Da Nang beaches: where to swim, where the lifeguards are and when the sea is calm
Da Nang beaches: My Khe and Pham Van Dong near the centre, Bac My An and Non Nuoc to the south, the Son Tra coves, Nam O and Xuan Thieu to the north. When the sea is calm, what the flags mean, where lifeguards are and how not to lose your phone.
Da Nang's main beach is My Khe (Mỹ Khê): about 9 km of sand along Võ Nguyên Giáp street, from the Son Tra peninsula to the Marble Mountains, 10–20 minutes by taxi from the centre. The stretch by Biển Đông Park is known as Pham Van Dong beach; further south come Bac My An and Non Nuoc. The sea is calmest from April to August. From September to December rip currents run along the shore, worst in October and November. Swim only between the flags where lifeguards are on duty: in summer from 4:30 to 19:00.
Sights and attractions: addresses and contacts Open in Telegram
Which Da Nang beach should I choose?
| Beach | Where and how far | What's different |
|---|---|---|
| My Khe (Mỹ Khê) | along Võ Nguyên Giáp, 10–20 min by taxi from the centre | about 9 km of sand, lifeguards in buoyed and flagged zones, cafés and hotels nearby |
| Pham Van Dong (Phạm Văn Đồng) | by Biển Đông Park, at the end of Phạm Văn Đồng street; about 10 min by motorbike from the centre over the bridge | public beach with freshwater showers and changing rooms; a night swimming zone nearby in summer |
| Bac My An (Bắc Mỹ An) | about 7 km south-east of the centre, by the Furama resort | resorts sit back from the sand, fewer people than near the centre |
| Non Nuoc (Non Nước) | at the foot of the Marble Mountains, about 15 min from My Khe | nearly 5 km of sand, moderate waves, surfing, lifeguards on duty |
| Tien Sa (Tiên Sa), Son Tra | end of Yết Kiêu street, about 9 km north-east | a cove between two rocky headlands, white sand, paid entry, freshwater showers |
| Bai But (Bãi Bụt), Son Tra | by Linh Ung Pagoda, 10–15 km from the centre | steep seabed, clear water, snorkelling; the peninsula road is open in daytime only |
| Xuan Thieu (Xuân Thiều) | about 13 km north-west along Nguyễn Tất Thành | the seabed drops steeply, people swim close to shore; view of Hai Van Pass |
| Nam O (Nam Ô) | 15–17 km north-west, at the foot of Hai Van Pass | a rocky reef and a fish-sauce fishing village; a place to walk, not to swim |
My Khe, the Marble Mountains and the Son Tra peninsula are marked on the map in the Sights and attractions section.
When is the sea calm in Da Nang?
The sea in Da Nang is calmest from April to August, and smoothest from May to August. September to December is the rainy season: big waves and rip currents along the shore, peaking in October and November, when red flags go up often. January and February are windy with cool water; people swim only on quiet days. After heavy rain, stay out of the sea for a day or two — muddy runoff from the streets drains into it.
Where are the lifeguards in Da Nang?
Da Nang lifeguards cover the main city beaches along Võ Nguyên Giáp — Trường Sa in the east and Nguyễn Tất Thành in the north-west. In summer the shift runs from 4:30 to 19:00; out of season there are fewer posts and some beaches go unwatched. Lifeguards wear yellow shirts and red shorts, plant flags by holes and currents every morning, and mark the safe zone with buoys. From 2022 to April 2025 they pulled about 200 people out of the water. Once you are past the buoys, nobody is watching you.
What do the beach flags mean?
A red flag on a Da Nang beach means no swimming. Yellow means caution: a current or murky water. A pair of red-and-yellow flags marks the zone lifeguards watch — swim only between them. The city has put up more than 100 signs about currents and swimming bans at dangerous spots; they are in Vietnamese and English, but the English is sometimes small or faded. If you hear a whistle or the end-of-shift signal, get out of the water.
What if a current pulls me out?
A rip current can pull you away from the shore even on a shallow, gently sloping beach, and it is often invisible from land. If you are being pulled out, don't swim against it: swim parallel to the shore until it lets go, then head in. If you can't, float on your back and wave. On 27 April 2026 a lifeguard with a rescue ring brought back two Indian tourists who had swum past the buoys at Tan Tra (Tân Trà) beach.
Can I swim in the evening?
In summer 2026 Da Nang ran two night swimming zones from 19:00 to 22:00: north of Biển Đông Park (Pham Van Dong beach) and My An night beach between the Nguyễn Văn Thoại and Hoàng Kế Viêm junctions, next to An Thượng tourist street. Both have lighting and lifeguards. On other beaches, stay out of the water after dark: you can't see a current and there is nobody to help.
