Kathy and I spent three months in Vietnam in 2026, based in Da Nang. Twice we packed a bag and headed down to Hoi An for a week: once in our second week and again in our fourth. Both times we stayed out by the beach instead of in the old town, and the two stays could not have felt more different.
If you're trying to decide where to stay in Hoi An by the beach, here's our honest take on Cua Dai, Cam Thanh, and An Bang, the beach we liked so much we want to stay there next time.
Quick answer
- Cua Dai: a walkable beach strip with restaurants, a lighthouse nearby and hotels with real amenities. The beach itself is fighting serious erosion, so check current conditions.
- Cam Thanh: quiet, green and close to the coconut forest, but not walkable. You'll want a scooter, and finding food takes more effort.
- An Bang: our pick for next time. It's a beautiful beach just up the road, and we loved our meals there.
Stay 1: Fivitel Hoi An, across from Cua Dai Beach
For our first Hoi An week, we stayed at Fivitel Hoi An, a hotel right across the road from Cua Dai Beach. The beach is just a short walk down, and the official beach sign and restaurant area is about a 10-minute walk.
The hotel was a great base. It has a rooftop pool, a spa and a good buffet breakfast, which is exactly what you want after a hot day. Nearby there's a beautiful lighthouse, the Cua Dai Lighthouse, which stands at the mouth of the Thu Bon River where it meets the sea.
We ate along the restaurant row on that strip most days, and that's where we found Bamboo, the family restaurant that became our regular (it gets its own post). On that first trip, the beach was still in good shape.
Who it's for: travelers who want a hotel with a pool, spa and breakfast, and who like being able to walk to dinner.
Stay 2: a condo in Cam Thanh
Two weeks later, we came back and tried something different: Gold Riverside Apartment & Villa - Casamia, in Cam Thanh. It was a condo with a nice pool right outside our door, which we loved.
The trade-off was location. It was not walkable, so we rented a scooter, and finding food was harder than on the Cua Dai strip. If you like to wander out the door and stumble into a good meal, that matters.
The upside is that Cam Thanh is right by the famous coconut forest, where locals paddle visitors around in round basket boats (also called coconut boats). We didn't even know they were that close until a local lady on a motorbike made sure we found out, but that's a story for our getting-around post.
Who it's for: longer stays, people who want a kitchen and a pool, and travelers comfortable on a scooter.
An honest note on Cua Dai's erosion
I want to be straight with you, because it affects where you should book. Between our two visits, things changed at Cua Dai. By our second trip, there was construction along the beach ahead of rainy season, equipment on the sand and murky water from the erosion.
Locals told us the erosion has gotten bad. Cua Dai used to be a big, beautiful beach, like the ones in Da Nang, and it has shrunk a lot over roughly the past five years. The family at Bamboo told us the same thing: when the beach was great, the tourists came, and when the beach went, many of the tourists went too.
The news backs this up. Storms and high tides in late 2025 washed away sections of temporary embankments at Cua Dai and cut into the shoreline, and local authorities have been working on protective dikes and other shoreline projects. It's an ongoing situation, so check recent reviews and photos before you book a beach hotel there.
That said, we still enjoyed our time at Cua Dai. The hotel, the restaurant strip and the people made it worthwhile. Just go in with the right expectations about the beach itself.
An Bang: where we'd stay next
While we were in Hoi An, we took day trips to An Bang Beach, just down the road. It's beautiful, and we had several meals there. We hope to stay there on a future trip.
An Bang is a few kilometers north of the old town. It has had its own erosion battles too, and the area has been working on shoreline protection, so like anywhere on this coast, check current conditions before you book.
Who it's for: beach lovers who want good food within walking distance of the sand.
Cua Dai vs. Cam Thanh vs. An Bang at a glance
| Area | Personality | Best for | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cua Dai (Fivitel) | Hotel strip by the sea, lighthouse nearby | Walkable dinners, hotel comforts | Ongoing beach erosion and construction |
| Cam Thanh (condo) | Quiet, green, near the coconut forest | Longer stays, pool, kitchen | Not walkable; food takes more effort |
| An Bang | Beautiful beach with good restaurants | Beach days and meals by the sand | Check current shoreline conditions |
Tips for picking your Hoi An beach base
- Decide whether you want to walk. Cua Dai's strip was walkable for us; Cam Thanh wasn't.
- Check recent beach photos. Erosion changes this coast fast, sometimes between visits only weeks apart.
- Plan your food. If your stay isn't near a restaurant row, budget time (and a scooter or Grab) for meals.
- Base in Da Nang if you like. Hoi An is now part of Da Nang city after the July 2025 merger, and it's an easy trip down. Our Da Nang First-Timer Guide covers the basics of a Da Nang base.
Heading there soon? We put the essentials in our Hoi An Travel Guide ($3.99 PDF). More trips are in our Southeast Asia guides.
FAQ
Is Cua Dai Beach still worth visiting? For us, yes, for the hotels, the restaurants and the people. But the beach has been heavily eroded, and on our second visit there was construction and murky water. Check current conditions before you book a beach-focused stay.
Which is better, An Bang or Cua Dai? For a beach stay right now, we'd pick An Bang. It's where we'd stay next time.
Is Cam Thanh a good place to stay? It's quiet and close to the coconut forest, and our condo had a lovely pool. It isn't walkable, so plan on a scooter or Grab, and expect food to take more effort.
How far is the beach from Hoi An Old Town? Both Cua Dai and An Bang are a short ride from the old town, roughly 4 to 5 kilometers.