Wuzhizhou Island

　　Guide: Wuzhizhou Island, anciently known as "Guqizhou," is also called Lovers' Island. It lies 2.7 kilometers off the northeast coast of Sanya City and is one of the few small islands around Hainan Island that has freshwater resources and rich vegetation.

　　Highlights:

　　1. Wuzhizhou Island enjoys the reputation of being "China’s No. 1 diving base." The underwater world is colorful, featuring some of China’s best-preserved ecological coral reefs.

　　2. Located in Sanya’s Haitang Bay, Wuzhizhou Island is outside the typhoon corridor. Unlike most northern islands, it is a natural tropical plant kingdom with lush greenery, where you can even find the dragon blood tree dating back to the dinosaur era.

　　Introduction:

　　Wuzhizhou Island boasts beautiful and layered landscapes. The central part of the island features gentle rolling slopes covered with entwined vines, purple flowers, and green fruits, accompanied by the sounds of cicadas and birds. The western and northern parts form a crescent-shaped silvery beach with fine, uniform sand. The sea transitions from crystal-clear to emerald green, then light blue, and finally deep blue—vivid and distinct in layers. The eastern and southern parts are dominated by two connected peaks, with the highest reaching 79.9 meters. The area is rugged with rocky outcrops and roaring waves. During strong winds or high tides, waves can surge up to ten meters, creating a unique mountain-and-sea spectacle.

　　Wuzhizhou Island primarily offers leisure activities and marine and underwater entertainment. There are uniquely designed resort villas, wooden houses, bars, tennis courts, seafood restaurants, and more. The island also provides over 30 types of marine and beach recreational activities including diving, semi-submersible sightseeing, sea fishing, water skiing, sailing, windsurfing, motorboats, banana boats, canoes, parasailing, bouncy boats, beach motorcycles, parasailing, beach volleyball, and beach soccer—delivering visitors an experience that is primitive, serene, romantic, and vibrant.

　　Wuzhizhou Island also features the ancient Mazu Temple, also known as the “Sea’s Three Viewpoints.” If you stay on the island, be sure to visit Gu Ri Yan (Sunrise Rock) to watch the sunrise—it's one of the best spots in Hainan for sunrises. An ancient legend of Wuzhizhou Island: It is said that there was once a river in Sanya. Due to slash-and-burn farming by upstream mountain villagers, the vegetation was severely damaged. Whenever mountain floods occurred, mud and rocks would pour down through the Tengqiao River into the sea, turning the once clear blue waters murky. The Dragon King reported this to the Jade Emperor, who then used his divine sword to cut off a section of the mountain seven kilometers away at Qiongnan Ridge and ordered two divine oxen to block the river mouth. However, their mission was interrupted when someone discovered them and revealed the secret, causing the oxen to stop and turn into two giant rocks. The mountain became an island. The two rocks are known as Sister Rocks, and the island was named Guqizhou, now known as Wuzhizhou Island.

　　Some recreational activities on Wuzhizhou Island: Semi-submersible sightseeing boat: 160 RMB per person for 30 minutes (children under 1.1m free). Sit in the cabin and view various marine life through special observation windows, usually seeing a variety of soft and hard corals, tropical fish, sea cucumbers, sea urchins, and more. Each semi-submersible boat can accommodate up to 60 people at a time.

　　Jet Ski: 150–500 RMB per person for 10 minutes. Jet skiing combines competition, thrill, and sightseeing, and is a modern high-tech water sport. The races are spectacular, thrilling, and exciting, with roaring engines and splashing waves. Jet skiing has become an increasingly popular water-based leisure activity in recent years.

　　Parasailing: 280 RMB per person for 10 minutes. A high-powered speedboat pulls a parachute, lifting it into the air using the boat’s forward momentum. Parasailing depends on weather and wind direction; strong winds can make landing difficult or cause you to land in the sea—but it’s still safe.

　　Sea Fishing: Platform fishing: 200 RMB per person for 2 hours; speedboat fishing: 300 RMB per person for 2 hours; night fishing: 300 RMB per person (19:00–07:00). Platform fishing includes rod and bait. Speedboat fishing takes you to deeper waters. The fish here, perhaps unused to human presence, bite easily. You can have your catch grilled by someone or do it yourself—the taste is particularly delicious.

　　Scuba Diving: After putting on a wetsuit and receiving training, take a speedboat to a boat offshore. Then, with an oxygen tank and diving goggles, enter the water directly from the boat under the guidance of an instructor. You’ll slowly descend to deeper parts of the sea—usually between 10–18 meters depending on your fitness—and become an underwater explorer.

