Tai Long Wan tide times

Tai Long Wan — literally Big Wave Bay in Cantonese — is four beaches on the northeastern face of the Sai Kung Peninsula, open to the South China Sea. In a territory where most beaches are surrounded by development, Tai Long Wan is an anomaly: no road access, no permanent shops, and a view from the beach headlands that contains nothing built by human hands. The four beaches — Sai Wan (west), Ham Tin Wan, Tai Wan, and Tung Wan (east) — are separated by rocky headlands and connected at low water by a coastal path that skirts the cliff bases. The hike in, via the MacLehose Trail Section 2 from Pak Tam Chung, takes 2 to 2.5 hours over rough terrain; the kaido (water taxi) from Sai Kung town arrives in 30 to 40 minutes.

The tidal regime at Tai Long Wan is the same mixed semidiurnal system as the rest of the eastern New Territories coast. Spring range is approximately 1.8 metres. The beaches are northeast-facing, and the dominant wave direction is from the northeast — typhoon residual swell propagates south and southwest after systems dissipate north of the Philippines between August and November, and Tai Long Wan receives this swell almost directly. In an active typhoon autumn, consistent beach break develops on Ham Tin Wan and Tung Wan in the 1 to 1.5 metre swell range. Tidal position influences the surf zone: the mid-rising tide on spring days puts the break in the most shapely part of the sandbar profile.

Of the four beaches, Ham Tin Wan is the most accessible and the most used for water entry activities. A freshwater stream drains across the beach from the valley behind — the stream outlet shifts position with seasonal sediment movement. The beach has a small village at its inland edge where local families run basic refreshment stalls (congee, instant noodles, cold drinks) on a seasonal basis — the most reliable source of food and water for hikers who have not carried sufficient supplies. Camping at the designated sites behind Ham Tin Wan is possible without a permit, first-come first-served.

Tai Wan is the flattest and longest of the four beaches, backed by a low coastal barrier that occasionally floods in typhoon conditions. Tung Wan, at the eastern end, has the most exposed position and the roughest sea conditions. Sai Wan, at the western end, is the most sheltered and the most popular for swimming. The headland between Sai Wan and Ham Tin Wan offers the best panoramic view of the bay complex — a 20-minute scramble from either beach.

The inter-beach coastal path at low water springs links all four beaches without requiring the inland track. The path traverses rock platforms at the base of the headland cliffs. It is not marked and requires scrambling in places — not suitable for inexperienced coastal walkers. Wear shoes that grip wet rock. The platform is safely accessible only in calm conditions; assess swell height from the headland before descending.

Migratory seabirds pass through the outer Sai Kung waters in October to December: brown booby, red-necked phalarope, and Streaked shearwater have been recorded from the headlands. Chinese white dolphin are occasionally sighted in the outer approaches.

Predictions on this page come from Open-Meteo Marine, a gridded global ocean model. Accuracy is typically within plus or minus 45 minutes on timing and 0.2 to 0.3 metres on height — model-derived, not from a local gauge. The local tide authority is the Hong Kong Observatory, which publishes annual tide tables for Hong Kong waters.