Sanya is a pretty and charming tropical seaside town, famous for its bright sunshine, green hills and blue waters, wide beaches and lovely coconut trees.

This is a fabulous spot, especially for those feeling a little China weary, and the beaches here compete with those elsewhere in Southern Asia in terms of sheer beauty and great swimming.

Asian Dragon Bay (Yalong Bay) is the most famous, and arguably the nicest beach on Hainan with great views and exceptional facilities.

Dadonghai Beach is another good spot, particularly pleasant in the evenings for a nice stroll, some good seafood and a drink as the sun sets.

Although there are a few scenic spots dotted around, most people who come here don't move from the beach! There are however, some nice walks in the surrounding countryside from Luhuitou Peninsula and the coral islands around here such as Wuzhihou are great for scuba diving and snorkeling.

Dadonghai Beach

Dadonghai Beach (Dadonghai) is one of Sanya's cleanest beaches, situated about 3 km from the centre of the city and just off the main road.

The beach's close proximity to the city means that it can get very busy here but this remains a pleasant and convenient spot to kick off your shoes, soak up the rays and swim in the sea. Like most of the beaches around Sanya, this is a truly tropical beach with 3 km of white sand curving round a crescent shaped bay, warm blue seas and palm trees.

Facilities here are good too. Water sports are popular and there are numerous small restaurants and bars serving up tasty snacks and drinks. It is particularly pleasant here in the evenings, when the sun sets and the crowds disperse.

How to get there: There are numerous buses from the bus station in Sanya running to the beach.

End of the World

Tianya Haijiao or the 'End of the Earth and the Corner of the Sea' is located at the foot of Xiama Hill in the town of Tianya, 24 km west of Sanya. This spot is hugely popular with Chinese tourists who flock here to be photographed in front of the huge rock which is featured on the back of the RMB 2 note.

In fact, there are numerous rocks here of different size and shape, distributed along the silvery beach. The Chinese characters for 'Tianya Haijiao' (end of the world) and 'Nantian Yizhu' (the huge rock that emerges from the sea, making a 'corner' ), are engraved on three of the biggest rocks that sit along the coast. This area is known as the 'End of the World' because this was the place where Song dynasty officials were exiled to for criticizing their government. For them, this untraversed wilderness must have made them really feel like the 'end of the world'.

Of course, there is a romantic legend accompanying the area. Two passionate lovers from rival Li clans are said to have pledged their love for one another here, promising that they would be together wherever they traveled. Constantly pursued by troops from both clans, they were forced to leap from this spot into the sea. The Chinese believe that two of the huge rocks that stand facing one another represent the two lovers. Today, Chinese couples still invoke this tale in their declarations of love, promising that they too, would go to the 'end of the world' for one another.

This is a very busy spot, and in fact, there is not much to hold you here for more than an hour or so. There is a Pearl Farm nearby, which is fairly interesting and a good place to purchase Hainan's famous seawater pearls.

Luhuitou Peninsula

Luhuitou Peninsula is located 5 km north of Sanya, perched on the edge of the South China Sea. The name for this popular spot translates as 'a deer turning its head', due to the legend that accompanies the district.

The story goes that a young Li hunter, who had tramped across hill and dale in pursuit of a lame deer, arrived at the seaside cliffs in Wuzhishan (Mt. Five Fingers), whereupon the deer he had been in hot pursuit of turned into a beautiful young girl whom the hunter went on to marry and have a huge family.

So big in fact, that they made up an entire village on this peninsula which they named 'Luhuitou Village' or the 'deer that turned its head' village. A sculpture depicting this mythical tale stands on the top of the hill, from where, there are great views over the surrounding countryside.

At the foot of the hill, are numerous hotels, holiday resorts, palm plantations and pearl farms. There are some very pleasant walks around these parts, although the beach at Luhuitou is not so impressive.

Nanshan Temple

On the outskirts of Sanya city, 20 kilometers west of 'the end of the world' lies Nanshan Mountain, guarded by one grandiose statue of buddasava of mercy rising up to 108 meters overlooking the sea.

Nanshan Temple was the only Buddhist temple built from scratch after the birth of PRC. The architecture of the entire temple complex was tastefully adapted to pre-Tang style, surrounded by tropical botanic gardens.

Its short history does not discourage pious Buddhists and dutiful son and daughters pouring in paying pilgrimage. Because its location. South is believed to be the direction of buddisava of mercy's domain. This golden sculpture is a remarkable piece resembling modern craftsmanship of portraying her in Tibetan Buddhism style.

Nanshan, the mountain on the south, is also believed to be the auspicious mountain of longevity in Chinese mythology.

Wuzhizhou Coral Island

Wuzhizhou Island is a tropical island with some excellent scuba diving available around the spectacular coral reefs.

This place is known locally as a microcosm for all that is gorgeous about Hainan Island: white beaches, palm trees, sunshine and wonderful sea life including sea urchin, starfish and sea horse.

This spot is generally acknowledged as the best place for scuba diving on the entire island.

How to get there: Buses run from Sanya city to the island. Recommend to take taxi since it is very convemient and not expensive at all.

Yalong Bay

Asian Dragon Bay (Yalong wan) is arguably Hainan's best beach and definitely the most pristine. 7 km of white sand stretches along beautifully clean blue water here, backed by palm trees and lush green hills.

The beach sits roughly on the same latitude as Hawaii and enjoys similar temperatures and weather conditions. The water here is wonderfully clear, reflecting the blue sky and white sand beneath the depths. Snorkeling and scuba diving are popular pursuits here given the clear water, bright-colored coral reefs and tropical fish that abound and this is arguably the nicest place to swim on the entire island. This is a new resort and development is underway in a very tasteful manner. This is a protected marine reserve and commercial fishing is forbidden here, keeping the water very clean and lovely for swimming.

Facilities are also good here. This great beach is adjacent to shops, restaurants and a museum with a pretty collection of sea shells. There is also a charming outdoor butterfly garden here with a mountain hiking trail and some great walks. Hot springs, numerous golf courses and submarine cruises are also offered.

A nice trip from the bay is to Wild Boar Island. Take a boat from the bay to the island for some great snorkeling and swimming. Prices for this vary, so ask around at your hotel or in the restaurants on the bay.

Hainan Island's best hotels can be found here too including the Gloria Resort, and the Cactus Resort.

How to get there: Asian Dragon Bay is about 20-25 km southeast of Sanya City. To get there, take a taxi from the center of town.