Abstract: Hainan island is surrounded by natural coastline and sandy coast accounts for 43.1% of the total length of shoreline, which is highly vulnerable to erosion. The coastal collapse due to coastal erosion, the loss of large areas of land resources and tidal flats shoreline retreat and the destruction of sea coastal protective forest have occurred around Hainan island coast. Based on the field investigation and monitoring data for many years, the article selects seven typical erosion coasts, and analyses the characteristics of coastal erosion in each section. It is concluded that the dominant factors of erosion in Hainan Island are different from each other. The article considers that Hainan island erosion is mainly divided into four types: estuarine erosion type, tropical cyclone wave erosion type, influence of artificial structure erosion type and natural hydrodynamics and terrain matching erosion type. According to the monitoring data, the article also valuates the erosion intensity of the monitoring coasts.