The beach at Maya Bay is one of the most famous and photogenic places in Thailand, and it’s the main thing responsible for bringing travelers to the Phi Phi islands. In fact, it’s now one of the most famous white sand beaches in the world.
Maya Bay is open again for 2025! It was temporarily closed for conservation from August 1 to September 30, but it reopened for tourists on October 1, so now is a great time to plan a visit!
The entire beach is surrounded by tall limestone cliffs, with clear turquoise water, baby sharks swimming around, and sand that’s white as snow. Everything about it looks perfect. Yep, this is paradise!
Quick Stats*
- Distance: 22 miles (35 km)
- Elevation Gain: 6,500 feet (1,980 m)
- Duration: ~3 days
- Difficulty: Hard
*These are total stats for the roundtrip trek