Hidden Hong Kong Summer Escapes: Secret Islands and Secluded Beaches

Hidden Hong Kong Summer Escapes: Secret Islands and Secluded Beaches

Introduction: The Hong Kong You Don't Know Exists

Here's a scene you probably associate with a Hong Kong summer: Repulse Bay on a Sunday. Towels laid out inches apart. Umbrellas forming a patchwork quilt across the sand. The constant sound of someone else's Bluetooth speaker. Queues for the shower. Queues for food. Queues for the bus home.

Now here's a different scene: You're floating on your back in water so clear you can count individual pebbles on the seabed 15 feet below. The only sound is the gentle lap of waves against the hull of a yacht anchored nearby. You look left — a white sand beach with no footprints but yours. You look right — a volcanic coastline of hexagonal rock columns that's been there for 140 million years. There is no queue. There is no crowd. There is no one else at all.

This isn't Thailand. This isn't the Philippines. This is Hong Kong — specifically, the 260-plus islands that make up the territory, the vast majority of which have no ferry pier, no road access, no hiking trail, and no people.

The secret to a perfect Hong Kong summer escape isn't getting on a plane. It's getting on a boat. The islands are there, waiting, as they have been since long before the skyscrapers rose and the crowds arrived. All you need is someone who knows where to find them.

That's where we come in.

Important note before we begin: This guide contains no hiking recommendations. We understand the temptation to explore Hong Kong's trails. We also understand what 35°C and 90% humidity does to a human body on an exposed ridgeline. Summer escapes should feel like escapes — not endurance tests. Every destination in this guide is reached by boat. Every destination involves swimming, shade, and the natural air-conditioning of the sea.

Why Boat-Accessible Escapes Are the Only Real Summer Escapes

There's a simple rule about summer in Hong Kong: the harder something is to reach, the fewer people will be there. The inverse is also true — the easier the access, the denser the crowds.

This is why Repulse Bay, Shek O, and Big Wave Bay feel less like escapes and more like outdoor shopping malls on summer weekends. They're accessible by bus, taxi, and minibus. Anyone can get there. So everyone does.

The islands and beaches in this guide share one crucial characteristic: you cannot reach them by land. There is no bus route. No road. No walking trail from the nearest MTR station. The only way in is by boat. And that single fact — that barrier to entry — is what preserves them. It filters out the crowds. It keeps the sand clean, the water clear, and the experience genuinely peaceful.

When you travel with Splitdyboat, you're not just booking transport. You're booking access — to places that most people in Hong Kong will never see, guided by people who have spent years exploring every bay, every channel, every hidden cove. The boat is the key. The guide is the map.

The Best Hidden Hong Kong Summer Escapes

1. Kau Sai Wan: The Seasonal Infinity Pool and Hidden Waterfalls

Kau Sai Wan, tucked away on the southern coast of Sai Kung, is one of those places that feels almost too good to be true — and for much of the year, it remains completely off the radar. What makes it extraordinary is a combination of natural features that you rarely find together in Hong Kong, and that only reveal themselves fully during the summer months.

The first feature is what locals call the "seasonal infinity pool" — a natural rock pool formation at the edge of the coastline that fills with crystal-clear seawater during certain tidal conditions. The effect, when the light hits it right, is surreal: a pool that seems to merge seamlessly with the open sea beyond, the horizon stretching endlessly in front of you. Swimming here feels like floating at the edge of the world. The water is warm, calm, and sheltered — perfect for long, lazy summer afternoons.

The second feature is the waterfalls. Kau Sai Wan is fed by mountain streams that cascade down the coastal slopes, creating a series of small but beautiful waterfalls that flow most strongly during the summer wet season. The combination of fresh water tumbling over rocks and salt water lapping at the shoreline is unusual and magical. You can swim in the sea, then walk a short distance to rinse off under a natural freshwater shower — no facilities required, just the landscape doing what it has done for millennia.

Access to Kau Sai Wan is by boat only. The bay is sheltered and peaceful, rarely visited by anyone other than a handful of locals who know the secret. Our boat tours can anchor offshore, giving you direct access to the infinity pool and waterfalls without any hiking, any crowds, or any hassle.

This is a summer-specific escape — the waterfalls are at their best during the wet season, and the infinity pool effect depends on summer tides and light conditions. Visit in July or August, and you'll see Kau Sai Wan at its absolute peak.

