Karon Beach

Karon beach is a long stretch of powdery white sand just south of Patong. The beach is very long so it never feels overcrowded.

At 4km, Karon is one of Phuket’s longest beaches. Although there are a few large resorts and hotels, they are spread out and the area feels very relaxed. As in Patong, the hotels are separated from the beach by a road. However, unlike Patong, the beach is always fairly quiet. The beach itself is quite exposed, with little or no natural shade. The sand is so fine and powdery that it squeaks when you walk on it.

The southern point has a coral reef that stretches towards Kata and Pu Island. There are not as many watersports activities on Karon beach as in Patong or Kata. During the rainy season Karon can be good for surfing but dangerous for swimming due to the large waves and strong rip currents.

Map

See Karon Beach map.

Accommodation

The beach road in Karon is lined with some of Phuket’s larger hotels. In the area around Karon circle and at the southern end of Karon are a number of guesthouses if you’re on a budget.

For more information see Karon hotels.

Dining

Like the nightlife, Karon’s restaurants are centred around the traffic circle, at the northern end, and also at the southern end of the beach before you get to Kata. There is a fair selection of Thai and international cuisine. For more lavish dining, most of the beach front hotels have lovely restaurants.

For more information see Restaurants in Karon.

Nightlife

Karon’s nightlife is laid back and friendly. Most of the bars are found in the area around Karon circle at the northern end and at the southern end around Luang Pho Chuang road. There are a fair amount of beer bars in Karon, but the scene is not as lively as Patong.

For more information see Karon nightlife.