Skip to content What is Cua Dai Beach like in 2026?
Cua Dai is the stretch of coast at the mouth of the Thu Bon River, 4 to 5 km east of Hoi An’s old town. It was once the standard answer to “where is Hoi An’s beach”, with a long sweep of pale sand and a row of resorts. Erosion has taken most of that. Storms between 23 October and 3 November 2025 swept away roughly 8 km of coast between Cua Dai and An Bang, so Cua Dai is now narrow, patchy and partly a building site for sea defences. See the Hoi An guide for the town and the other beaches.
The erosion story
Cua Dai has lost sand for more than two decades. Research on the beach describes a shoreline that retreated by hundreds of metres and washed out resorts, and a May 2026 beach survey says it has lost much of its width since 2014 despite an earlier restoration project. Groynes, sand fill and sea walls have been tried.
The latest damage came in the October to November 2025 storms. VnExpress reported that waves cut vertical cliffs 6 to 7 m high behind the beach bars on Nguyen Phan Vinh Street and destroyed a number of restaurants and guesthouses. The government’s response is a roughly 982 billion dong project funded by French development loans and EU grants, with submerged breakwaters about 250 m offshore and sand replenishment, due for completion in 2026. How much of it is finished is best checked locally, through your hotel.
Hoi An and Cua Dai are now part of Da Nang city, following the 1 July 2025 provincial merger.
What you can still do at Cua Dai
Take a boat to the Cham Islands
Cua Dai pier is the main departure point for speedboats and public boats to the Cham Islands, 15 km offshore. Morning departures are common, and boats may not run in rough weather.
Stay at a resort
The road towards the river mouth has resorts with pools, quiet rooms and a free shuttle into town. Check recent reviews and the current state of the sand before booking a beach resort. Some stretches have little or no beach.
Eat at the seafood stalls
The seafood kiosks that have run along the beach for years are still the reason to come at dusk, if your stall is open. Prices are higher than in town.
Where to swim instead
An Bang, to the north, is the beach most visitors use now, with beach bars and a calmer atmosphere, although it was also damaged by the 2025 storms. The Cham Islands have the clearest water from March to September. Both are covered on the Hoi An page.
Swimming safety
The sea around Hoi An is calmest from April to September. From October to March it is rough, and there can be rip currents and red flags. Swim only where lifeguards are on duty, and don’t swim alone.
Getting there
Cua Dai is a 10 to 15 minute taxi ride from the old town, or a short bicycle ride along the river road. If you are arriving by air, Da Nang airport is about 45 to 60 minutes away by road.
For the history of the port that made the beach a gateway, see the history of Hoi An and My Son.