Sanya (三亚 Sānyà in Mandarin; Ta-ah in Hainanese) is on the southernmost point of China, at the tip of Hainan island. Billed as "China's Hawaii", Sanya has 20-km stretches of beach and palm trees. As the only tropical city across the coastline, it is definitely booming and packed with a lot of water sports such as snorkeling and jet-skiing, rainforest hiking, and innumerable hotels ranging from zero to five stars -- and the tourists that frequent said places and activities. With sunshine all year around, temperatures hover around 25 °C even in…
Photos: Wikimedia Commons contributors.
Sanya Bay Beach – stretches for around 25 km, but is rather polluted and devoid of swimmers. It is lined with seafood restaurants and hotels. Sanya city – filled with souvenir shops and street grills at night. You will see locals dancing along the beach in the evenings, and a range of people selling souvenirs, street food, and fairground games. Try the outdoor public karaoke if you dare! Cross the Sanya River (三亚河 Sānyà hé) to reach a less touristy, cheaper, and more fun part of town. Dadong Hai (大东海 Dàdōng hǎi)— Sanya's main foreign tourism area.
While tourists come in every season, the peak season starts from 1 October to the end of winter after Spring Festival. During the winter, Sanya is a popular escape for Russians, who primarily stay at DadongHai (大东海 Dàdōnghǎi), and Northern Chinese who have migrated south to escape freezing winter weather. In the Chinese New Year, the city will be flooded with tourists and expect everything to be extremely expensive and overly packed: traffic is often a nightmare. As the southernmost city in China, Sanya along with Yangshuo often serves as the last stop for backpackers who wish to spend the remaining days of their visa in China. Long before it was opened to the outside world, Sanya served …
Many people stay in beach areas with more-or-less everything within walking distance. Sanya has over sixty bus routes, operating from around 06:00 to 23:00. The ticket prices follow a distance-based fare system, ranging from ¥2 to 20. In addition, there are many privately-operated shuttle buses. Darting in, around, and between Sanya city and Dadong Hai is best done by the city bus lines 2 (fastest) or 4 (adds some stops around Sanya River) for ¥2.
1 DaDongHai (BigEastSea) (大东海; Dadonghai), Jiyang District (吉阳区) (from the airport, take bus nr. 8, Airport Bus 1 or Airport Bus 3; get off at Dadonghai Square (大东海广场); other buses that serve the area include, bus nos. 2, 4, 15, 18, 19, 25, 28, 34, 36, 41, 53, 55, Shuttle Bus 4 and Shuttle Bus 6; Shuttle Bus 4 can be used to get around the area), ☏ +96 898 88212189, +86 898 88212680. Open all day. The main "foreigner area" (especially Russian -- in visitors and signage, there is little English here!) Dadonghai is an easily accessible, beautiful beach -- and tourist/laowai haven. It has a good balance between development and natural beauty.
An English Corner is an informal regular gathering where locals meet to practice their English. If you show up and are visibly foreign, people will sometimes be eager to talk to you (outside of Dadonghai area). This gives you a chance to meet some locals and socialize even if you don't speak much Chinese. As of 2026, these are mostly extinct. However, you can check these bars to see if you can meet Chinese people who want to meet foreigners: Dolphin Bar (Dadonghai) Casa Corona (Dadonghai, beside the JW Marriot Hotel) Casa Dolphin (Sanya Bay) The Mana Pool (Dadonghai) Sanya is a popular destination for pro-amateur bikers who are eager to hover around the whole island.
There are plenty of good Chinese regional-food restaurants, including many Sichuan, Cantonese, and DongBei places. There are also a few foreign / Western food restaurants, especially Dolphin and Young Bar, and of course the ubiquitous McDonald's (DaDongHai [3] and Jiefang Lu), Starbucks (in Summer Mall) and KFC (105 Jiefang Lu; Duojialian; 63 Guoxing Dadao; Renmin Lu). Seafood is of course also a mainstay in the cuisine of Sanya, and DaDongHai is filled with overpriced seafood restaurants. Inspect the tanks for freshness before eating and beware of the different charges that are often handled by different people at the restaurant (fishery, cooking fee, and sitting fee can be separate).
The vast majority of coffee shops here open around 10:00 or 11:00. There is a Starbucks in the Summer Mall (in DaDongHai). The Jiefang Lu (解放路) McDonald's has thus become a morning pilgrimage for some Westerners. Times Coast (Shi Dai Hai An) Bar Street This is where all the hottest clubs in Sanya are; it's one big circle with about 10-11 clubs. The big three first tier clubs with all the tourists are Soho, MJ, and 88. The rest of the clubs are second tier clubs that have mostly locals and are less expensive. To get here, hop in a cab and say "Jiu Ba Jie". The most popular local brew is Anchor (actually Singaporean but produced in Hainan).
Sanya exists solely for tourism which is accompanied by annoyances including pickpocketeting and overcharging. Before arrival, travelers should be wary of getting the right address and most up to date telephone number for their hostels/hotels. Some hostels are located in a new district whose roads have just been laid out. Not many people, including the police, know where specific locations are in new districts. When you get lost, always ask drivers to call the staff. Para-sailing, diving, snorkeling and boating are popular but operators may not be trained or certified. If you go for diving, always check air tank pressures before.
Guide content from Wikivoyage contributors (CC BY-SA) — abridged; the full article has much more.
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In Jul, Sanya typically sees ~31°C daytime highs and 23 rainy days.
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