One of the longest natural sandy beaches in the world — 120 kilometres of unbroken shoreline running south along the Bay of Bengal toward the Myanmar border. The beach is wide and gently sloping, backed by casuarina trees and, closer to town, a wall of hotels. The waves are moderate, good enough for swimming when the sea is calm between November and March.
The character of the beach shifts dramatically depending on time of day and season. On Bangladeshi public holidays and during Eid, the main stretch in front of town fills with tens of thousands of visitors — a spectacle in itself, though not necessarily conducive to a quiet swim. At sunrise on a weekday the same beach feels almost empty: just fishermen hauling nets, early walkers, and the extraordinary light. The town end (Laboni beach) is the loudest and most commercial stretch; heading south toward Kolatoli and beyond, it quietens considerably.