Kalim beach Phuket

Rocky beach with a good food market

Kalim beach is just north of Patong Beach, you can walk to it from Patong over the headland.

It’s a shallow rocky beach that comes right up to the road. At very high tides around full moons the water can come over the road.

Kalim is a good beach for rock pooling and crabbing but not really for swimming. You can rent masks and snorkels from shops opposite the beach. Try snorkeling around the boulders at the south end of the bay, watch out for fishermen casting lines off the rocks.

In the low season when the southwest monsoon brings the waves in Kalim is popular with surfers. It’s a tricky beach to surf because of the rock hazards.

Some people find a secluded spot to sunbathe but there are better beaches on Phuket for sunbathing. Really there are better Phuket beaches to stay than Kalim. (Some hotels say they are in Patong when really they are in Kalim). Better to stay in Patong and save on tuk tuk fares, or better still, stay further north in Kamala.

Kalim food market

At night Kalim comes alive and is a cool place to get a feed at sunset.

In the evening the road through Kalim comes is taken over by food stalls. You can get all sorts of food including padthai, banana pancakes, noodle soup, barbecue sticks and more. A few stalls have fold out tables and chairs where you can sit and eat. Or just sit on the sea wall.

If you need a beer you can buy one at the shops across the road.

On the headland between Patong and Kalim beaches there are some restaurants. Pan Rim Pa is the most well known (and the most expensive). On the road north past Kalim, towards Nakalay, there are more restaurants. They have amazing views over the Andaman sea.