Hong Kong is not primarily a beach destination, but the territory has dozens of beaches — some patrolled, some wild — mostly along the south side of Hong Kong Island and on the outlying islands. The water is warm from May through October. Lifeguards are stationed at main beaches during the season; shark nets protect most of the popular ones.
The three most accessible beaches from the city are Repulse Bay, Deep Water Bay, and Shek O, all on the south side of Hong Kong Island. For longer stretches of sand with fewer crowds, the outlying islands are better: Cheung Sha on Lantau is the longest beach in the territory, and the beaches on Lamma and Cheung Chau are easy to reach by ferry from Central.