Join the Tours or Experiences Below to Visit this Hong Kong Summer Destination:

🤿 Geopark Yacht Beach Snorkelling Experience + Water Toys Fun (6 hours)

🤿 Kau Sai Wan Snorkelling Experience (2 hours)


2. Bluff Island (Sha Tong Hau): The Emerald Lagoon

If Sharp Island is about the sand, Bluff Island is about the water. Specifically, the color of the water — a shade of emerald green so vivid it looks like someone has been adjusting the saturation settings on reality.

Bluff Island's sheltered lagoon, Sha Tong Hau, also named "Ung Kong Wan" is one of those places that makes you question whether you're still in Hong Kong. The water is calm, clear, and shallow at the edges — ideal for swimming, floating, and that particular kind of aimless water-treading where you lose track of time entirely.

The island itself is uninhabited. No buildings. No facilities. No noise except the wind and the occasional call of a black kite overhead. The surrounding cliffs are draped in vegetation that stays green year-round, creating a natural amphitheater around the lagoon.

Accessing Bluff Island requires a boat. There's no ferry. No trail. No way to get there except across the water. This is what keeps it pristine. On a weekday, you might be the only group there. On a weekend, you might share it with one or two other boats. Compared to the mainland beaches, it feels like a private island.

Our speedboat and yacht tours include Bluff Island as a regular stop because it consistently delivers that "I can't believe this is Hong Kong" reaction. The speedboat can zip directly into the lagoon. The yacht can anchor in deeper water nearby, and you can swim or paddleboard into the shallows. Either way, the water is the star — green, clear, and impossibly inviting on a hot summer day.

Beyond the emerald lagoon, Bluff Island holds another secret — one of the most dramatic sea arches in all of Hong Kong. Known as the "Bluff Island Cave" or more evocatively as the "Tunnel Cave," this colossal natural arch cuts clean through the island's volcanic rock, forming part of the celebrated "Four Great Sea Arches of the Eastern Seas" — the largest and most spectacular marine arches in the Sai Kung archipelago.

The scale is difficult to convey in photographs. From the water, the arch opens like a cathedral doorway carved by 140 million years of wind and wave. The volcanic walls curve overhead, their surfaces weathered into textures that shift from charcoal to burnt orange as the light changes. On calm summer days, the water beneath the arch glows a deep, luminous blue, and the tunnel itself creates a natural echo chamber where the sound of the sea seems amplified and somehow sacred.

There are two ways to experience it. For the adventurers, our coasteering routes take you directly through the arch — swimming, scrambling, and moving with the swell beneath the towering span of rock. There's something profound about passing through a geological feature this ancient under your own power, feeling the water carry you through the tunnel and out into the light on the other side.

For those who prefer to take it all in from a more relaxed vantage point, our boat sightseeing tours bring you right up to the entrance. The yacht or speedboat positions perfectly for photographs, and your guide tells the story of how this arch came to be — the volcanic eruptions, the patient carving of the sea, the centuries of storms that shaped but never broke it.

However you choose to see it, the Bluff Island Cave is one of those rare places that makes you feel small in the best possible way. It's not just scenery. It's a reminder of deep time, of forces older than humanity, and of the extraordinary geological luck that placed Hong Kong on top of a 140-million-year-old supervolcano.

🏊 Geopark Double Sea Arches Volcano Coasteering Tour (2.5 hours)

🛥️ Geopark Four Sea Arches Volcano Sightseeing Yacht Tour (4 hours)

🛥️ Geopark Double Sea Arches Volcano Sightseeing Yacht Tour (2.5 hours)

🚤 Geopark Four Sea Arches Volcano Sightseeing Speedboat Tour (2 hours)

 🚤 Private Speedboat Hong Kong Geopark Sightseeing Tour + Beach Fun (4 hours)

 


3. Tai Long Wan (Big Wave Bay, Sai Kung East): Worth Every Nautical Mile

There are two Tai Long Wans in Hong Kong. One is on Hong Kong Island, served by buses and taxis, and packed with surfers, sunbathers, and day-trippers. The other is in Sai Kung East — a series of four pristine beaches (Sai Wan, Ham Tin Wan, Tai Wan, and Tung Wan) backed by green mountains and fronted by the open South China Sea.