How do I keep my phone safe on the beach?
Don't leave your phone or bag on the sand while you swim — not even under a T-shirt. On 1 June 2026 a tourist from Kazakhstan went into the sea at My Khe for 15 minutes and came back to find two phones gone; the thief was caught that evening. In April 2025 a beach patrol caught a thief who took a Russian tourist's bag left by the water. Have someone stay with your things and leave valuables at the hotel.
What are the Son Tra beaches like?
The beaches of the Son Tra peninsula — Tien Sa, Bai But and smaller coves — have a steep seabed and clear water, and people come with a mask and snorkel. The road onto the peninsula is open from 7:30 to 18:30 from March to September and until 17:30 from October to February; it closes in storms — in September 2025 Typhoon Bualoi shut the peninsula for three days. In big waves, stay off the rocks by the water. For a motorbike, see renting a motorbike in Da Nang.
Can I swim at Nam O and Xuan Thieu?
Nam O is a fishing village below Hai Van Pass, 15–17 km from the centre. People come for the rocky reef: in February and March the rocks turn green with moss, and in September low tide uncovers lines of black volcanic rock. On 29 March 2026 waves swept two children, aged 4 and 7, who had come without adults, off Nam O beach; a beachgoer rescued them. Xuan Thieu, 3 km to the south, has a steeply shelving seabed — swim close to shore. We found no lifeguard posts listed for Nam O or Xuan Thieu: swim only when other people are around, and no deeper than you can stand.
Also on the topic: Da Nang districts: where to stay for a holiday or a long stay — new names since 2025.
Frequently asked questions
What is the sea like in Da Nang? Open sea with long sandy beaches. From April to August it is calm; from September to December there are big waves and currents, peaking in October and November.
Which beach is closest to the centre? My Khe and its stretch by Biển Đông Park, Pham Van Dong beach: 10–20 minutes by taxi from the centre, about 10 minutes by motorbike over the bridge.
Are there lifeguards? Yes, on the main city beaches: in summer from 4:30 to 19:00, in zones marked with buoys and red-and-yellow flags. Past the buoys and outside the shift, nobody is watching.
What does a red flag mean? No swimming. Yellow means caution — a current or murky water; a pair of red-and-yellow flags marks the zone lifeguards watch.
Can I swim in October and November? Only on quiet days and only between the flags where lifeguards are on duty. These are the months with the strongest rip currents, and red flags go up often.
Can I swim at night? In summer, only in the two night zones from 19:00 to 22:00: by Biển Đông Park and at My An night beach. On other beaches, stay out of the water after dark.
Is there theft on the beach? Sometimes: in 2025 and 2026 thieves were caught on Da Nang beaches taking tourists' phones and bags left on the sand. Keep someone with your things.
Where is it quieter? Bac My An and Non Nuoc south of the centre, and the Son Tra coves in the north. On Son Tra the seabed is steep and the road is open in daytime only.
Which beach in Da Nang is the most famous? My Khe (Mỹ Khê): about 9 km of sand along Võ Nguyên Giáp street, the main city beach, 10–20 minutes from the centre by taxi. The stretch by Biển Đông Park is called Pham Van Dong beach.
What are the downsides of the sea in Da Nang? From September to December there are big waves and rip currents, peaking in October and November, when the red flag is often up. Lifeguards are not on every beach or around the clock (in summer 4:30 to 19:00), and they cannot see you beyond the buoys. After heavy rain, stay out of the sea for a day or two: muddy water runs in from the streets.
Sources and checks
My Khe length, sea seasons, flags and rip currents — the vietnamtourism.com guide to My Khe beach (updated 05.10.2026). Lifeguard shifts and numbers, buoys and signs — Báo Đà Nẵng (09.04.2025, 06.07.2024) and Báo Văn hóa (30.04.2026); night swimming zones — Báo Văn hóa (30.04.2026) and the Da Nang tourism portal. The Indian tourists' rescue — Tuổi Trẻ (28.04.2026); the children at Nam O — Tuổi Trẻ (30.03.2026). Theft — Dân Việt (02.06.2026) and Báo Văn hóa (19.04.2025). Beaches, distances and Son Tra hours — the Da Nang tourism portal, the Duy Tan University guide, VinWonders and Mia.vn; Nam O — Tuổi Trẻ (28.08.2025) and the Da Nang tourism portal (17.06.2026); the Son Tra typhoon closure — Báo Văn hóa (27.09.2025). Rainy season — Da Nang weather-station norms from QCVN 02:2022/BXD. All pages opened on 22 October 2026. Updated 22.10.2026.