Singapore is a city of the tropics, and warm, swimmable water is never far away. Sentosa's trio of imported-sand beaches — family-friendly Palawan, lively Siloso and stylish Tanjong — headline the scene, but locals flock to the 15 km ribbon of East Coast Park for cycling and seafood, escape to laid-back Changi, or take a ferry to the untouched white sand of Lazarus Island. Here are 7 of the best beaches and coastal escapes, with facilities, atmosphere and how to reach each one.
Palawan Beach
Area
Sentosa
Facilities
Family-friendly, calm water, playgrounds, cafés
“Cross the wobbly suspension bridge to the twin islets billed as the 'southernmost point of continental Asia' — the calm, shallow water makes this the best Sentosa beach for young kids.”
Siloso Beach
Area
Sentosa
Facilities
Beach bars, watersports, volleyball, activities
“The liveliest Sentosa beach — beach volleyball, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and the Wave House surf simulator, plus bars that party into the evening.”
Tanjong Beach
Area
Sentosa
Facilities
Quiet, upscale beach club, calm water
“The calmest, classiest Sentosa beach — come to relax rather than for activities, and book a daybed at Tanjong Beach Club for the full stylish, DJ-soundtracked experience.”
East Coast Park
Area
East Coast
Facilities
15 km promenade, cycling, BBQ, hawker seafood
“Rent a bike and ride the 15 km coastal path, then feast at the East Coast Lagoon Food Village — its BBQ satay and chilli crab are a local weekend institution.”
Changi Beach
Area
Changi (East)
Facilities
Quiet, BBQ, plane spotting, village nearby
“One of Singapore's oldest, quietest beaches — perfect for watching planes descend into Changi Airport; combine it with the rustic seafood of nearby Changi Village.”
Lazarus Island
Area
Southern Islands
Facilities
Undeveloped, white sand, no shops — bring supplies
“Singapore's most beautiful hidden beach — untouched white sand with no development, so pack your own food, water and shade and take everything home with you.”
Coney Island
Area
North-East (Punggol)
Facilities
Nature reserve, cycling, birdwatching, rustic beaches
“Cycle over from Punggol for a wild, rustic escape — the island is a nature park with quiet beaches and abundant birdlife; bring water and repellent, as there are no shops.”
Singapore beaches in detail
1.Palawan Beach
Palawan Beach is the most family-oriented of Sentosa's three main beaches, a curve of imported golden sand backed by palms and casuarina trees on the southern shore of the island. Its calm, shallow, sheltered water — warm at around 28°C year-round — makes it ideal for small children to paddle and swim safely, and the beach is well served with playgrounds, toilets, showers, and a cluster of casual cafés and restaurants for lunch and drinks. Its most famous feature is the rickety, romantic suspension bridge that sways across to a pair of tiny rocky islets crowned with wooden viewing towers, marked with a sign proclaiming this the 'southernmost point of continental Asia' — a slightly tongue-in-cheek claim, but a fun photo spot and a mini-adventure for children who love the bouncing crossing. Climb the towers for a view out over the Singapore Strait and the endless queue of ships waiting to enter one of the world's busiest ports. Like all of Sentosa's beaches, the sand and lagoons are man-made and the setting is more manicured resort than wild nature, but the beach is clean, pretty and superbly equipped, and it comes alive with families at weekends and school holidays. It is free to use once you are on the island, which you reach cheaply via the Sentosa Express monorail. Combine a few hours here with the island's other attractions, and consider staying for the Wings of Time sound-and-light show staged over the water on the neighbouring beach at dusk.
Hours
Always open; lifeguards & facilities in daylight hours
Price
Free (Sentosa entry from S$4 via monorail)
Getting there
Sentosa Express to Beach Station, then the free beach tram or a short walk
Insider tip: Cross the wobbly suspension bridge to the twin islets billed as the 'southernmost point of continental Asia' — the calm, shallow water makes this the best Sentosa beach for young kids.
2.Siloso Beach
Siloso Beach is the liveliest and most action-packed of Sentosa's beaches, the go-to strand for anyone who wants their beach day to come with a side of activity and atmosphere. Stretching along the north-western end of the island, its golden sand is the setting for beach volleyball courts, kayak and stand-up paddleboard hire, and a whole cluster of adventure attractions nearby, from the Wave House surf simulator where you can ride an artificial barrel wave, to bungee jumps, a giant swing and ziplines run by AJ Hackett, and indoor skydiving at iFly close by. When you have had enough activity, a string of beach bars and restaurants lines the sand, several of which keep going into the evening with music and drinks, giving Siloso a fun, sociable, slightly party-ish vibe, especially at weekends. The water is calm and swimmable, and there are the usual showers, toilets and changing facilities, plus plenty of shady spots under the trees. It is the easiest beach to reach, right by the Beach Station terminus of the Sentosa Express and served by the free beach tram and shuttle. As with all of Sentosa's beaches, the sand is imported and the palm-fringed setting is engineered rather than natural, and the view takes in the ships of the harbour, but it is clean, well-run and genuinely fun. For families with older children and teenagers, groups of friends or anyone who likes a beach with plenty going on, Siloso is the pick of the island, and it is free to enjoy once you have made the short, cheap trip across.
