Sun Bay
The road climbs over the ridge and drops you out onto a cliff with the sea on one side and the forest on the other, and for about six kilometres you drive with your mouth slightly open. This is the stretch of road the locals call the most beautiful in Sanya, and it is free.
太阳湾 (Tàiyáng Wān, “Sun Bay”) is the small bay at the western end of 亚龙湾, tucked between the mountains of 亚龙湾 and the open sea. It is not really a “scenic area” in the ticketed sense — there is no gate, no entrance queue, no entry fee. It is a place you drive or ride, a headland road plus a couple of beaches and a genuinely special slice of clear water. Its claim to fame is 太阳湾路, the “Sun Bay road”, a short coastal highway that threads between 亚龙湾 and 太阳湾, and it is one of the great scenic drives in the south of China.
What It Is
太阳湾路 is about six kilometres of road that runs along the cliff face on the far side of the 亚龙湾 resort strip. The drive is the whole point: the road hugs the coast, walled by mountains on one side and dropping toward a sapphire bay on the other, and it is lined with the sort of tropical vegetation and dramatic corners that make it a magnet for photographers and anyone who likes a good drive. There is a famous curved viewpoint and a leaning seaside tree that people queue to photograph.
At the end of the road lies 太阳湾 itself. It is not one big public beach — much of the shoreline frontage belongs to the 柏悦 (Park Hyatt) resort at 太阳湾路1号 — but the water is the reason people come, and it is celebrated as some of the clearest, most turquoise water in the 亚龙湾 area, sometimes glinting a glassy blue that gave it a nickname among swimmers and divers.
Around the bay there is a floating-snorkel and water-sports scene (浮潜, 深潜, jet boats, parasailing) operating out of small operations on the water — privately run, paid per activity. The 百福湾 snorkelling spot just near here is where several of these trips go.
The best experience is the simplest: drive or ride the road slowly, stop at the viewpoints, and watch the sun go down over the bay. In the late afternoon the light turns west-facing and the whole bay glows.
Practicalities
Tickets. The road and the drive are free — there is no entry ticket to 太阳湾路 and no gate. You are not paying for the scenery. The water-sports packages (snorkelling, diving, boat trips) are separate paid activities through the small operators at the bay, typically in the ¥300–800 range; these are optional and you do not need them to enjoy the place.
Do you need to book? No, not for the drive. If you want to do a snorkelling or diving trip, booking a day ahead through an operator or OTA is sensible, particularly in peak season, but the road itself never needs a reservation.
Opening hours. The road is open throughout the day (it is a public road). The water-sports operations typically run about 08:00–17:00. The best time to drive it is late afternoon toward sunset, when the west-facing light is softest. Note that the roadside is not really a place to just stop and park your car — parking is limited and casual stopping is discouraged; use the designated viewpoints.
Getting there. Address: 三亚市吉阳区太阳湾路1号 (亚龙湾国家旅游度假区内), at the western end of the 亚龙湾 resort strip. Driving or riding is the way to do it — a taxi or ride-hail to the 太阳湾 road area, or better, a rented scooter/e-bike so you can actually stop and enjoy the corners. It is about a 15-minute drive from the 亚龙湾 hotels. There is no convenient public transport directly along the headland, so this is a self-drive or ride-hail destination. Go slowly, stop at the viewpoints, and do not park across the traffic lanes.
flowcloud would say that the best free thing in Sanya is a well-placed road, and that some views are worth the crawl.
Getting there: 太阳湾 (Sun Bay), 太阳湾路1号, 亚龙湾国家旅游度假区, Sanya (western end of 亚龙湾). Free — the six-kilometre coastal road is public and unticketed. No reservation needed for the drive; snorkelling/diving trips (about ¥300–800) are separate paid activities, bookable a day ahead. Water sports run ~08:00–17:00; best in late afternoon. Self-drive or e-bike; ~15 minutes from the 亚龙湾 hotels.