Overview
Sanya is a tropical coastal city billed as 'China's Hawaii,' with long beaches and palm trees. Year-round sunshine and warm temperatures make it a popular winter escape.
Beach · Day Trips · Diving · Nature · Nightlife
Did you know?
- The No. 1 Agricultural Products Market lets you buy seafood for nearby restaurants to cook.
- Dadonghai offers free beach entry and weekend beach parties.
- West Island includes snorkeling, scuba diving, and jet skiing with the ferry ticket.
Why Go?
Sanya is China's only tropical coastal city, billed as 'China's Hawaii' with 20-km stretches of beach and palm trees. The city offers year-round sunshine with temperatures hovering around 25°C in January and 30°C in summer, making it a popular escape for Russians and Northern Chinese fleeing freezing winters. The area features water sports including snorkeling, jet-skiing, and scuba diving, plus rainforest hiking and access to beautiful islands like Wuzhizhou and West Island.
Getting In
Sanya Phoenix International Airport (SYX) serves the city with domestic and some international flights. The city is also accessible by rail via Sanya Railway Station on the Hainan东环铁路 (Eastern Ring Railway), with Yalong Bay Railway Station and Yazhou Railway Station serving nearby areas. Sanya Bus Station and Sanya West Bus Station connect to destinations across Hainan Island.
Getting Around
Local buses (routes 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 16, 18, 22, 26, 40, 42, 50, 51, 52, 54, 58 and airport bus lines 1 and 3) serve the main bus station on Jiefang Road. Shuttle buses connect tourist areas including Dadonghai, while double-decker sightseeing buses cover major attractions. Taxis to Dadong Bay from the railway station cost approximately ¥25-30, while public buses cost ¥2. Since October 2020, a tram service operates through the city.
When to Go
Peak season runs from October 1 through the end of winter after Spring Festival, with the busiest and most expensive period during Chinese New Year when the city is flooded with tourists and traffic becomes a nightmare. The dry season (November to April) offers the best weather, while the rainy season spans May to October. June is the hottest month at 28.7°C average. The city enjoys an average of 2,534 hours of sunshine annually, earning it the nickname 'natural greenhouse'.
Where to Stay
Dadonghai (Big East Sea) is the main 'foreigner area' with many Russian visitors, offering a good balance of development and natural beauty near the beach. Budget hostels include Blue Sky International Youth Hostel (dorms from ¥50, doubles from ¥160) and Sanya Backpackers Hostel (dorms ¥75, doubles from ¥200). Sanya Lama Temple International Hostel offers cheaper dorms at ¥25-30 and rooms from ¥130, about 10 minutes walk from Dadonghai beach. For mid-range options, Tianze Beach Resort Sanya on Sanya Bay Road costs around ¥299.
Food and Drink
The No. 1 Agricultural Products Market (第一市场) on Xinjian Street is a live seafood supermarket where you buy seafood and restaurants across the street cook it for you, avoiding expensive seafood restaurant prices. Western options include The Dolphin Sports Bar & Grill on Yuya Road serving meals for ¥60-150 with imported beers, Marco Polo Italian on Haiyun Road where meals cost ¥80-100, and Coffee World at Dadonghai with pizza, pasta, and BBQ chicken wings. Beer Factory at the Intercontinental Hotel serves draft beer at ¥36 (small), ¥50 (medium), ¥80 (big), with half-price on Wednesdays.
Things to Do
Beaches include Dadonghai (大东海), free entry with beach parties on weekends, and Tianya Haijiao (天涯海角), a famous romantic spot with free entry from 07:30-18:00. Luhuitou Park offers panoramic city views with free entry for passport holders (09:00-22:30). Wuzhizhou Island features the clearest waters for snorkeling and scuba diving (¥400-500 for diving) with standard entry at ¥133 including ferry. Nanshan Temple houses a gigantic Guanyin statue with entry at ¥108 (May-Sep) or ¥145 (Oct-Apr). Yalong Bay Tropical Paradise Forest Park, filming location for 'If You are the One 2', costs ¥108 peak season (¥90 slack) plus ¥50 for sightseeing car. Water activities include Insight Adventures offering surfing, kayaking, snorkeling, and stand-up paddle boards.
Safety
Sanya has improved safety following a crackdown on gangsters, though pickpocketing and bag snatching occur on buses and at beaches. The tap water is not potable even in nice hotels—bring or buy bottled water. Hainan is an active dengue fever region, so bring repellent. Malaria-free since 2021. Beware of tour package scams where operators add charges upon arrival for equipment rental. Seafood restaurant overcharging was heavily reported in 2011—know prices before ordering. Traffic rules are lax with cars on both sides of the road; don't trust green lights or zebra crossings.
Connectivity
WiFi is available at most hostels, hotels, and restaurants, though English signage is limited. Staff at expensive hotels and resorts usually speak some basic English. Russian is commonly spoken in the DaDongHai tourist district due to high numbers of Russian visitors. Mandarin is the main language, with local Hainanese dialect also spoken. SIM cards and data plans are available from Chinese carriers at the airport and in town.