Hours
Always open; bars later
Price
Free (Sentosa entry from S$4); activities charged separately
Getting there
Sentosa Express to Beach Station, a short walk or beach tram west to Siloso
Insider tip: The liveliest Sentosa beach — beach volleyball, kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and the Wave House surf simulator, plus bars that party into the evening.
3.Tanjong Beach
Tanjong Beach is the most tranquil and upscale of Sentosa's three main beaches, tucked away at the quieter southern end of the island and blissfully free of the watersports and activity operators that buzz around Siloso. This is the beach to come to when you simply want to relax: a long, gently curving crescent of sand and calm water, more spacious and serene than its neighbours, favoured by those in the know who want to escape the biggest crowds. Its social heart is the fashionable Tanjong Beach Club, one of the coolest venues on the island, with a beautiful beachfront swimming pool, cushioned daybeds and cabanas, a stylish all-day food and drinks menu and resident DJs who turn lazy afternoons into buzzy sunset parties, particularly during its famous monthly beach events. You do not have to spend at the club to enjoy the beach — the sand and sea are free and open to all — but a daybed with a minimum spend is a lovely way to pass a day here. The relative seclusion and the elegant, laid-back atmosphere give Tanjong a genuine getaway feel, a world away from the theme parks a short tram ride to the north. It is at its most beautiful in the late afternoon and at sunset, when the light softens over the water and the beach club begins to hum. For couples, groups of friends and anyone who prefers style and calm over activity and crowds, Tanjong is the pick of Sentosa's beaches, reached easily via the free beach tram from the Sentosa Express.
Hours
Always open; beach club Tue–Sun
Price
Free (Sentosa entry from S$4); beach-club daybeds carry a minimum spend
Getting there
Sentosa Express to Beach Station, then the beach tram to the quieter southern end
Insider tip: The calmest, classiest Sentosa beach — come to relax rather than for activities, and book a daybed at Tanjong Beach Club for the full stylish, DJ-soundtracked experience.
4.East Coast Park
East Coast Park is the most-loved stretch of coastline in Singapore, a 15-kilometre ribbon of reclaimed land running along the south-eastern shore that serves as the city's giant seaside playground and the number-one destination for a local weekend outing. Unlike Sentosa's resort beaches, this is where Singaporeans themselves come to relax: to cycle, jog, rollerblade and skateboard along the long coastal path, to fly kites and picnic on the grass, to camp and to fire up the countless barbecue pits that fill the air with the smell of grilling satay on weekend evenings. You can hire bicycles, tandems and inline skates from shops along the way, paddle a kayak, or simply stroll the palm-lined promenade with the sea on one side and the endless procession of ships waiting off the port on the other. The beach itself is a modest strip of sand, better for a paddle and a sit than serious swimming, but the real draw is the atmosphere and, above all, the food: the legendary East Coast Lagoon Food Village is an open-air seafront hawker centre renowned for its barbecued chicken wings, satay, char kway teow, carrot cake and, of course, chilli crab, eaten at plastic tables with the sea breeze and your toes almost in the sand. Free and open around the clock, well served by the Park Connector cycling network and a short taxi ride from the centre, East Coast Park offers a genuine, unpretentious slice of everyday Singaporean life, and a superb seafood meal by the sea, that many visitors miss.
Hours
Always open; food centre & shops daytime to late
Price
Free; bike hire from ~S$10/hour
Getting there
Taxi/Grab from the centre ~15 min; or MRT to Bedok (EW5)/Eunos then a bus, or cycle the Park Connector
Insider tip: Rent a bike and ride the 15 km coastal path, then feast at the East Coast Lagoon Food Village — its BBQ satay and chilli crab are a local weekend institution.