This Tai Long Wan is not easy to reach. You can hike in — a long, hot, exposed trek that we absolutely do not recommend in summer. Or you can arrive by speedboat, skimming across the water from Sai Kung pier, watching the coastline transform from suburban to wild as you leave civilization behind.

The furthest beach, Tai Long Sai Wan, is the prize. White sand. Rolling waves that attract surfers when the swell is right. Water that shifts from turquoise near the shore to deep blue further out. Behind the beach, abandoned agricultural land and the remnants of a village that once was. It feels like the end of the world — in the best possible way.

What makes this Tai Long Wan special is the journey itself. The speedboat ride out is an adventure — wind, spray, and the constantly changing panorama of the Sai Kung coastline. You pass islands, sea cliffs, and fishing boats. You see Hong Kong from an angle that most people never experience. By the time you step onto the beach, you've already had an adventure before the swimming even begins.

🚤 Private Speedboat Hong Kong Geopark Sightseeing Tour + Beach Fun (4 hours)


4. The Ninepin Group: A Different Planet, 30 Minutes from Sai Kung

The Ninepin Group is a cluster of islands in the southeastern waters of Hong Kong, and they look like they belong in a different geological era entirely. Which, technically, they do — these islands are remnants of the same volcanic activity that created the Geopark, and their twisted, sculptural forms are the result of 140 million years of wind, waves, and erosion.

The Ninepins are famous among kayakers and photographers but almost unknown to the general public. There's no ferry. No beach facilities. No shade except what you bring. And absolutely no crowds — most Hong Kongers have never heard of them, let alone visited.

What the Ninepins offer is otherworldly beauty. Sea arches that frame the horizon. Sea caves you can kayak into, the light reflecting off the water onto volcanic rock walls. Cliffs that plunge vertically into impossibly blue water. It's a landscape that seems designed for adventure.

Our kayaking tours to the Ninepin Group are some of our most popular trips for exactly this reason. Paddling through the sea arches, exploring the caves, swimming in water that's deep and clear and utterly uncrowded — it's the kind of experience that reshapes your understanding of what Hong Kong is.

For those who prefer not to paddle, our speedboat and yacht tours can also reach the Ninepins. The sightseeing is spectacular whether you're under your own power or cruising on deck.

Try this: Geopark Ninepin Group Sea Volcanic Arches Kayaking Adventure Tour (5 hours) — a full-day expedition through one of Hong Kong's most dramatic landscapes.

🚣 Geopark Ninepin Group Sea Volcanic Arches Kayaking Adventure Tour (5 hours)

🤸 Geopark Ninepin Group Volcano Island Hopping Tour (2.5 hours)

5. South Ninepin Island: The Cave Explorer's Dream

While the Ninepin Group as a whole is spectacular, South Ninepin Island deserves special mention for its concentration of sea caves. This is the place to go if you've ever wanted to kayak directly into a natural tunnel carved through solid volcanic rock.

The caves vary in size and accessibility depending on tides and swell. Some are wide enough for multiple kayaks to enter side by side. Others are narrow slits that only a single kayak can navigate. All of them are extraordinary — dark volcanic walls rising from turquoise water, the sound of waves echoing off the rock, light filtering in from the entrance behind you.

Our guides know which caves are accessible on any given day. They know the safe entry points, the turnaround spots, and the conditions that make each cave navigable or not. This local knowledge is crucial — these are dynamic environments, not static attractions, and going in without guidance is genuinely dangerous.

The 2-hour Geopark South Ninepin Island Cave Adventure Kayaking Tour is designed for those who want to focus specifically on the caves. It's a shorter trip that packs maximum geological drama into minimum time.

🚣 Geopark South Ninepin Island Cave Adventure Kayaking Tour (2 hours)

🚣 Geopark Ninepin Group Sea Volcanic Arches Kayaking Adventure Tour (5 hours)

🤸 Geopark Ninepin Group Volcano Island Hopping Tour (2.5 hours)

6. North Ninepin Island: The Grand Sea Arch Cathedral

If South Ninepin is about the caves, North Ninepin Island is about scale. This is where you find the largest and most dramatic sea arch in the entire Ninepin Group — a colossal natural bridge carved through the island itself, so enormous that multiple kayaks can pass through it simultaneously without feeling cramped.