Budget
Budget travelers can find dorm beds from ¥25-50 at hostels, while meals at local restaurants cost ¥30-80. Bus fares are cheap at ¥2-4 per ride. Beach entry is generally free. Mid-range hotels start around ¥200-400 per night. Daily budget of ¥200-400 covers accommodation, food, and local transport for a budget traveler, excluding activities and flights.
Day Trips
West Island (西岛) offers snorkeling, scuba diving, and jet skiing with ferry ticket included in ¥95 entry fee, plus scooter hire at ¥50/day. Dongtian Park (大小洞天) in Yazhou District features rocky beaches and historical calligraphy at ¥90 peak/¥75 slack. Paddy Field National Park has life-sized dinosaur models for ¥75 entry or ¥110 with sightseeing train. Baoting County offers rainforest hiking at Yanoda and cultural attractions at Betel Nut Valley. Lingshui's Nanwan Monkey Island is home to about 2,500 Macaque monkeys.
Go Next
From Sanya, travelers can head to Baoting (保亭) for rainforest and cultural parks including Yanoda Rainforest and Betel Nut Valley Li & Miao Cultural Heritage Park. Lingshui County offers Nanwan Monkey Island and Perfume Bay. Wanning's Shimei Bay and Riyue Bay are popular for surfing, reachable by slow bus to Haikou (¥30, 90 min) then highway turnoff. The Paracel Islands (西沙群岛) are accessible by cruise from Phoenix Island International Cruise Terminal for Chinese nationals only (¥4000 round-trip, 64 hours).
Guide text adapted from Wikivoyage contributors under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to start
Eat
Bohemian
Newly-opened restaurant with an international menu. Very well decorated and furnished and the service by waitresses wearing faux-Bavarian uniforms is exceptional. As soon as you walk in, you have to go up a winding staircase. Very high class feel. You can tell they spent a lot of money to renovate the place. They have private rooms where you can eat as well.
Price when recorded: Prices range from very expensive (for things like Japanese beef or caviare) to very reasonable for more conventional Chinese dishes
Eat
Casamia Italian Restaurant
A really upscale restaurant with two locations in Sanya with excellent service with authentic Italian dishes. Prices are fair, the presentation is good as is the taste, as is the quality of food. Clean and well run. Recommended for western foods that will delight the palate. All wines and beer served. English speaking staff. Italian owner who is the Maitre D aided by his Chinese wife.
Eat
Coffee World
Offers pizza, pastas, salads, soups and the tastiest BBQ chicken wings in Hainan. Dining on a lovely balcony which overlooks Dadonghai Beach. Tel: 0898-88677995. The restaurant delivers to customers within a 5 mile radius of Dadonghai Beach. English is spoken.
Price when recorded: Moderate price
Eat
Hot Pot Fashion
Eat
Jing Fu Gong
Korean restaurant run by South Koreans. Part of a chain, there is one in Haikou too. Very authentic, to the extent that it is a favourite for Korean tour groups who want a taste of home. Attentive service. They have an upper level where you can take off your shoes and sit on the floor and private rooms.
Price when recorded: Reasonable prices
Eat
Lemon Grass Thai Restaurant
Eat
Marco Polo
Offers a slightly more upscale take on Italian. There is a large, outdoor seating area and the pizzas are highly recommended. Offers pizzas, pastas, soups and meats. The food and the service are great. As of May 2013, they don't have adequate wait staff, so the only way to get a meal there is to show up around 18:00 and maybe the owner is in and can cook a meal for you.
Price when recorded: Expect ¥80-100 for a meal
Eat
Mr Cat
A well-established and very popular Hainanese restaurant. Serves a wide variety of Hainanese dishes. Try to get here early, as there's a good chance you'll have to wait in a queue.
Before you go
Connectivity
WiFi available at hotels and many restaurants. English limited outside tourist areas. Russian spoken in Dadonghai due to many Russian visitors.
Culture
Peak season (Oct-Feb) is extremely crowded with high prices. Chinese New Year sees traffic nightmares and extreme markup on everything.
Food
No. 1 Agricultural Products Market offers affordable seafood—you buy and nearby restaurants cook. Beach restaurants charge 30-100% premium over downtown.
Health
Hainan is an active dengue fever region—bring repellent. Malaria-free since 2021. Tap water not safe to drink.
Money
Prices near beaches are 30-100% higher than downtown due to tourist demand. Seafood costs more than Haikou due to transportation. Cash or Chinese payment apps preferred at local markets; credit cards accepted at hotels.
Safety
Pickpocketing occurs on buses and at beaches. Lockers at beach showers charge ¥20-50 per use. Traffic rules are loosely followed—don't trust drivers at crossings. Tap water not potable; use bottled water.
Transport
Local buses (¥2) and shuttle buses cover tourist areas. Taxis from railway station to Dadonghai cost ¥25-30. Double-decker sightseeing bus serves major attractions.
Weather
Rainy season May-Oct; dry season Nov-Apr. June is hottest at 28.7°C average. Year-round warm (25-30°C). City is the sunniest on Hainan.