Railay Beach

For centuries the peninsula was a quiet place of coconut groves and fishing, cut off by the cliffs. Backpackers began arriving in the 1970s, drawn by the isolation and scenery, and climbers later began bolting the limestone walls, turning Railay into an international climbing destination.

The cave at Phra Nang is a shrine to a local sea princess, regarded as sacred by local fishermen; visitors leave offerings, including many carved wooden phalluses, in hope of fertility. Railay escaped serious damage in the 2004 tsunami, which devastated nearby Phi Phi.

Railay is small and almost entirely given over to tourism, but many of the boatmen, staff and stallholders come from nearby Muslim and Thai fishing communities around Ao Nang and Krabi. Food ranges from beachfront resort restaurants to simple Thai kitchens and roti stalls on the path between the beaches. The cave shrine at Phra Nang remains a working place of offering for local fishermen, so visitors should treat it with respect.