Approaching North Ninepin from the water is a humbling experience. The volcanic cliffs rise vertically from the sea, their surfaces etched with the marks of 140 million years of geological history. The sea arch appears as a dark opening in the rock face, growing larger as you paddle closer. Passing through it — the water deep and impossibly blue beneath you, the volcanic walls curving overhead, the sound of your paddle echoing in the chamber — is one of those moments that stays with you long after the summer ends.

The waters around North Ninepin are typically calm in summer, making it an ideal destination for kayakers who want the drama without extreme conditions. The island also features smaller arches, hidden channels, and excellent swimming spots where the water clarity is often exceptional.

The best way to experience North Ninepin — and the entire Ninepin Group — is on our Geopark Ninepin Group Kayaking Adventure Tour. This 5-hour expedition takes you through both North and South Ninepin, giving you the full spectrum of what makes this archipelago so special: the grand sea arches, the intimate caves, the open-water crossings between islands, and the sense of having ventured somewhere genuinely remote. Our guides pace the trip carefully, with plenty of swimming and floating stops to keep the summer heat at bay. No one is rushed. Everyone returns with stories.

Try this: Geopark Ninepin Group Sea Volcanic Arches Kayaking Adventure Tour (5 hours) — the definitive Ninepin experience, covering both North and South Ninepin in a single unforgettable day.

🚣 Geopark North Ninepin Island Volcano Adventure Kayaking Tour (2 hours)

🚣 Geopark Ninepin Group Sea Volcanic Arches Kayaking Adventure Tour (5 hours)

🤸 Geopark Ninepin Group Volcano Island Hopping Tour (2.5 hours)

7. Long Mong Wan: The Snorkeller's Secret

Tucked away on the eastern side of the Sai Kung Peninsula, Long Mong Wan is a bay that few people bother to visit because few people know it exists. The approach is by kayak or boat only. The beach is modest but beautiful. And the water — the water is where Long Mong Wan truly shines.

The bay features some of the best easily accessible snorkelling in the Sai Kung area. Coral communities thrive in the sheltered waters, and the marine life is abundant — parrotfish, damselfish, wrasses, sea urchins, and if you're lucky, the occasional sea turtle. The water is clear, calm, and warm throughout the summer months.

Our Long Mong Wan Kayaking and Snorkelling Tour (5 hours) combines a scenic paddle with extended snorkelling time. You arrive under your own power, explore the underwater world at your leisure, and paddle back with the satisfaction of having discovered a genuine hidden gem.

🤿 Long Mong Wan Snorkelling Experience (2 hours)

🚣 Long Mong Wan Kayaking and Snorkelling Tour (5 hours)


8. Sharp Island (Kiu Tsui): The Island That Connects and Divides

Sharp Island is not exactly unknown — it's part of the UNESCO Geopark and you can technically reach it by a public ferry. But here's what the ferry passengers miss: timing.

Sharp Island's defining feature is the tombolo — a natural sandbar that emerges at low tide, connecting the main island to a smaller islet called Kiu Tau. At high tide, the sandbar disappears beneath the waves and Kiu Tau becomes a separate island. At low tide, a path of golden sand rises from the sea, and you can walk between two islands like a minor miracle is unfolding beneath your feet.

The public ferry runs on a fixed schedule. It doesn't coordinate with the tides. Show up at the wrong time, and the tombolo is underwater — you've missed the main event.

When you visit Sharp Island with Splitdyboat, we time the trip around the tides because we can. Our boats leave when conditions are optimal, not when a timetable says so. You get the tombolo walk. You get the photos. You get the experience that the ferry passengers are staring at from a distance, wishing they'd planned better.

Beyond the tombolo, Sharp Island offers Hap Mun Bay — a sheltered beach with calm, shallow water that's perfect for swimming and snorkelling. The coral communities just offshore are surprisingly healthy. The sand is soft. And because we can anchor directly off the beach rather than docking at the public pier, we can access the quieter corners that even the ferry passengers don't reach.

The island also features a partially destroyed old pier — a relic of past storms that's become an unexpectedly photogenic landmark. Minimalist, moody, and a reminder that nature eventually reclaims everything humans build.

