Things to Do in Sanya
Snorkel, splash, hike, shop & watch the sun go down

A 30-minute ferry takes you to the island people call "China's Maldives" — and the water lives up to it. Wuzhizhou is Sanya's best dive and snorkel spot, clear enough to see coral and fish straight from the surface, with guided scuba on offer too. A round-island sightseeing bus loops to photo favourites like the twin chairs at the headland and the lighthouse. Tip: book online a day ahead (cheaper than the gate) and get over before 10 am to beat the tour groups. Full details on our Wuzhizhou Island guide →

Picture a slide that drops you from a pyramid and shoots you through a clear tube with sharks circling around it — that is one of the headline rides at Atlantis Aquaventure on Haitang Bay. The park has 36 slides, a lazy river, a wave pool and a kids' zone, paired with a vast aquarium holding more than 86,000 marine animals across 280 species. It is built for families and anyone who wants a full day in the water. Arrive at opening to ride the popular slides before queues build. More on our Atlantis Aquaventure guide →

Sanya's beaches each have a character. Yalong Bay is the best for swimming — fine white sand, clear water and calm surf, ideal for an easy float. Dadonghai is in town, walkable to restaurants and livelier. Both have watersports for hire: jet-skis, parasailing and banana boats, priced on the spot and open to a little bargaining. Always agree the price before you go out and check the life jacket and gear first. Compare every beach on our Sanya beaches guide →

This 108-metre Nanhai Guanyin stands taller than the Statue of Liberty, set on a small island in the sea reached by a causeway. It has three faces looking out in three directions and is a major pilgrimage site for visitors from across China. The wider Nanshan Cultural Tourism Zone also holds Nanshan Temple, the Golden Jade Guanyin hall and a huge Buddhist garden — take the internal shuttle, as it is too big to walk. Allow a half to a full day. Read on at our Nanshan Temple guide →

The name means "the edge of the sky, the corner of the sea" — in imperial times this was the far southern edge of China, as far as exiles ever reached. The signature sight is a cluster of giant seaside boulders carved with the red characters for "Tianya" and "Haijiao", one of Sanya's most classic photo spots and a fixture on postcards and banknotes. Stroll the shore among the oddly shaped rocks; it is romantic enough that Chinese couples come for pre-wedding shoots. It sits on the road between town and Nanshan, so pair the two. More on our Tianya Haijiao guide →

Take a break from the beach and head up into the Yanoda tropical rainforest — lush, green and several degrees cooler than the coast, with clear streams, waterfalls and timber trails through the trees. The newer highlight is a glass walkway hugging a cliff face, looking down a drop of nearly 200 metres (a real lurch in the stomach). Some sections let you wade up the streambeds, and there are Li and Miao cultural shows. Tickets usually include the internal shuttle, since the area is large. More on our Yanoda rainforest guide →

Close the day on Luhuitou hill ("Deer Turning its Head"), named after a love legend about a hunter and a deer. From the top you look down over Sanya city, the harbour and the long curve of the bay, and at sunset the whole place glows gold — a favourite of locals and couples. Entry needs your passport, and a shuttle runs to the summit for about ¥28 round trip (the walk up is steep and long). Read on at our Luhuitou Park guide →

If you like to shop, CDF Mall at Haitang Bay is the place — the world's largest duty-free complex, with close to 300 brands across cosmetics, perfume, watches, bags and jewellery, all tax-free. Foreign visitors flying into Hainan (Thai passport-holders included) qualify with a passport and an outbound flight off the island; you collect what you buy at a pick-up point before your flight. The annual per-person quota is fairly generous — just check the latest rules and quota before you go, as they change. Read on at our Sanya duty-free guide →

Nothing feels more Hainan than fresh seafood at First Market. The system: you buy live prawns, shellfish, crab and fish from the market stalls yourself, then take them to a nearby restaurant to cook to order (you pay a separate cooking fee per dish). Favourites are mud crab, lobster, scallops and soy-steamed fish. To avoid being overcharged: watch the weighing, photograph the scale, ask the price per kilo before you agree, and pick a cooking stall with good reviews and clearly posted fees. Evenings are busiest. More dishes on our Sanya seafood guide →

Want an island day that is quieter than Wuzhizhou? Take the Hainan ring high-speed railway north to Lingshui county (about 20–30 minutes), then a short boat to Boundary Island (Fenjiezhou). The water is clear, there is snorkelling and scuba plus a marine show, and the resort feel is calm — an easy car-free day out. If you want to go further, the HSR continues to the island capital Haikou in about 1.5–2 hours. See all the options on our Sanya day trips guide →