5.Changi Beach
Changi Beach is one of the oldest and most tranquil beaches in Singapore, a long, narrow strip of sand along the north-eastern coast that feels a world away from the bustle of the city and the resort polish of Sentosa. This is a quiet, old-fashioned, distinctly local beach, popular with families for gentle swimming, picnics and weekend barbecues at the pits dotted along the shore, and shaded by rows of coconut palms and casuarina trees. Its most charming quirk is that it lies directly beneath the flight path into Changi Airport, so plane-spotters and photographers gather here to watch the jets pass low overhead as they descend to land, a surprisingly mesmerising sight, especially at sunset. The beach has a poignant history too, having been a site of wartime tragedy during the Japanese occupation, commemorated by a nearby memorial. Just behind the beach lies Changi Village, a laid-back enclave with a beloved hawker centre famed for its nasi lemak and cheap, fresh seafood, and the ferry terminal from which bumboats depart for the rustic island of Pulau Ubin, making it easy to combine a relaxed beach morning with a village lunch and an island adventure. Free and rarely crowded on weekdays, Changi Beach offers a glimpse of a gentler, more nostalgic Singapore, and a peaceful antidote to the intensity of downtown. Reach it by MRT and a short bus ride, or a taxi from the centre, and pair it with Changi Village and Pulau Ubin for a rewarding day exploring the quieter eastern edge of the island.
Hours
Always open
Price
Free
Getting there
MRT Tanah Merah (EW4) then bus 2 to Changi Village, a short walk to the beach; or taxi/Grab
Insider tip: One of Singapore's oldest, quietest beaches — perfect for watching planes descend into Changi Airport; combine it with the rustic seafood of nearby Changi Village.
6.Lazarus Island
Lazarus Island is Singapore's best-kept beach secret, a genuinely idyllic and almost untouched island in the Southern Islands cluster, a short boat ride from the city yet a world away in feel. Where Sentosa is engineered resort perfection, Lazarus is the opposite: a crescent of soft white sand lapped by calm, clear turquoise water, backed by greenery and blissfully free of shops, hotels, hawkers or crowds. For a city as densely developed as Singapore, it is a rare and precious thing — a quiet, natural beach where you can swim, wade, snorkel gently, laze on the sand and watch the sun set over the sea in relative solitude, particularly on weekdays. Getting there is part of the adventure: a ferry runs a handful of daily sailings from Marina South Pier to neighbouring St John's Island, which is joined to Lazarus by a short causeway you cross on foot. Crucially, there are no facilities at all — no food stalls, no drink kiosks, no rubbish bins — so you must bring everything you need with you, including plenty of water, food, sun protection and shade, and, importantly, carry all your litter back out to keep the island pristine. That lack of amenities is exactly what keeps it so unspoilt. The effort of the journey and the need to be self-sufficient deter the crowds, rewarding those who make it with one of the most beautiful and peaceful beach experiences in the country. For a slow, back-to-nature escape and a picnic on postcard sand, Lazarus is unbeatable, and a wonderful contrast to the city's polished attractions.
Hours
Always open; ferry runs limited daily sailings
Price
Ferry ~S$18 return (via St John's Island)
Getting there
Southern Islands ferry from Marina South Pier (MRT Marina South Pier, NS28) to St John's, then a linkway to Lazarus
Insider tip: Singapore's most beautiful hidden beach — untouched white sand with no development, so pack your own food, water and shade and take everything home with you.
7.Coney Island
Coney Island, officially Coney Island Park, is a wild and refreshingly undeveloped nature reserve off the north-eastern coast at Punggol, connected to the mainland by bridges at either end and best explored on two wheels. A far cry from Sentosa or the manicured Marina Bay gardens, this roughly 130-hectare island has been deliberately kept rustic, its main path a rough coastal track winding through a mosaic of habitats — coastal forest, grassland, mangroves and casuarina woodland — that shelter a rich variety of birdlife, making it a favourite of birdwatchers, along with the occasional monitor lizard and even a resident Brahminy kite overhead. Several small, quiet beaches punctuate the shoreline, offering peaceful spots to pause, though they are for gazing and paddling rather than developed swimming. The most popular way to experience it is to hire a bicycle near Punggol and ride out along the scenic Punggol Point promenade and across the bridge, looping through the island on its trails, a lovely half-day of gentle outdoor activity that showcases a greener, wilder side of Singapore. As a nature reserve it has minimal facilities — a few basic toilets and boardwalk lookouts but no shops or food — so bring your own water, snacks, sun protection and insect repellent, and note that it closes at dusk. The regenerated Punggol district nearby, with its waterway, park connectors and eateries, rounds out the trip. For cyclists, nature lovers and anyone wanting to escape the crowds into genuine coastal wilderness within the city limits, Coney Island is a rewarding and free-to-enter discovery.
Hours
Daily 07:00–19:00
Price
Free
Getting there
MRT Punggol (NE17), then a walk or cycle via Punggol Point Park to the island's western bridge
Insider tip: Cycle over from Punggol for a wild, rustic escape — the island is a nature park with quiet beaches and abundant birdlife; bring water and repellent, as there are no shops.