Areia Branca beach and hinterland, Beach and coastal area in Dili, East Timor.

Areia Branca beach spans a wide section of shoreline with clear turquoise water meeting the sand in a gentle curve. Small vendors and simple structures for seating and shade are scattered along the waterfront, creating an informal setup for visitors.

The beach gives its name to the Areia Branca district of Dili in Meti Aut suco, Cristo Rei administrative post, about three kilometres east of the city centre. Under Indonesian rule it was known as Pasir Putih, meaning white sand. The 2,916-hectare Areia Branca no Dolok Oan area east of Dili was later identified by BirdLife International as an Important Bird Area.

The name is Portuguese for "white sand"; under Indonesian rule the beach was called Pasir Putih, the same meaning in Indonesian. The white-yellow sand and the restaurants and hotels along the shoreline make it a popular excursion spot about three kilometres east of Dili's centre.

Areia Branca lies about three kilometres east of Dili's city centre, in the Meti Aut suco of Cristo Rei administrative post, at the eastern end of the bay. The beach forms part of the Areia Branca protected wildlife area, so keep to the sand and do not disturb birds on the mudflats and rock platforms. Restaurants and hotels line the coastal road behind the sand.

The beach gives its name to the 2,916-hectare Areia Branca no Dolok Oan Important Bird Area, which covers the bay's sea-grass beds, mangroves, mudflats and rock platforms. BirdLife International lists it for non-breeding Christmas Island frigatebirds and for Timor sparrows and pink-headed imperial pigeons.