Shantou grew around a port and a fishing economy, and the coast still looks like a working landscape: river mouths, breakwaters, island temples, and beaches that fill with local families once the weather warms. The scenery is practical as much as pretty.
The six places below are spread across Nan'ao Island, Haojiang and Haimen. Distances are real, so plan each as its own excursion rather than a single beach crawl, and check transport, access and swimming arrangements with official local sources before setting out.
Qing'ao Bay: A Crescent on Nan'ao Island
Qing'ao Bay bends southeast on Nan'ao Island, its mouth open to the sea and its arc running for nearly three kilometres. From above it reads as a crescent: blue water, a broad clean beach, belts of casuarina trees following the sand. Pavilions and low buildings sit among the trees, but the bay sets the scale.
Photographers come at dawn for the sunrise over the water. On summer nights the appeal is simpler: a tent on the sand, offshore fishing lights, waves. Confirm whether camping is currently permitted before you plan around it.
Longhu Beach and the CITIC Resort Area
Longhu Beach lies on the Nanbin shore, a developed stretch of golden sand with a resort behind it. It is the most managed beach here, with watersports and a golf course in the wider grounds, garden villas and planted ground. The beach has long been counted among the Shantou Eight Views.
Travellers who want facilities and a defined beach day will find this the easier choice; those after a wilder shore should look elsewhere on this list. Confirm which activities and resort areas are open to outside visitors.
Nanshan Bay: Estuary Light and Local Curiosities
Nanshan Bay sits where the Haojiang River meets the sea, which gives it a wide horizon and changeable light. Local accounts call it one of the few bays in China where both sunrise and sunset can be seen. Treat that as local pride if you like, but the estuary setting does make the sky a large part of the visit.
The beach has clear water, soft sand and generally gentle waves, and has long served as a natural swimming spot. Inland there is a curiosity: wells dug along the shore are said to yield fresh water, while wells a short distance inland near Fenggang are salty, a "fresh sea, salt land" puzzle locals like to point out. Toward the river mouth, the old fort on Yingpan Hill watches over the water.
Currents and local conditions still apply. Use designated areas and follow warnings.
Beishan Bay: Calmer Water and Bridge Views
Beishan Bay occupies the northeast side of the Dahao Peninsula, below the Bay Bridge. Hills slope down to open sea, and the beach is backed by rock formations and scattered vegetation. The central swimming area is broad, and headlands at either end take some force out of the waves, so the water is calmer than at more exposed beaches nearby.
On a clear day the view takes in the bridge, fishing boats and the low line of hills. This is a local beach rather than a resort, which is part of the appeal. Facilities may be basic or seasonal; check before relying on them.
Haimen Lotus Peak: A Headland with History
Lotus Peak is not a resort beach. It is a coastal hill at Haimen, in Chaoyang, where the rock splits into forms that suggested a lotus flower. An ancient temple, a fort, a sea-view corridor, inscriptions, a statue of the Song loyalist Wen Tianxiang and other markers, among them Ten Thousand People's Grave and Wangfu Rock, hint at stories beyond a day by the sea.
The coastal view is why you linger. In spring and summer, before dawn, the water is traditionally said to glow with a silvery light that circles the peak until sunrise: the phenomenon called "Lotus Peak Sea Colour", one of the old scenic views of the Chaoshan region. People have been watching and writing about this coast for a long time, not just swimming from it.
Mayu Island: Mazu Temple and Harbour Views
Mayu Island sits at the mouth of Shantou Port, about one square kilometre, named for its Mazu temple. Fishermen once stopped here to pray before heading out, and many local families still keep the custom. Historical gazetteers record an earlier name, Fangji Mountain, from the Ming period.
The temple and the compact shoreline are the main draws. Sea traffic keeps the harbour busy, and the views are as much about the working port as the beach. The island's swimming area has been closed for upgrading in the past; check current notices before planning to swim. Even when swimming is off limits, the temple, the shore walk and a community shaped by the sea justify the trip.
Practical Notes for Shantou's Coast
Shantou's coast faces open water, and conditions change with weather and tide. Local warnings about submerged currents and eddies around Mayu Island apply more broadly: non-swimmers should stay out, and stronger swimmers should stay close to shore. Use beaches with lifeguards or designated swimming zones where they exist.
Admission, opening times, transport and swimming zones change. Confirm them with official local sources or site management before travelling, especially outside summer.
How this guide was made
This guide combines structured research and automation with source and duplication review. Dates change; verify time-sensitive details before travelling.