🛥️ Geopark Four Sea Arches Volcano Sightseeing Yacht Tour (4 hours)

🛥️ Geopark Double Sea Arches Volcano Sightseeing Yacht Tour (2.5 hours)

The Splitdyboat Escape Fleet: Choose Your Vessel

Different escapes call for different boats. Here's what we offer:

Yacht: The ultimate comfort option. Shaded seating, proper bathroom facilities, sound system, and space to spread out. Ideal for the 6-hour Yacht Beach Snorkelling Experience and the 4-hour Geopark Four Sea Arches Volcano Sightseeing Tour. Perfect for families, groups, and anyone who wants their escape to come with a side of luxury.

Speedboat: Fast, nimble, and capable of reaching places larger boats can't. The 4-hour private speedboat tour is the best way to cover multiple islands quickly while still having plenty of time for swimming and exploring at each stop. The ride itself is thrilling — wind, spray, and speed combine into pure summer joy.

Kayak: For those who want to earn their escape. Paddling yourself to a deserted beach or through a sea arch creates a sense of accomplishment that no motorized transport can match. Our guided kayak tours range from 2-hour cave explorations to full-day island-hopping expeditions across the Ninepin Group.

Private Charter with Professional Coach: Any of our vessels can be booked as a private tour, paired with a professional coach who designs the itinerary around your preferences. Want to focus on snorkelling? They know the best reefs. Want hidden beaches? They know coves that aren't in any guidebook. Want a mix of everything? They'll craft the perfect day.

What to Pack for Your Island Escape

Essentials:

  • Reef-safe sunscreen (mineral-based, to protect the coral you're visiting)

  • Swimwear and a rash guard (sun protection that doesn't wash off)

  • Water shoes (for rocky shorelines and hot boat decks)

  • Hat and polarized sunglasses (both with straps — the wind shows no mercy)

  • Towel

  • Water bottle

  • Waterproof phone pouch

Nice to have:

  • Snorkel gear (we provide this on all our tours, but some people prefer their own mask)

  • Lightweight, long-sleeve cover-up for the boat ride back

  • Snacks (though we carry provisions on all tours)

Leave behind:

  • Regular sunscreen (seriously — reef-safe only)

  • Anything you'd be devastated to lose to the sea

  • The idea that summer escapes require getting on a plane

The Hidden Cost of Going Alone

You could, theoretically, rent a kayak and try to find some of these places yourself. You could hire a random boat from the Sai Kung pier and hope the captain knows where to go. But here's what you'd miss:

Local knowledge: Our guides don't just know the locations — they know the conditions. Which beach is sheltered on a southwest wind. Which cave is accessible at this tide level. Which snorkelling spot has the best visibility right now. This knowledge is the difference between a good day and a disappointing one.

Safety: The ocean around Hong Kong's islands is dynamic. Currents shift. Swells build. Weather changes. Our guides are trained to read conditions and make judgment calls that keep you safe while maximizing your experience.

Access: Some of the spots in this guide require precise timing — the tombolo at Sharp Island, the caves at South Ninepin, the infinity pool at Kau Sai Wan. Our itineraries are built around optimal conditions, not fixed schedules.

Experience design: A hidden beach is beautiful. A hidden beach with snorkel gear provided, a guide pointing out marine life, and a cold drink waiting on the boat when you're done swimming — that's an experience. That's what we do.

Escape the Crowds. Discover the Islands.

The Hong Kong summer is not going anywhere. The heat will be here until October. The humidity will remain oppressive. The crowds at Repulse Bay will continue to multiply.

But out there, beyond the ferry routes and the bus stops and the beaten paths, the islands are waiting. Empty beaches. Secret coves. Crystal-clear water. Volcanoes frozen in time. Sea arches carved by 140 million years of patient ocean. Seasonal waterfalls that appear like magic when the summer rains arrive.

You just need a boat. And someone who knows the way.

All of the escapes featured in this guide are available as daily tours with Splitdyboat. Whether you want to kayak through the Ninepin sea arches, snorkel at Long Mong Wan, swim in Kau Sai Wan's infinity pool, or explore the Geopark by yacht — we're running trips every day throughout the summer. Check our schedule, pick your adventure, and book online. Same-day booking is often available.

Ready to discover the Hong Kong most people never see? Browse our island hopping and kayaking tours and book your escape today.

🛥️ Geopark Four Sea Arches Volcano Sightseeing Yacht Tour (4 hours)

🛥️ Geopark Double Sea Arches Volcano Sightseeing Yacht Tour (2.5 hours)


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