Freedom Beach on Koh Tao in Thailand is indeed one of the best beaches on the island. The beach is known for its tropical paradise vibes, soft white sand, big rocks, turquoise water, and lush greenery in the background. It’s also a picturesque spot for sunbathing and swimming. Ideal for a day full of relaxation.
What we loved a lot was the fact that it’s a small secluded beach, which also provides a lot of shadow. When combined with John Suwan Viewpoint, you’ll have a perfect morning trip. We recommend heading to Sai Daeng Beach in the afternoon to enjoy some of Koh Tao’s best snorkeling!
If you want to learn where to find the beach, how to get there, what’s the entrance fee and what activities can you do on Freedom Beach, you’re at the right place!
Where is Freedom Beach?
Freedom Beach is situated on the southwestern coast of Koh Tao. You can find it in Chalok Ban Kao Bay, on its left edge. It’s a relatively secluded and peaceful spot compared to some busier beaches on the island.
Just on the opposite side of the hill, you will find Shark Bay as well as Aow Leuk, some of the best snorkeling spots on the island.
Before going to Freedom Beach make sure you save the location of Freedom Beach to your Google Maps in case you lose internet connection.
Where to stay on Koh Tao
The most popular area to stay is around Sairee Beach. You’ll find most restaurants around. However, this area is also a bit too loud, both during the day and night. If you’re coming to Koh Tao to relax, stay near one of many beaches.
We wrote a complete guide describing where to stay on Koh Tao, including the best areas as well as hotels and hostels for every budget.
Best hotels on Koh Tao
Check availability
How to get to Freedom beach?
On a motorbike
Freedom Beach is easily accessible by motorbike or taxi. Motorbike will be of course a cheaper and more convenient option. The rental price starts from 200 THB per day. You’ll find plenty of different motorbike rentals near Sairee Beach and Mae Haad.
Whenever renting a motorbike abroad, NEVER leave your passport as a deposit. Also, make sure to properly photograph the whole bike and all the scratches. This will help you avoid being falsely accused of damages and asked to pay large sums of money.
The road leading to the parking lot is very wide, concerete and safe. Even if you’re a complete beginner on a scooter, you’ll do just fine. Some sections might be a bit steeper though.
Once you park your vehicle, you have to pay the entrance fee. From the parking, it’s only 200 meters to the beach.
By a taxi
Another option is to travel by taxi. From Mae Haad to Freedom Beach you can expect to pay around 550 THB one way. When traveling from Sairee Beach, it might be slightly more. We recommend checking this post about getting around Koh Tao to see the pricing.
In case more people travel by taxi, you might be able to negotiate the price a little bit. But since it’s almost the only option, the drivers won’t give you a huge discount, especially during the high season.
From the parking lot
As soon as you arrive in the parking lot, you’ll see a ticket booth. From there, just keep following the sighs either to John Suwan Viewpoint or to Freedom Beach. The path is easy to follow. You’ll be on the beach in around 5 minutes.
Freedom beach Entrace fee & Opening hours
Entrance fee: 5O THB
Opening hours: 08:00 – 17:00
The entrance fee to Freedom Beach is 50 THB and includes John Suwan Viewpoint, too. You can also use free sunchairs.
While there are opening hours, the beach can be entered at any time. You won’t find any fence or a gate on the way. The opening hours are those of the ticket booth. You might be asked to pay the fee in case you arrive at the beach earlier.
About Freedom Beach
Freedom Beach offers a more relaxed and tranquil place compared to some other busier beaches on the island. Because of this, it’s an ideal place for people seeking a quiet and more laid-back atmosphere. Together with John Suwan viewpoint, it’s one of the best places to visit on Koh Tao.
What we loved about this beach the most were the huge boulders on the right side of the bay. It reminded us of Seychelles. Behind them, you can see many palm trees in the background. The highlight of this beach is the perfectly soft white sand.
To truly enjoy this beach to the fullest, come during high tide!
As mentioned above, you can use sun chairs for free. And don’t worry, there’s plenty of them! While they’re not too big, it’s quite comfortable for reading a book. You can also move them freely wherever you want. Overall the beach is tidy and well-maintained.
Since many trees are planted on the beach, you’ll have enough spots in shadow. Maybe even more than those on the sun. But if you’re goal is to go sunbathing, you’ll enjoy it, too.
Beware of sea urchins, which are hidden between the rocks not far from shore!
