Tanote Bay is on the east side of Koh Tao, facing the open Gulf. It is one of the quieter spots on the island — a pleasant bay with reasonable snorkelling directly from the beach, a handful of bungalow operations, and a noticeably more relaxed atmosphere than the west-coast tourist strip. The rocky headlands at either end of the bay are good for rock jumping into the water below.
The road to Tanote Bay from Mae Haad is steep and unpaved in sections — most rental motorbikes will manage it in dry weather, but it becomes tricky after rain. The alternative is to arrive by longtail boat, which most operators at Mae Haad can arrange. The bay is almost always calmer than the west coast, making it a good option when the prevailing winds are from the southwest.