The beaches in Koh Lipe are our favorite in all of Thailand. Koh Lipe has been nicknamed the Maldives of Thailand, and you will see why when you see the pictures of these stunning Koh Lipe Beaches.
Koh Lipe is a laidback, quiet island that is the perfect place for a beach escape for a couple and even a young family. Koh Lipe beaches have it all: turquoise water, white beaches, diving, beach bars, beach huts, and more.
Most of the places to stay and activities on Koh Lipe are on the beaches, so we put this guide together to help find the perfect beach for your next trip.
Koh Lipe Beaches
There are three main Koh Lipe beaches: Pattaya Beach, Sunrise Beach, and Sunset Beach. There are several small private beaches in Koh Lipe as well.
The best beach in Koh Lipe is Sunrise Beach. Sunrise Beach is the beach we always stay on when visiting Koh Lipe at Ten Moons Resort (if they have a room open). However, some of the Sunset Beach resorts offer unique secluded stays, like the Cliff Lipe Resort that are definitely worth checking out.
Koh Lipe Beach Map
We put together this Koh Lipe map that has everything in our Koh Lipe guide marked. All the best restaurants in Koh Lipe, where to stay in Koh Lipe, nightlife, and more.
1. Sunrise Beach Koh Lipe (Hat Chao Ley)
Sunrise Beach is a beautiful beach that stretches the entire eastern side of Koh Lipe. It is the perfect beach to go on long walks. Sunrise Beach is our favorite beach, and it has very little boat traffic. Therefore giving you space to go out for a swim or a snorkel.
Sunrise Beach Koh Lipe is the best for relaxing in peace all day on the white sand beaches, going into the ocean for a dip, and yet only a five-minute walk to Walking Street, and you’re in “town.” It also gets an amazing breeze all day & night.
Hotels are much more spread out on Sunrise Beach compared to Pattaya Beach. There are several restaurants and a few beach bars that mainly operate during the day. If you are looking for beach bars at night with fire-throwing, etc., that would be on Pattaya Beach.
Most of the high-end hotels & Koh Lipe resorts are located on Sunrise Beach, even though there are still several budget options available. If you’re lucky, it’s even possible to see Koh Tarutao and Langkawi (Malaysia) on a perfectly clear sunny day.
North Point Beach – The Northern parts of Sunrise Beach (also known as North Point Beach) are also a great place to watch the sunset. If you stay at Mountain Resort Koh Lipe on the end of Sunrise Beach or a hotel right next door, you can see sunrises and sunsets.
2. Sunset Beach Koh Lipe (Hat Pramong)
Sunset Beach is the smallest of the three main Ko Lipe beaches. As its name suggests, you will get great nightly sunsets.
If you are looking for more of a quiet area and a secluded beach location, Sunset Beach is for you. There are just a few very chill restaurants & bars and tons of quiet spots all to yourself. Sunset Beach is about a 15-minute walk into “town” or Walking Street.
3. Pattaya Beach Koh Lipe
Pattaya Beach is Koh Lipe’s main transportation beach. Its location is a large sheltered bay with really soft powdery sand and crystal-clear blue water. In high season, all Koh Lipe ferry boats arrive on Pattaya Beach. Immigration and Police offices are located closest to Pattaya Beach.
Up and down Pattaya Beach, you will find dozens of accommodations, from beach bungalows to luxury resorts, restaurants, and bars. You can access Walking Street right from Pattaya Beach, and Sunrise & Sunset Beach are only a 15-minute walk away. Nothing is super far away, as it is a small island.
If you’re looking for a quiet beach, Pattaya might not be the best beach for you. There are more boats & late-night bars, it can be loud at times. We personally wouldn’t stay on Pattaya Beach due to the noise and it just has a different vibe. We much prefer Sunrise Beach.
Related: How to Get to Koh Lipe – 3 Easy Ways
Lipe Secret Beach
As the name suggests, this is not a commonly visited beach. Secret Beach is just a small patch of sand on the southern shore of Koh Lipe. It is not accessible by land you would need to hire a longtail taxi, or adventurous kayakers could reach this beach, but it’s a long paddle.
Once you arrive you should have this spot to yourself, unless the word is out. Like many beaches in Koh Lipe large smooth bolder rocks surround white sands with a southwest view – could be a unique partial sunset spot.
Pantai Galah Beach & Svedo Beach
These two beaches are very close to each other and to Secret Beach Lipe on the far west of the southern shore. These remote beaches would be a fun day trip and a unique way to spend an afternoon. Again the only way to get to these beaches is by water, longtail taxi or kayak. Svedo Beach Map & Pantai Beach Map
Resorts with Private Beaches in Koh Lipe
There are a few places to stay with private beaches for a secluded stay. Most are smaller beaches and on the further corners of the island.
Sanom Beach Resort – Located just west of the main Pattaya Beach is the private Sanom Beach. This beach is only accessible by guests of the resort and isn’t walkable to any other beaches. Sanom Beach Resort is one of the most private stays on Koh Lipe.
The Cliff Lipe Beach – Below the resort is a secluded semi-private beach, only accessible by guests of the cliff and a few other small resorts or by boat. Cliff Lipe Resort is a great place to stay for the beach and for a secluded stay.
10 Moons Beach – At the far south end of Sunrise Beach there is a rocky break in the beach which forms a separate beach in front of the 10 moons and serendipity resorts. This is a public beach but is generally only occupied by these resort guests. Ten Moons Resort is our favorite place to stay on the island!
Koh Lipe Snorkeling
If you wanted to go snorkeling in Koh Lipe right off the beach, the best places would be on Sunrise Beach. We like to go snorkeling in front of Ten Moons Resort by Ko Usen island. This is also a good spot to go kayaking in Koh Lipe. If you love snorkeling, join this 7 island Koh Lipe snorkeling tour.
Koh Adang Guide – Best View of Koh Lipe
Koh Lipe Diving
There is also some great diving in Koh Lipe, the best dive site is Stonehenge. There are several dive shops on Walking Street and on the beach. I most recently dove with Castaway Divers, which is located at Castaway Resort on Sunrise Beach.
Best Hotels in Koh Lipe
There is something for everyone’s budget. We always stay on Sunrise Beach. It is best to book in advance during the high season, November through April.
Koh Lipe is a little tropical island, just a tiny dot on the map – but it’s captured our hearts. Most tourists visiting Thailand have never heard of Koh Lipe and head to the more popular islands like Koh Phi Phi, Phuket, Koh Lanta, or Koh Samui. We hope we showed you why this place belongs on your Thailand Itinerary, and we hope you love it as much as we do!