When it comes to swimming, it’s not where this beach shines. During low tide, the water is too shallow with many rocks and corals. Because of this, it feels uncomfortable to walk in the water. If you go to the right, close to big rocks in the sea, you can have a good dip there. However, you can’t really swim.
Freedom Beach facilities & services
If you’re looking for a place to eat right on the beach, there’s just one restaurant with a bar – Freedom Beach Bar. You’ll also find toilets here. Otherwise, there are no other facilities or services available.
Snorkeling at Freedom beach
Freedom Beach is not the best spot for snorkeling. You can certainly find different kinds of fish around. However, most of the coral is bleached or dead. Another complication is the water level. When visiting during the low to mid tide, it’s impossible to swim between the corals without touching them.
I am sure I’m not the only one who hates that and feels kind of scared when there’s nowhere to move. If you’re looking for a memorable snorkeling experience, explore other snorkeling spots on Koh Tao.
Other activities
As you might have already guessed, there’s not much to do on Freedom Beach other than eat, drink, sunbathe, and relax.
Where to eat nearby
- Freedom Beach Bar – The only restaurant directly on the beach. While the prices are higher, you have a lovely sea view, food is tasty and served quickly, and the staff is attentive.
Near Chalok Baan Kao Bay:
- Juicy on the Beach– Nice restaurant with a bar overlooking the bay. The food and drinks are not the cheapest but very tasty. They offer traditional Thai food and Western food as well. If you are craving for burgers this is the right place.
- Asia Mood, Sushi bar and restaurant – If you’ve lost your taste for Thai food or Western food, this restaurant will pleasantly surprise you. You can enjoy Japanese and Korean specialties here. The prices are higher, but you will definitely like the food.
Other places to visit nearby
Shark Bay
One of the best places for snorkeling! As the name suggests, you can often see black-tip reef sharks and sea turtles swimming around. During low tide, the water is not too deep close to the shore, though. In order to enter the beach, you have to pay a fee since it’s a private resort beach.
You can also visit Shark Bay with a snorkeling tour by Oxygen, one of the best tour companies on the island!
Sai Daeng Beach
Our personal second favorite after Tanote Bay. Sai Daeng Beach is a peaceful paradise with almost no people. Yet it offers such an incredible underwater life! You can also rent a kayak and visit the nearby Shark Island. People often meet baby black-tip reef sharks here, but we were not so lucky.
Best guided tours on Koh Tao
- Snorkel tour by Oxygen – Visit Nangyuan Island, Japanese Gardens, Mango Bay, Ao Leuk, and Hin Wong Bay. You can enjoy snorkeling at every stop. The underwater life is just incredible and this tour will be one of the highlights of your whole Thailand trip!
- Scuba diving experience – Ever tried scuba diving? How about taking your first lesson in one of the best places to get PADI in the whole world? Koh Tao is known for its lively underwater life and the best way to explore it is scuba diving!
- Daytrip by speedboat – This tour has the same itinerary as the first one by Oxygen. The only difference is, that here you can also go kayaking.
Best time to visit Freedom Beach
We came around 9 am after hiking to John Suwan Viewpoint and there were only a few other people. So if you wish to enjoy the beach with fewer people, early hours are the best.
It’s also very important to come during the high tide when the water is deep enough for swimming and snorkeling. You won’t enjoy it that much during low tide.
Best time to visit Koh Tao
Dry season: December – April
Rainy season: October – December
Koh Tao has its dry season between December and April, together with the rest of Thailand. The weather is mostly sunny with almost no rain. However, since December is on the border between monsoon and dry season, you might still experience rainy evenings.
The period between February and May is known as a hot and dry season. April is usually the hottest month. Koh Tao is a relatively humid island, with around 80% humidity. Keep this in mind and stay hydrated throughout the day. The water visibility is the best in this season.
While the west coast of Thailand is hit by southwest monsoon between May and October, Koh Tao is not very affected by this. The weather is mostly dry and windy. Therefore, the sea is not as calm anymore. But you can already expect some rainfall, mostly during late afternoons and nights.
The rainy season in Koh Tao usually starts late in October and lasts until December. November is experiencing the heaviest rains. If the monsoons arrive later, the rainy season may last longer.
Final thought on Freedom Beach
Freedom Beach is a peaceful little paradise beach on Koh Tao, which is great for relaxing and enjoying the clean sea! If you plan to go kayaking or snorkeling, plan a day trip and head to some other beaches since you won’t find that here.
Hope this guide was helpful and thank you very much for reading it!
