Hainan
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Positives
- China's best surf
- Quality left pointbreaks
- Consistent during NE monsoon
- Very warm water and tropical
- Nascent surf culture - no localism
Negatives
- Lack of power
- Rare typhoon swells
- Some crowded spots
- Difficult travel without guide
- More expensive than the mainland
Hainan surf travel guide
Hainan, the second largest of the Chinese islands after Taiwan, extends 1,500km of coastline into the South China Sea, with the eastern side exposed to consistent NE monsoon swells, summer southerlies and seasonal typhoon swells. Hainan is advertised as a tropical holiday paradise, attracting around 10 million tourists every year, mainly to Sanya and Wanning areas in the south of the island. Mass tourism mainly happens during national holidays of Chinese New Year and around May 1st. The surf turns out to be quite consistent through winter, with dozens of beaches and about 15 left points pulling in the NE-E swell and headlands provide wind protection on the big days. Visiting foreign surfers (mainly expats from big towns) head straight for the spots of Riyue Bay that have been deemed good enough to hold top level ISA and ASP events. Crowds there can be intense especially in November and December when most of the regional surf teams train on the left point, preparing for the annual National Championships. The village itself has become a tourist attraction, overpriced and chaotic. Savvy surfers are switching their attention to more quiet and pristine surf areas such as Shimei Bay, Fuli Bay and Xintan Bay where less-crowded waves can be found. The south coast of Sanya is also a viable surf destination with Houhai village (45km east of Sanya), attracting most of the surf scene during the monsoon season. The main summer spot in Sanya, Dadong Hai, has officially been shut to surfers in 2023. Locals head to the reefs in Xiaodong Hai, or to Sanya Bay to take advantage of the southern summer swells.
Surf spots in Hainan
Research the 19 surf breaks in Hainan and discover what spots suit the current conditions.
Break lowdown
We’ve collated the wave data giving you a unique insight into the 19 breaks in Hainan.
When to go
Surf and weather statistics to help plan your surf trip to Hainan
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Travel Information
General
- Current Time
- Tourists
- 62,900,000
- Population
- 1,439,323,776
- Tourist Info
- Tourist Info
Security
Health
Money
- Currency
- CNY
Cost of living
Communication
- Dialing in
- +86
- Dialing out
- 00
- Emergencies
- 112
- Language
- Standard Chinese (Mandarin/Putonghua), Yue (Cantonese), Wu (Shanghaiese), Minbei (Fuzhou), Minnan (Hokkien-Taiwanese), Xiang, Gan, Hakka dialects, minority languages
Electricity
- Plug Type
- aci
Visas
Long term visas are complicated to get, expensive and vary quite a bit from country to country. As of 2025, 59 nations enjoy a 15 days visa on arrival policy. They include Australia, France, Germany, Italy, Brazil. These policies can change quite often so get informed before booking your flight.
Although part of China, the former English colony has its own visa policy. Nationals of about 170 countries and territories may visit Hong Kong without a visa/entry permit for a period ranging from 7 days to 180 days.
Getting There
Flying to Hainan is fairly easy these days with Hong Kong, Shenzhen, Guangzhou and Shanghai enjoying direct flights from most western capitals. Haikou and Sanya are now international airports, which means you can clear immigration procedures directly in Hainan without having to check-in your luggage again on the mainland. For Riyue Bay and the main surf area in Wanning municipality Haikou would be the choice. Sanya would be the best option for Houhai and Fuli Bay. If you plan to surf Riyue and the Wanning spots, you can also fly to the newly opened Bo’Ao airport, less than one hour from Riyue and the main points.
Getting Around
Hainan is served by top-class infrastructures such as the G98 highway running from Sanya to Haikou, and the high speed railway, just on the back of all surf spots. Boards are not allowed on high-speed trains, but taxis don’t mind if you travel with a shortboard (under 7ft).
No matter where you decide to stay, Sanya, Wanning or Lingshui, you will need to move around to take advantage of the best surf conditions. So a local guide/driver is advisable. You can try to navigate using Didi app, the Chinese equivalent of Uber. Taxis are fairly cheap. Alternatively, you can ask your hotel to book them for you, but that cuts down on your flexibility and makes it more expensive.
Accommodation
Lots of hotels and some home-stays are available these days on Airbnb and on China favourite booking app CTrip. The best bet is to be based at Le Meridien Hotel in Shimei Bay (around $130/night for 5 star treatment) during the NE monsoon. That gives you walkable access to three top-quality lefts and an array of open beachbreaks. Alternatively you can stay at the Marriott in Fuli Bay (Lingshui area) and walk to two extremely consistent breaks. Several home-stays in the Xintan area are much cheaper and offer friendly support for all your needs.
Chinese street food and restaurant cuisine is outstanding and reasonably cheap. Try Wenchang Chicken, coconut chicken soup, incredibly good mango, dragon fruit and durian. There is lots of fresh seafood available, but most fish is grown industrially.
Activities
There is not much to see and do in Hainan apart from enjoying pristine beaches and forests. Most official attractions cater to tourists that enjoy feeding the monkeys in Nanwan Macaque island or visiting a brand new Buddhist statue 108m tall in Sanya. Try hiking or rafting at Wuzhishan mountain. Xinlong Botanical Garden, the world-class aquarium at Atlantis in Haitang Bay, the temple on the top of the cliff in Xintan and the world's largest duty free shop also in Haitang Bay are possibly the best for flat days. Tropical river SUP excursions are also fun on flat days. There is buzzing nightlife in Riyue, Houhai, Sanya and Haikou.
Hazards & hassles
There are plenty of surfers but localism is non-existent. Party waves are quite common in Riyue, Xichong and Houhai but not out of disrespect, it's just because surf etiquette still hasn’t established itself, so don't shout at the inevitable drop-ins. There are some jellyfish, sea-lice and low tide rocks to be aware of. Hiring a cab can be difficult if you don’t use WeChat or Didi App and don't speak Chinese. Most beaches are off-limits during typhoon swells.
Handy Hints
Very few people speak English or Japanese, only Mandarin. Internet facilities are very limited. The surf conditions cater for both short and longboards. During typhoon season, it's really hot. Bring all surf supplies, including wax.
Very few people speak English - only Mandarin. Internet facilities are very limited so make sure you download and activate a VPN before arrival and get the apps mentioned above. The surf conditions cater for both short and longboards. During typhoon season, it's really hot. Bring all surf supplies, including wax and make sure you have knowledgeable local contacts.
Due to global pandemic, Visas, Getting There, Getting Around or Accommodation information and pricing may have changed. Always check Government Travel Advice before travelling.