　　Beach Crab Chase: On calm evenings, groups of crabs of varying sizes scurry across the beach. Shine a flashlight, and some will dart for the sea like startled mice, while others quickly dig holes to hide. Crab-catching becomes a fun activity.

　　Outdoor Movies: The island shows outdoor movies by the sea on Saturdays.

　　Wuzhizhou Island Tips:

　　1. Recreational activities may offer package deals at discounted rates.

　　2. Safety is paramount no matter which activity you choose. Check detailed Sanya travel safety tips.

　　3. Check the weather forecast before heading to Wuzhizhou and pick the best day to go.

　　4. Staying in a thatched cottage on Wuzhizhou Island is a great experience.

　　5. When traveling to Wuzhizhou, you don’t need to book a round-trip vehicle. You can get a taxi waiting at the dock to take you back—for just 30 RMB one way, saving money.

　　6. Other:

　　Phone: Public phones are available on the island. Room phones can access outgoing lines with a deposit at the front desk. Mobile signals are available at resorts, nearby beaches, and Sunrise Rock.

　　Shops: The island has only small shops selling trinkets, plus dive companies that rent or sell swimming gear, underwater cameras, and film—so bring any essentials you need.

　　Photography: For landscape shots, use 200-speed outdoor color film. For professional photography, UV and polarizing filters are essential. Clean your lens regularly with lens paper to protect against saltwater and sand damage.

　　Clothing & Health: Regular summer clothing is suitable. From January to March, bring a few long-sleeve jackets for mornings, evenings, or outdoor use. Strong sunlight means sunglasses and hats are a must; women should bring sunscreen. Prepare mosquito repellent, motion sickness pills, and sea sickness medication.

　　Food/Accommodation/Shopping: Wuzhizhou Island Dining: Try local specialties such as crispy coconut chips, lingzhi crab, Dongshan lamb, and various seafood. The seaside plaza can accommodate 300–400 people for seafood meals and barbecue; the Chinese restaurant seats 120 people.

　　Recommendations:

　　1. The unique Lingzhi Crab of Wuzhizhou, which lives in crevices and feeds on Lingzhi grass year-round, resulting in exceptionally sweet and tender meat—definitely worth a try.

　　2. For seafood, go for the local “clear water style”: place various seafood in a pot of clear water, add a side of ginger-soy sauce, and finish with a bowl of pure seafood broth.

　　Accommodation on Wuzhizhou Island:

　　The island offers a variety of leisure villas such as sea-view suites, ocean-view wooden buildings, beachfront wooden huts, as well as European-style and Japanese-style houses converted from former barracks, and ethnic-style thatched bamboo cottages. Prices: around 500 RMB per night.

　　Reminder: Food and lodging on the island are slightly more expensive. Visitors may choose to return the same day, but should plan their time accordingly (the last boat off the island departs at 17:00, weather permitting).

　　Transportation: Wuzhizhou Island is located in Haitang Bay in the northern part of Sanya City. It is 30 km from downtown Sanya, 38 km from Sanya Phoenix International Airport, and is adjacent to the Hainan Eastern Expressway, making it easily accessible. Wuzhizhou Island Self-Guided Tour:

　　1. You can take a taxi to Wuzhizhou Pier, with a one-way fare of about 50 RMB; for a round-trip private car (Sanya to Wuzhizhou Island), the cost is about 150–200 RMB.

　　2. Sea transport between Wuzhizhou Pier and Wuzhizhou Island: boats depart at 8:00 AM, with the last boat arriving on the island at 16:00 (weather permitting) and the last boat departing the island at 17:00 (weather permitting). Boats run every 20 minutes between Wuzhizhou Island and the mainland, with group departures available on arrival.

　　Driving Route Reference to Wuzhizhou Island:

　　1. Sanya – Wuzhizhou Island: Tian Du → Yalong Bay fork → Old Eastern Expressway (about 10 minutes past the original Qingtian Village intersection) → turn right at the “Wuzhizhou Island” road sign → about ten minutes to Wuzhizhou Pier → take a 10-minute luxury cruise to the island.

　　2. Haikou – Wuzhizhou Island: Eastern Expressway → turn at Tengqiao intersection onto Old Eastern Expressway → pass through Linwang Town → look for the “Wuzhizhou Island” road sign, then turn left → about ten minutes to Wuzhizhou Pier → take a 10-minute luxury cruise to the island.

　　Ticket: 128 RMB (includes ferry fee).

　　 Hainan Sanya