Railay's four areas all within a walk
Ordered from the best swimming sand to the climbers' corner — pick by what you actually want.
1
If you had to pick one beach on Railay for the best sand and clearest water, Railay West is the answer. The fine white sand runs long enough for an easy stroll, the water is clear and good for swimming, and this is where the longtails from Ao Nang land (at low tide they pull up short, so expect a quick wade through shallow water onto the sand). It's Railay's resort strip, and in the evening it becomes the gathering point for the sunset. The trade-off is price: rooms on this side run noticeably higher than on the East.
2
Railay East sits on the other side of the peninsula, a few minutes' walk from West. To be straight with you, you can't swim here — it's mangrove, and at low tide it becomes a wide mud flat. What it has going for it is price: the guesthouses, bars and restaurants on this side are clearly cheaper than on West, and the nights are livelier, with a string of bars along the walkway. Plenty of people stay on the East side to save money and walk over to swim at West or Phra Nang during the day. It's the walking hub that connects to the peninsula's other beaches.
3
If you've ever seen a Krabi postcard with a huge limestone cliff rising straight out of clear water, there's a good chance it was Phra Nang — the most beautiful beach on the Railay peninsula. The sand is fine and white, the water clear and emerald, the swimming good, and it's home to Phra Nang Cave (Tham Phra Nang), which fishermen believe is the home of a sea princess, so it holds a shrine with distinctively shaped offerings. You reach it on a roughly 10-minute walk from Railay East along a cliffside path. There are no permanent shops to speak of — just boats selling food and drinks offshore — so bringing your own water and supplies makes the day easier. And you'll almost always see climbers on the cliffs at the back of the beach.
Just northwest of Railay West is Tonsai — a small beach tucked into a cleft in the cliffs that has become home to climbers from around the world and to backpackers. It's the most rugged, laid-back corner of all, with budget bungalows and hostels, a few reggae bars and small cafés. The cliffs around Tonsai are first-rate climbing terrain, with routes from beginner to hard. You can walk over from Railay West at low tide by scrambling around the rocks, or take a short longtail from West or Ao Nang. The trade-off is that the Tonsai beach itself turns rocky at low tide and isn't as good for swimming as West.
