path, making it a comfortable choice for families.
Getting between them is easy. Electric cars run along the short route from town for around 10,000 to 15,000 VND per trip, so you can beach-hop across all three in a single afternoon without much planning.
Cac Ba Beach is a newer addition inside the Sun World Cat Ba complex, an artificial beach with soft white sand and calm, clear water, built for an easy, resort-style swimming and sunbathing day rather than a wild, untouched setting.
For a quieter stretch of sand, Tung Thu Beach is one of the most attractive spots on the island. The soft white sand and clear, shallow water make it a favourite for families with young children, since the waves here stay gentle. There are fewer facilities than at Cat Co, which is exactly the appeal, and it still feels like a local spot rather than a tourist stop.
We keep the detail on our dedicated Tung Thu page rather than repeating it here: ride prices from town, kayak hire, the months worth swimming and the events the resort runs on the sand.
Ba Trai Dao (Three Peaches) takes its name from three small limestone peaks, around 23 metres high, standing close together like three peaches. At their foot, a tide-dependent sandbar forms a natural, wind-sheltered swimming pool, and the water is transparent enough to spot coral below, though how much sand is visible depends entirely on the tide.
Beka Insight: on our own 3D2N cruise the route stops at Ba Trai Dao on roughly half of sailing days, and the rest swap in Dau Be instead, depending on tide and conditions. A multi-day trip improves your odds, but nobody can guarantee the sand will be above water on the day you sail. The tide table, the length of the window and which of our trips can meet it are all covered on the Ba Trai Dao page.
Van Boi Beach sits at the base of a limestone rock formation and is a popular stop for kayaking across turquoise water. Like Ba Trai Dao, it is partly tide-dependent and keeps an untouched, rustic charm that is hard to find on the mainland beaches. Both are reached the same way: as a stop on a Lan Ha Bay boat tour, not independently.
Nam Cat, together with neighbouring Tu Do island, offers simple wooden bungalows and very little urban noise for travellers who want to disconnect completely. These are the spots to pick if your idea of a beach day is a hammock, the sound of water, and nothing else on the schedule, and it suits couples and slow travellers more than anyone chasing nightlife.
Freedom Island sits in Lan Ha Bay with a distinctive layout: sand facing open water on two sides rather than the single sheltered cove most bay beaches have, giving it a more open, exposed feel and wider sea views.
Castaway Island pairs a long, smooth stretch of white sand with an award-winning resort development, making it the pick for travellers who want a beach day with proper resort comfort rather than a bare, undeveloped cove.
Monkey Island, known locally as Cat Dua, sits around 2km from Ben Beo Pier, about 15 minutes by boat, and is named for the semi-wild macaques that live there. It actually has two beaches, Cat Dua 1 and Cat Dua 2, with Cat Dua 2 the more visited of the pair. As with any wildlife encounter, keep food and loose belongings out of reach, because the monkeys are wild and will take what they can grab.
Four beaches are free to walk onto and cost only the ride out. The other five sit inside the managed bay, where every visitor pays a sightseeing fee on top of the boat: 120,000 VND per adult and 60,000 VND per child for a day trip, and more if you sleep on the water.
| Beach | How you get there | What it costs on top of transport | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cat Co 1 | Walk or electric car from town | Free entry; 10,000–15,000 VND per ride | Swimming with atmosphere |
| Cat Co 2 | Walk or electric car from town | Free entry; 10,000–15,000 VND per ride | A quiet afternoon close to town |
| Cat Co 3 | Walk or electric car from town | Free entry; 10,000–15,000 VND per ride | Families wanting facilities |
| Cat Ba Beach (Sun World) | Short ride from town | Sun World complex pricing applies | A resort-style swim day |
| Tung Thu Beach | Around 2 km west of town by road | Free entry; ride cost only | Small children and sunsets |
| Ba Trai Dao | Boat only, timed to low tide | Bay fee 120,000 / 60,000 VND | Clear water, no crowds |
| Van Boi | Boat only, usually a kayak stop | Bay fee 120,000 / 60,000 VND | Kayaking under a cliff |
| Nam Cat and Tu Do | Boat from Ben Beo, overnight stay | Bay fee plus island accommodation | Disconnecting for a night |
| Monkey Island (Cat Dua) | Boat, about 15 minutes from Ben Beo | Bay fee plus island entry | Wildlife and a short swim |
It comes down to how much of the day you have. Half a day keeps you on the island side, where the Cat Co beaches and Tung Thu are minutes away. A full day opens up the bay, where the water is clearer and the crowds thinner, but the boat sets your schedule rather than you.
| If your day looks like this | Go to |
|---|---|
| Short on time, staying near town | Cat Co beaches or Cac Ba Beach |
| Want calm water for kids, or a quiet sunset | Tung Thu Beach |
| Have a full day and want the clearest water | Boat trip to Ba Trai Dao, Van Boi or Monkey Island |
| Want a resort-style beach day | Cac Ba Beach or Castaway Island |
| Want to disconnect for a night or two | Nam Cat or Tu Do island |
For town beaches, electric cars are the easiest way to get around and let you sample two or three in an afternoon. For the quiet coves inside Lan Ha Bay, a boat tour is worth it for the cost savings, the safety and the access you simply cannot get on your own.
