A much smaller beach than its large neighbour Karon, this expanse of seaside is quaint and just as beautiful. The fun & lively Kata Beach in Phuket Thailand is a perfect spot for families in the winter months and surfers in the summer.
Surfers Paradise
Kata is the most popular beach for surfing on Phuket Island, in fact an annual competition is held here. The surf months are the warmest summer months when the sea is quite active and waves are at their best.
Now in the winter, one can take surf lessons and learn the ropes, but the waves for advanced surfers are just not around.
Walking
Much like Karon beach, Kata has a fine and fluffy light tan sand. Near the waters edge, it compacts to a relatively hard surface, perfect for an early morning run or brisk beach walk. Although at only 1.5km long, this walk will be a short one. ๐
Most days when Iโm in this area, I will walk the beach back and forth first, then head into the townโs streets to peruse the store fronts and have a morning cup of coffee or refreshing mango smoothie.
North & South Ends
Both ends here are rocky, which in the winter months, provides the perfect spot for snorkelers to see the treasures beneath the sea. There is a little bar at the south end, super cute and fun, a great spot for an afternoon bevvie.
At the north end find the long boats, bobbing in the waves, waiting for visitors to pay for a ride to a more secluded and hidden piece of coastline on the Andaman Sea. โบ๏ธ๐ฆ
Middle
Kata is unusual in that most of the land on the beach in inaccessible. A huge Club Med resort rooted itself firmly decades ago. You are able to walk the length of the beach, however to access the beach, you must enter from either end.
If walking up on the main road, you will be trotting along beside a tall cement wall almost the entire length of the beach and unable to see it from the road. For a perfect spot to exercise, look for the small esplanade or utility road where a painted green path will provide a clear space to run beside the beach.
This middle section of sand is wide and full of space for beach goers to play or take in some water sports such as windsurfing, paddle boarding and jet ski. It can feel crowded here by mid-morning, so come down early to get a good spot.
Amenities
There are plenty of umbrellas and chairs or loungers to rent. Most appear to cost around 200 baht or $7.60 CAD per day. Find the public toilets down at the south end, right near the Wave Centre.
Besides a few vendors who have a cooler or two for water and pop and the odd little stand in the bushes selling smoothies, there is not a whole lot of food options available. At both ends however, up on the street are cafรฉs and restaurants. Not a bad idea to bring your food and drinks down with you for the day.
Visitors
On this beach, like all the others I have visited here, are mostly families and older folks, and most of these are Russian. I was expecting to meet some Ozzies and English in Phuket, but alas, I have only met one English person, one woman from Poland and the rest have been Russians. ๐
Kata Beach will have an entirely different vibe depending on the time of year you visit. Right now, in the winter months, the water is fairly calm, the entry into the sea is gradual and the water is fairly clear and warm. A perfect destination for families.
Come the summer though, when the hoards of surfers descend upon this stretch of sand, the atmosphere will be all together different! ๐โโ๏ธ๐
