Photo: QUANG HUYNH via Google
The verdict
- Best forSnorkellers happy to take a boat to the southern islands, where Phu Quoc keeps its coral and fish, rather than expecting reef off the long sandy mainland beaches.
- Top pickThe An Thoi islands south of the island, with Gam Ghi the richest reef and Hon Mong Tay the calmest beginner water, reached by speedboat or the Hon Thom cable car.
- One thing to knowThe famous mainland beaches such as Sao and Long Beach are postcard sand for swimming and sunsets, not snorkelling, so go south for the fish.
Published 8 April 2026. Last reviewed 8 April 2026
Phu Quoc sells itself on its mainland sand, and rightly so, since beaches like Sao curve away in a long white line under leaning palms that look engineered for a phone screen. But that same soft, sandy seabed that makes the swimming so easy is exactly why the snorkelling off the main beaches is so quiet. The island’s coral does not live along these famous shores. It lives offshore, scattered around the green knots of the An Thoi archipelago off the southern tip, and that is where you point yourself with a mask.
Reach those islands, by speedboat from An Thoi or by riding the long cable car out over the sea, and the picture changes entirely, into clear water, butterflyfish and clownfish, giant clams and the easy shallows that beginners love. We have ranked these beaches honestly for snorkelling: how alive and how reachable the reef is, how clear and calm the water stays, and how easily you can get in. The order rewards the southern launch points and the rocky mainland exceptions, and it is straight about the gorgeous sandy beaches that are made for lazing rather than looking down. Come in the dry season, take the boat, and the underwater Phu Quoc finally shows itself.
Snorkelling beaches in Phu Quoc
Scored on the health and reach of the reef, water clarity and calm, and how easily you can get in from shore or boat.
Khem Beach
A stunning curve of white sand in the south, beautiful in its own right, and crucially the gateway to the An Thoi islands and the Hon Thom cable car, the springboard for the island’s real snorkelling. The beach itself is for swimming rather than reef, but base here and you are minutes from the boats out to Gam Ghi and Hon Mong Tay. We rank it first because it puts you closest to the coral that matters.
Ong Lang
The pick of the mainland for actually getting in with a mask, a quieter, more natural west coast bay broken up by rocky outcrops and patches of reef that hold modest numbers of fish. The water is calmer and a touch clearer than the open sandy strands, and the setting among low headlands and trees is the prettiest on this coast. Not the southern islands, but the best shore snorkel you will find without a boat.
Ganh Dau
A working fishing corner at the island’s far northwest, with rocky headlands and offshore patches that hold some marine life, and a more local, unpolished feel than the resort south. The water can be clear on a calm day and the rocky edges are worth exploring, though visibility varies and there is little infrastructure. Come for the quieter character and a modest shore snorkel rather than a guaranteed reef.
Bai Dai
A long, calm northwest beach famous for its wide sunsets and gentle shallow water, lovely to swim and to watch the light fade over the sea. For snorkelling it is honest to say the bottom is mostly sand with little reef, so the fish are few. We include it as the swim and sunset beach rather than a snorkel, a beautiful place to end the day before you take a boat to the islands another morning.
Sao Beach
The island’s signature beach and one of the loveliest in Vietnam, a powder white crescent under postcard palms with clear, shallow, bath warm water. It is glorious for swimming and photographs but its sandy floor means there is almost nothing to see beneath the surface. We rank it honestly as a swim and a picture rather than a snorkel, though its southern location keeps you close to the An Thoi boats.
Vung Bau
A quiet, undeveloped northwest bay of soft sand and calm water, peaceful and pretty and good for an unhurried swim away from the crowds. Like its neighbours along this coast it is sandy underfoot with little reef, so the snorkelling is light. Come for the seclusion and the calm shallows rather than the fish, and treat any mask time here as a gentle float rather than a coral hunt.
Who it suits, who should skip
If you treat Phu Quoc as a place to laze on beautiful sand and take a boat south when you want coral, you will be very happy. Join a speedboat tour from An Thoi to Gam Ghi, Hon Mong Tay and May Rut, where the reef is alive with butterflyfish, clownfish and giant clams, and Hon Mong Tay in particular gives beginners calm, shallow water to find their confidence. Base yourself near Khem or in the south to be closest to those boats, and pick a clear dry season morning for the best visibility.
Who should skip what? Do not plan your snorkelling around Sao, Long Beach or the other long sandy strands, beautiful as they are to swim and photograph, because their seabed is sand and the fish are few. If you want a shore snorkel without a boat, Ong Lang and Ganh Dau are the rocky exceptions worth a try. There are no lifeguards on these beaches and boat traffic is real near the harbours and tour routes, so go with a buddy, stay clear of the channels and never count on supervision being present.
Where to book a base
A morning on the southern islands pairs naturally with a comfortable base back on the mainland, somewhere to leave a bag, rinse off and take a long lunch while the afternoon warms. The beach clubs and resort day beds in the south near Khem and along Long Beach are the easiest places to reserve a lounger and a parasol close to the An Thoi boats and the cable car. Tell us the beach and your dates and we will pass the enquiry to the club so they can confirm space and any minimum spend.
Book a beach club in Phu Quoc
Before you go
Where is the best snorkelling in Phu Quoc?
The An Thoi archipelago off the southern tip of the island holds the best coral and fish, reached by speedboat from An Thoi harbour or via the Hon Thom cable car. Gam Ghi island is the most rewarding reef, with butterflyfish, clownfish and giant clams, and Hon Mong Tay the calmest, shallowest water for beginners. The mainland beaches are mostly for swimming rather than coral.
Can you snorkel from the beach in Phu Quoc?
Only modestly. The mainland beaches such as Sao and Long Beach are sandy swimming beaches with little reef, so there is not much to see from the shore. Ong Lang on the west coast and Ganh Dau at the northwest tip have rocky sections that hold some fish and are the better mainland options. For real coral you take a boat to the An Thoi islands in the south.
How do you get to the An Thoi islands for snorkelling?
Most snorkellers join a speedboat tour from An Thoi harbour at the southern end of the island, often visiting Gam Ghi, Hon Mong Tay and May Rut in a half or full day with gear included. You can also ride the long Hon Thom cable car over the sea and arrange snorkelling from there. Either way the southern islands, not the mainland sand, are the reason to bring a mask.
When is the best time to snorkel in Phu Quoc?
The dry season from roughly November to April brings calm seas and the clearest water for the southern islands, while the wet season later in the year can bring rougher, murkier conditions and fewer boat trips. Mornings are usually flattest. Conditions are typical and never guaranteed, so check the day's sea state and whether tours are running before you head out.
Is Sao Beach good for snorkelling?
Sao Beach is one of the most beautiful swimming beaches in Vietnam, a long curve of powder white sand and clear shallow water, but the bottom is sand rather than reef, so there is little to see with a mask. Come to Sao to swim, laze and photograph the famous palms and water, then take a boat from nearby An Thoi to the islands when you want coral and fish.