Maya Bay (Maya Beach)

There are in fact several beaches here, but most are small and some only exist at low tide. The main beach, where most boats drop passengers just offshore, is a 200-meter long strip of silky white sand. It’s surrounded by clear waters filled with colorful coral and an abundance of exotic fish, making it an absolute haven for snorkelers. Walking inland is also a treat, with a path that winds through lush greenery and reveals some simply spectacular scenery.

It’s true that Maya Bay’s popularity has taken a certain degree of the shine from this once little-heard of slice of paradise. It’s become so well-known that its shores are filled with hoards of boats dropping visitors off and picking them up throughout the day, particularly in peak season. Visitors should arrive early in the morning to avoid the larger part of the crowds.

Please note: Maya Bay (Maya Beach) is closed indefinitely due to overtourism.

Visiting Maya Bay is such a popular activity that arranging transport is incredibly easy. You can visit from both Phuket and Krabi on organized tours, or, if staying on Koh Phi Phi, simply hop on a tour from there or charter your own longtail boat for the day. If not visiting as part of an organized tour, you’ll need to pay a National Park entry fee (currently 200 baht).

No, Maya Bay is not still closed to tourists—it reopened in January 2022. It was closed between 2018 and 2022 to let the ecosystem recover from the effects of overtourism, and it’s still intermittently closed for shorter periods, either for safety or environmental reasons. The number of daily visitors is capped, and swimming isn’t allowed in the bay.

Yes, Maya Bay is very beautiful and worth visiting. However, if you don’t like crowds and want to swim, you may prefer other nearby destinations. Swimming isn’t allowed in Maya Bay, but is at many other beaches, including those on Ko Lao Liang, Ko Lao La Ding, and Koh Lanta.

Yes, most tours of the Phi Phi Islands include Maya Bay. Other common Phi Phi Islands tours destinations include Bamboo Island, Ko Tup, Monkey Beach, Pileh Lagoon, and Chicken Island. Tours may not stop at Maya Bay if closed, but in such cases, they often sail past so you can take a look.

You can no longer swim at Maya Bay to protect the coral and the local shark population. These were seriously damaged by overtourism, leading to Maya Bay’s closure between 2018 and 2022. The ecosystem is recovering, and the water is much cleaner than it was, so the Thai authorities want this to continue.

The entry fee to Maya Bay is 400 baht (about US$11) for adults and 200 baht for kids. This is a fee for the Phi Phil National Park. However, this is usually included in the price of tours to Maya Bay, so you don’t need to pay extra. Be careful of scammers who might try to get you to pay twice.

Yes, there are toilets at Maya Bay. They are further behind the beach than the drink and snack shack. However, they’re not in a great state, so avoid using them unless you have to. There are also toilets at Bamboo Island, where many Phi Phi Islands tours also stop.