Take me back to the beach! A beautiful Thai cove made famous by the famous film starring Leonardo DiCaprio, will reopen after a three-year coral rejuvenation project

One of Thailand's most famous tourist attractions, Maya Bay, is finally reopening after being closed to the public for over three years.

The incredible cove with impressive cliffs, white sandy beaches, and thick blue waters, made famous in 2000 by Leonardo DiCaprio's film The Beach, will reopen to tourists on January 1, 2022, according to a statement from the National Parks Department of Thailand.

This came three and a half years after the bay was closed to the public when the Thai authorities made a desperate attempt to save the bay's coral reefs.

The corals were nearly wiped out by the constant stream of tourists visiting the island by speedboat over the years, but the closure allowed the reefs to bloom again.

8 PHOTOS

1. One of Thailand's most famous tourist attractions, Maya Bay, is finally about to reopen after being closed to the public for over three years (pictured: Phi Phi Leh Island, home of the world-famous Maya Bay) ...

2. The cove (pictured) is set to reopen on New Year, three and a half years after it was closed to the public when the Thai authorities made a desperate attempt to save the coral reefs of the cove.

3. It will open on 1 January 2022 after being closed to the public in June 2018 to rebuild destroyed coral reefs. Corals have been nearly wiped out by a steady stream of tourists arriving by speedboat over the years.

4. This promotional photo, taken and published on November 14, 2021, by the National Parks, Wildlife and Plants Department of Thailand (DNP), shows Warawut Silpa-Archa, Thailand's Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, planting a tree alongside DNP officials visiting Koh Phi Phi Maya Bay is on the eve of opening in January 2022, after years of closure to give the area an opportunity to recover from the damage caused by mass tourism.

5. Tourism in Maya Bay flourished after the 2000 film The Beach, directed by Danny Boyle, starring Leonardo DiCaprio (pictured).

6. Officials from Thailand's Department of National Parks, Wildlife, and Plant Conservation visited Maya Bay this weekend before reopening in January 2022 after years of closure to allow the area to recover from the damage caused by mass tourism.

7. In 2018, the bay received an average of about 5,000 visitors per day, but years of speedboat travel and constant influx of tourists have damaged sensitive underwater ecosystems (pictured: hordes of tourists on Maya Bay Beach in May 2018, shortly before closing) ...

8. Maya Bay is a stunningly beautiful bay, protected on three sides by 100-meter cliffs and offering several white sandy beaches. The beach was known for its abundance of tropical fish and extensive coral reefs before mass tourism destroyed marine life