Whichever beach you choose, please help keep it beautiful, practice leave-no-trace principles and take your rubbish with you so the next traveller finds the same untouched coves.
Sea temperature does most of the deciding. The water passes 27 °C in May and holds above it through October, then drops to around 20 °C between December and April, which is swimmable only if you are stubborn. Storm season in the Gulf of Tonkin runs June through September and closes the bay for a day or two.
That gives two honest answers depending on what you want. May to October if the point is swimming. October and November if the point is the view, because the air clears and the water is still warm. Our best time to visit Cat Ba guide breaks it down month by month.
Cat Co 1 is the most popular choice for swimming, with a lively atmosphere and easy access from Cat Ba town. The bay ends are sheltered and the sand shelves gently, so it works for confident and nervous swimmers alike. If you want clearer water and can spare a day on a boat, Ba Trai Dao beats it.
Cat Co 2 offers a quieter, more intimate setting right next to the busier Cat Co 1, while Tung Thu Beach is even more secluded. Out in the bay, Van Boi and Ba Trai Dao are quieter again, simply because no road reaches them and every visitor has to arrive by boat.
Yes. Tung Thu has soft white sand and gentle waves, making it one of the safest choices for families with young kids. There is space to spread out, the water shelves slowly, and the drive from town takes only a few minutes. Our Cat Ba with kids guide covers the rest of a family day here.
Both are only reachable by boat, typically as part of a Lan Ha Bay kayaking or cruise tour rather than independently. There is no public ferry and no road. Ba Trai Dao also depends on the tide, so the stop only happens when low water falls inside the boat's schedule for that day.
Yes. Every beach inside the bay sits within a managed sightseeing area, and the fee is charged separately from your boat ticket: 120,000 VND per adult and 60,000 VND per child for a day trip, rising to 400,000 VND per adult if you stay a night on the water. Ask whether your quoted tour price includes it.
Expect to pay around 10,000 to 15,000 VND per trip between the three Cat Co beaches. Drivers wait at the top of the access road and at each beach entrance, so you rarely queue for long. Agree the fare before you get in, since the price is per trip rather than per person.
The four island beaches you can organise yourself in an afternoon. The five bay beaches need a boat, and that is the part we handle. Explore Beka Travel's Lan Ha Bay tours to reach the quiet coves, and read the beach pages linked above before you pick your day.
Beka Travel holds 4.9 out of 5 from 1,140 reviews on TripAdvisor and won a Travelers' Choice award in 2026.
Check Availability
Cat Ba
The Cat Hai–Phu Long cable car crosses 3,955 metres of open water in 10–15 minutes, running 09:00–16:00 daily except Tuesdays. Route, hours, ticket prices and how it compares to the ferry.
Cat Ba
Beyond trekking and kayaking, Cat Ba Market is a must-visit destination to experience the authentic local lifestyle. It is the culinary heart of the island, where you can find the freshest seafood and traditional products of the Hai Phong port region.
Cat Ba
Complete 2026 guide to reaching Cat Ba Island: compare buses, ferries, cable cars and transfers from Hanoi, Hai Phong, Ha Long and Ninh Binh.
Cat Ba
Complete 2026 guide to the Tuan Chau to Gia Luan ferry. Find updated schedules, ticket prices, transport from Gia Luan to Cat Ba Town, and expert travel tips.
Cat Ba
Discover Hang Quan Y (Military Hospital Cave) on Cat Ba Island. Learn about its wartime history, the 3-level concrete bunker, entrance fees, and how to get there.
Cat Ba
Plan your visit to Cannon Fort on Cat Ba Island — location, history, the famous WWII-era relics, sunset views, and the current 2019 access rules explained.
Cat Ba
There is no direct bus from Ha Giang to Cat Ba Island. See the Palace Cabin bus via Hanoi, journey time, prices and pickup points for 2026.
Cat Ba
There is no direct bus from Sapa to Cat Ba Island. Compare the overnight sleeper and daytime bus routes via Hanoi, with 2026 prices and timing.
Cat Ba
There is no direct bus from Noi Bai Airport to Cat Ba Island. Compare the private car and Hanoi bus-transfer routes, prices and 2026 timing.
Cat Ba
Where to kayak in Lan Ha Bay: Ba Trai Dao, Van Boi, the Hang Sang Toi and Hang Tai Keo caves, Ba Ham Lake and night paddles with plankton.
