Why go
The bays divide the experience: Yalong Bay is the postcard crescent with calm water and resort lawns; Dadonghai is the budget-friendly social beach; Haitang Bay is the quiet luxury-and-shopping stretch; and Houhai village is the surf-and-skate scene that grew around a fishing harbour.
Offshore, Wuzhizhou Island runs China's most-developed dive and water-sport operation over genuine coral gardens. On the cultural side, the Nanshan Cultural Zone's 108-metre three-sided Guanyin standing in the sea is both pilgrimage and spectacle; at dusk the whole coastline glows with resort lights.
- Yalong Bay — the classic crescent beach with five-star backing
- Wuzhizhou Island — diving, coral gardens, water sports
- Nanshan Cultural Zone — the 108-m Guanyin statue on the sea
- Duty-free shopping at Haitang Bay's mall complex
Where to go
Day one: Yalong Bay beach morning, Nanshan in the afternoon. Day two: Wuzhizhou full day. Day three: surf lesson or stand-up paddle at Houhai, duty-free shopping at Haitang Bay, seafood dinner at the First Market.
What to eat
Hainan classics: Wenchang chicken rice, fresh seafood picked live at the First Market and cooked to order, coconut-hotpot, and qingbuliang shaved-ice desserts.
Entry & visa
Citizens of 59 countries can enter Hainan visa-free for up to 30 days, provided they enter and exit through Hainan's ports (Sanya Phoenix and Haikou Meilan airports, or approved seaports). You must show an onward ticket and accommodation details; airlines handle the registration on arrival.
This policy covers Hainan only — to continue to the mainland you need a regular Chinese visa (or applicable visa-free transit entry). Keep your boarding passes and entry slips.
Since December 2025 Hainan operates island-wide independent customs ('island closure'): expect standard customs checks on goods when travelling from Hainan to the mainland, while shoppers enjoy expanded duty-free allowances on the island.
Getting there
- Sanya Phoenix airport; HSR from Haikou 2h around the island
- Role
- Resort city, Hainan province
- Bay season
- November–March is peak
- Visa-free
- 59 countries, 30 days in Hainan
