onlybeaches

Malaysia · Sabah

Best beaches in Kota Kinabalu

4 ranked beaches in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah

Ranked by the OnlyBeaches Index (OBI) — a 1-10 score blending water purity, conditions, crowd levels and vibe. Updated every 30 minutes.

All beaches in Kota Kinabalu

  1. 1

    Karambunai Beach

    Resort beach

    7.0
  2. 2

    Manukan Island Beach

    Popular island

    7.0
  3. 3

    Sapi Island Beach

    Accessible island

    7.0
  4. 4

    Tanjung Aru Beach

    Iconic KK beach

    7.0

What makes Kota Kinabalu's beaches stand out?

Kota Kinabalu sits in Sabah, Malaysia and is home to 4 ranked beaches on OnlyBeaches. Every beach here is scored by the OnlyBeaches Index — a 1-10 metric blending water purity, live conditions (waves, water temperature, wind), crowd intelligence and vibe.

Whether you're after the highest-scoring beach in Kota Kinabalu or a quieter hidden cove, the list above is refreshed every 30 minutes using live Stormglass and OpenWeather data.