Kata Beach is in the southwest of Phuket island, between Kata Noi and Karon Beach. It’s popular with tourists and is one of the best beaches on the west coast. It’s very peaceful and has all the essential tourist amenities, from hotels to excursions. The sea here is also nice and clean.
Beach Overview
On the right, if you are facing the sea, there is a path to the beach via the road and along the unpleasant-smelling stream; it’s better not to swim near it. It’s important to know that almost the entire beachfront of Kata Beach is taken up by the Club Med Phuket hotel, so you can’t access the beach through it as it is enclosed.
Wherever you choose to stay in Kata, keep in mind that access to the beach is only from the edges. Actually, there are two other hotels on the beachfront, which will be discussed below. Staying in the center of the location is not practical if quick walking access to the sea is important to you.
If convenient access to the sea is crucial, stay at Club Med Phuket. Although it only has one exit, and it is huge, you won’t be able to bypass the fence either. Or choose accommodation closer to the edges of the beach to minimize the walk to the sea.
Kata Beach is not very large but fairly wide (230 feet in the northern part and 165 feet in the southern part), stretching 0.93 miles (1.5 km) in length. It’s covered with fine white sand. The sand is cleaned by locals with rakes early in the morning and in the evening.
Due to the large number of fishing boats in the northern part of the shore, it appears shorter. There are no fence in the sea. The mooring area is marked only by flags. It’s better to swim away from the boats, as the mooring ropes anchoring them are not visible underwater and can injure your feet.
In the northern part of the beach, there is also a stream formed by runoff, flowing into the sea. So you won’t see many beachgoers there. But just 328 feet (100 meters) away, you can swim comfortably in the clean water.
There are always a lot of tourists at Kata, but because of the beach’s size, it doesn’t feel crowded. Based on data, it is rightly ranked among the top three most popular beaches in Phuket.
The beach is quiet, peaceful, and cozy, with no nightclubs or bars, but it has all the necessary infrastructure. It’s an excellent choice for a relaxed and calm vacation. For added convenience, the beach has toilets and showers (paid, depending on your luck).
For those interested in reading about other places, I have a brief overview of all the beaches in Phuket, which will help you decide on a beach.
Swimming
Kata Beach has a gentle slope and is suitable for children to swim and play. About 33 feet (10 meters) in, the water is deep enough to reach your neck. The depth increases gradually, especially noticeable at low tide when the beach becomes very wide and the water recedes nearly 165 feet (50 meters) from the shore.
You can swim at high tide, but at low tide, it’s not ideal. There are no rocks at the entry, nor is there much vegetation underwater. Often, it’s completely calm.
In the high season, waves are rare, but from early May to the end of October, strong winds create high waves on the water surface. Therefore, during this windy season, Kata is perfect for surfing.
Sunbeds and Shade
Along the shore of Kata Beach runs a busy paved road that separates Club Med Phuket from the public beach. If you are facing the sea, there are very few trees on the right side of the beach, and there is no grass between the road and the beach. In fact, there is barely any shore.
From the middle of the beach to the left, a strip of grass about 16 feet (5 meters) wide with trees appears, where you can find shade. You can also rent an umbrella, giving you shade anywhere.
There are rows of sunbeds along the beach (plus umbrellas). They are often available. There are sunbeds provided by hotels and free ones. Sunbeds come with mattresses. Many tourists just relax on the sand. You can only find shade under the trees in the southern part of the beach.
Sunbeds cost 100 baht for the whole day. There are a couple of lifeguard towers on the beach. There is more shade in the morning, and in the afternoon, the shady points remains only on the left part of the beach, where there are trees. On the right side, it’s only in the morning and little, and from noon, there is none at all.
Beach Photos
Amenities
The beach is located in a charming area with no busy roads or noisy discos, making it a family-friendly destination. Parallel to the shore, there is a street with cafes and eateries with internet access.
There are also grocery stores and beach accessory stalls. On the edge of Kata (between Karon and Kata), there is a wholesale supermarket Makro, where you can also buy retail, and it has a good selection. There are no large shopping centers.
Google Maps shows the waterfront as one-way, but in reality, people often drive both ways. You can park a scooter along the entire length of the waterfront, and there are designated parking areas.
On the left side of the beach, along the road, one lane is sometimes occupied by Kata Walking Street, offering clothes, food, and other market items.
You can use the services of masseurs under fabric canopies on the beach. If you’re hungry, Thais will sell you fruits, drinks, and snacks.
All this can be found in tents near the beach, and sellers occasionally walk along the beach without being intrusive. If you want a full meal, there are Thai cafes and restaurants on the edges of the beach.
Usually, there are parasailing, jet skis, diving, and surfing. There is a kite surfing school here to learn how to stay on the board. Within sight (about 1640 feet (500 meters)) from the northern part of the beach, there is a small island called Koh Poo.
You can reach it by boat. There are cafes, and you can sunbathe and snorkel. You can also visit Dino Park Mini Golf and the Karon View Point.
Accommodation
The choice of accommodation on the beach is varied, with hotels in almost every price category, from cheap to expensive. Naturally, the closer to the sea, the more expensive it is.
Around the third street and beyond, which is the farthest from the shore, there are more budget accommodations, including guesthouses. Here are the hotels on the beachfront.
As mentioned, most of the beachfront is occupied by Club Med Phuket. It’s an expensive hotel with a very large area, but its downside is that it is separated from the shore by a road, so it doesn’t have direct access to the water. In the southern part (or the left if facing the sea), there are two more good hotels:
Both are on the beachfront and have direct access to the water. Moreover, Kata Beach Resort is reasonably priced and has a good rating.
In the northern and southern parts of Kata:
- Aspasia Phuket 4
- Novotel Phuket Kata Avista Resort And SPA
- Centara Kata Resort Phuket 4
- Kata Silver Sand by Eazy
- Casa Del Sol
You can rent a budget one-bedroom house in Kata for about 15,000 baht per month, at least 0.62 miles (1 km) from the beach. However, there aren’t many long-term houses in Kata. An alternative is to live in a condo, which is also available there.
How to Find the Beach
From Phuket Airport to Kata Beach, it takes about 40-50 minutes by car. From Phuket Town, you can get there by the blue bus for 30 baht; the bus stop is on Ranong Road. It’s an easy walk from Karon Beach.
The walk takes about 20 minutes. However, walking from Patong is difficult. As always, you can rent a tuk-tuk (cost from 300 baht) or get to the beach by your own transport.
If you drive straight from Karon, you will pass by the beach as it is hidden behind the Club Med Phuket hotel. So for the first time, it’s best to use a map.
You can access the beach only from the north or south ends. You cannot pass through the hotel in the middle. There are parking lots for bikes and cars on the edges of the beach. You can also park your bike along the entire waterfront.
Also, there is a pedestrian path along the unpleasant-smelling stream, located on the right side of the beach (when facing the sea). Usually, people use this path to walk from their hotels.
You can walk along the road on the right edge of the beach/area or along this path. But it’s not much closer to the center and doesn’t save much time.
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