Is Hoi An good for a beach holiday, or is it better just for the Old Town?

An Bang beach gets specific praise: stayed at a small boutique hotel right by the beach, free loungers, very few people, calm and quiet, no waves — unlike wide 'city-style' beaches like Da Nang with no vegetation.

The Cam An area has good sea with a small reef nearby, and very few people.

At Cua Dai beach there's currently construction right on the shore, so it's worth moving to a different stretch away from that spot.

A review of Boutique Hoian Resort: the sea is great, but nearby infrastructure is weak, streets have a lot of trash and uneven sidewalks, and everything shuts down by 10 PM. Compared to the Vietnamese resort town of Mui Ne, Mui Ne felt much nicer overall.

At the far end of Hoi An's beach strip there's a small port with a lighthouse. The stretch of coast between the Marble Mountains and Hoi An is clean but has waves.

Travelers say Hoi An’s beaches are generally good and can feel less crowded than Da Nang in some areas. The main downside is that popular spots still get busy, especially on a day trip.

For an actual beach holiday, Hoi An is praised for its calm seaside atmosphere: some stays are right on the beachfront with no road to cross, and there are quieter beach stretches with loungers and cafés rather than undeveloped sand.

If you only have one day, a practical plan is to reach Hoi An beach around 9–10 AM, stay until the heat picks up, have lunch by the sea, then do the round basket boats and return to the Old Town around 4 PM. After dark, take a lit river boat ride, but expect the center to be very crowded in the evening.

If you want more than just the beach, travelers recommend VinWonders Nam Hoi An, about a 15-minute taxi ride away. It has a boat-based safari area, bird park, craft village, amusement rides, water slides, and a dancing fountain show at 7 PM.