National 5A Scenic AreaSouth China
Sanya Tropical Coast
三亚热带海岸 · Hainan, Sanya
China's premier tropical beach destination, with palm-fringed bays, coral reefs and year-round warmth.
Sanya, on the southern tip of Hainan Island, is China's only tropical seaside resort city, ringed by a string of crescent bays — Yalong Bay, Dadonghai, Sanya Bay and Haitang Bay — with soft sand, clear water and palm trees. Beyond the beaches lie tropical rainforest, hot springs and offshore islands for diving and snorkelling.
Long a remote southern frontier known to exiled officials in imperial times, Hainan was designated a province and special economic zone in 1988. Sanya grew into a national resort destination from the 1990s and is now building a free-trade port, while retaining the laid-back fishing-village charm of spots like the Houhai surf bay.
Day-by-day routes you won't find online — now starting with an 8-day, 1,500 km loop through western Sichuan. New regions are added regularly; tell us where you want to drive next.
