Vietnam’s coastline stretches over 3,200km from the Gulf of Thailand in the south to the Gulf of Tonkin in the north, and offshore there are thousands of isolated islands and archipelagos. In general, the best beaches in Vietnam are found in the southern and central regions of the country: blue bays, hidden coves, white sands, swaying palms, dramatic cliffs: Vietnam has it all. On this page, I’ve compiled a list of 23 of the best beaches in southern and central Vietnam. I’ve chosen these beaches on a number of criteria: beauty, cleanliness and tranquility are obviously important, but so too are other factors, such as convenience, potential, atmosphere, and being off the beaten track. This is a personal list: of course I haven’t visited every beach in Vietnam and of course this list is entirely subjective. Nonetheless, the beaches on this page are based on my experience of over a decade travelling Vietnam’s coastline and islands.
Each of the 23 beaches in this list features a written description and bullet-points of information, such as location, when to go, nearest transportation hubs, accommodation, links to relevant Vietnam Coracle guides, and lots of photographs. In addition, every beach is plotted on my map. Some of the beaches in this list are already well-known, but others are rarely visited. Many of the 23 beaches on this page are best visited with your own wheels, but some are easily accessible from major towns, while others can be reached via public transportation connections, taxis, ride-hailing services, boats, or transfers arranged by your accommodation. I have chosen to focus only on the beaches of southern and central Vietnam because I know these coastlines far better than I do the northern coast, although I’m sure there are many great beaches there too. You’re welcome to suggest other beaches in the comments section at the bottom of this post (but please no advertising within comments, otherwise they will not be published)
LITTER & ENVIRONMENT: Vietnam is currently facing a massive trash problem, particularly in its oceans & on its beaches. No beach has escaped. Sadly, most of the visible trash that blights Vietnam’s beaches is personal or household litter or fishing-related debris. As depressing as this is, when you visit these beaches try to be patient & understanding, and set an example by disposing of your own litter responsibly & trying to limit your consumption of single-use items.
Xuan Thinh Peninsula juts out into the East Sea, about halfway between Tuy Hoa and Quy Nhon. Accessed via small paved lanes and dirt tracks, this finger of land hides some extraordinary beaches and coves, none of which are currently developed. Along the east coast of the peninsula, the road rises sharply through eucalyptus trees, over sand dunes, and down onto the casuarina tree-lined beach of Tu Nham. This gaping bay is enormous, and the empty sands stretch for kilometres, lapped by cool-blue seas. You’ll have to accept a general level of trash on the sand, but you’ll also have the entire beach to yourself. At the northern end of the bay is Vinh Hoa, where a small fishing community presides over a wonderful sweep of bright sandy beach, lined with palms and backed by wooded hills. What’s more, there are two good-value places to stay right on the beach: isolated, quiet, and off the beaten track, you could easily while away a day or a month here.
On the west coast of Hòn Lớn (the largest island in the Nam Du Archipelago), Cay Men is one of the most picturesque beaches in the country. This glorious white sand beach is fringed by leaning coconut palms, which appear to be kowtowing to the ludicrously turquoise waters. The surf is gentle, there’s a light sea breeze through the rustling palms, trash appears to be under control, and jungled hills rise steeply behind. The beach is easily accessed off the coast road via a paved lane. A couple of low-impact wood-and-thatch huts serve fresh, utterly delicious, local coconuts – ask for a trái dừa lửa, they’re the sweetest and tastiest I’ve every had – as well as some seafood, light snacks, soft drinks, and beer. But, best of all, you can camp here for virtually no money at all: surely, one of the best camping spots anywhere in Vietnam. As you might guess from the images below, swimming at Cay Men beach is wonderful. The water is clear and shallow, and there’s hardly any current. It gets busy on weekends, but during the week there’s likely to be no one here, especially in the middle of the day. However, change is surely on its way, and a new fast boat ferry connection to Phu Quoc Island is only the beginning. (You can read more about Cay Men Beach, including transportation information, in my Nam Du Islands Travel Guide.)
A sandy, boulder-strewn bluff on the south-central coast, Mui Dinh Cape is as close as Vietnam gets to a desert. Hiding wild, windy and isolated beaches, the landscape here is striking, arid and empty. Huge boulders dot the coastline, planted in large drifts of smooth sand; cacti grow on the rugged hillsides where goats gnaw at whatever greenery they can find; and the ocean is a deep blue with white crests whipped up by the hot, sandy wind. A stunning new road soars across Mui Dinh Cape: one of the most spectacular coastal routes in Vietnam. At the eastern-most point of the cape, a French colonial-era lighthouse sits atop a huge rockpile, below which is a perfect crescent of white sand and calm, turquoise water. This is Bai Trang Beach, only accessible on foot (or off-road vehicle) through drifts of sand and over giant boulders. But it’s worth the trek to get here, because the beach is glorious, the swimming is excellent, and you can even camp here too.
Near the southern tip of Côn Sơn (the largest island in the Con Dao Archipelago), Nhat Beach is a long seam of rice-white sand, lapped by gin-clear seas, behind which a Jurassic Park-like landscape forms one of the most striking coastal vistas in the country. Reached via a spectacular coast road winding around Mũi Cá Mập (Shark Cape), you can see the road cutting along the coastline below the windswept southern slopes of Núi Thánh Giá, the highest mountain on the island. Big boulders lie strewn on the sea side of the tarmac, decreasing in size as they roll down to meet the bright sand and blue water of Nhat Beach. The swimming is excellent, especially before noon, when the water is often calmest, and when the tide is usually out so that more beach is exposed. However, there is hardly any shade on Nhat Beach, and it is increasingly difficult to ignore the landfill on the opposite side of the road, a reminder of how fragile this island is.