Bordering the East Sea to the east, Nghe An province boasts 82 km of coastline, stretching across five coastal districts and towns: Hoang Mai town, Quynh Luu district, Dien Chau district, Nghi Loc district, and Cua Lo town. Along this 82 km coastline, there are numerous beautiful beaches with fine sand, clear blue water, and gentle waves. In addition, countless islands and mountains of varying sizes, bordering or extending into the sea, create pristine natural landscapes.
With the arrival of summer, the beaches of Nghe An are an ideal and mysterious vacation spot for tourists to explore the beauty of the sea and islands; enjoy the fresh and flavorful seafood; and learn about the cultural heritage of the coastal villages with over 300 historical and cultural relics and scenic spots that have been classified at the national level. Each coastal region of Nghe An has its own traditional folk festival. These festivals still preserve very distinct cultural characteristics.
Here are some of the most beautiful beaches in Nghe An province for the 2023 tourism year:
Located in the easternmost part of Nghe An province, Hoang Mai town is rich in historical and cultural values, boasting 75 historical sites and scenic spots, and nearly 80 intangible cultural heritage values. Notable sites include the Corn Temple (the largest Mother Goddess worship center in Central Vietnam, considered one of the most sacred places in Nghe An); the Nha Le Canal; and the Rocket Cave – a testament to the sacrifice of 33 young railway volunteer soldiers.
When visiting Hoang Mai, you can't miss Quynh Phuong - Quynh Lien beach. Quynh Phuong beach is associated with the Corn Ngoai Temple (located on the lizard mountain peak near the coast). Standing at Corn Ngoai, you can look down at the waves crashing against the rocks and watch the fishing boats returning from the sea – a beautiful sight.
Quynh Phuong - Quynh Lien beach is almost unspoiled, with only a small portion of coastal services developed. Many rocky mountain ranges extend into the sea. The coastline is a flat, gently sloping, and vast sandy beach. The sand here is yellow and coarse-grained, giving a very clean feeling when walking barefoot. The gentle waves create very attractive swimming areas.
Upon arriving at Hoang Mai beach, every visitor is impressed by the freshness and deliciousness of the seafood such as shrimp, crab, squid, grouper, mackerel, snapper, and blood cockles, all with their characteristic sweet and rich flavor. Hoang Mai fishing port is the source of nearly 40% of the seafood for the entire Nghe An province and neighboring localities.
The Quỳnh Lưu coastline stretches 19.5km, with a landscape that combines mountains, sea, rivers, and streams. Along the coast are islets and casuarina forests, creating a tranquil and relaxing atmosphere. This coastline boasts many long, flat, beautiful sandy beaches, including many pristine, undeveloped beaches.
Each beach offers visitors a completely different experience: Tien Thuy Beach is like a large, dreamy lake, surrounded on three sides by lush green pine hills; Quynh Bang Beach boasts fascinating rocky outcrops; Quynh Luong Beach has the beautiful Quy Linh Temple; and the calm Quynh Nghia Beach is an ideal place for swimming.
Blessed by nature, the beaches of Quynh Luu boast gentle waves and fine white sand. Quynh Luu possesses a unique, romantic, peaceful, and extremely poetic beauty. The sea water in Quynh Luu is always clear blue, especially in the morning and afternoon, and its high salinity makes it very suitable for tourists seeking therapeutic and relaxing experiences.
At Quynh Luu beach, visitors can enjoy swimming and savoring delicious fresh seafood. It's worth mentioning that the seafood restaurants along the coast here perfectly meet the criteria of being tasty, nutritious, and affordable for budget travelers. In particular, don't forget to rent small boats to cruise along the large rock formations to admire the stunning cliffs and explore the mysterious caves.
When visiting Quynh Luu, in addition to beach tourism, visitors should explore and learn about this land with a long history and culture. It is the birthplace of the world-renowned cultural figure Ho Xuan Huong and many other talented individuals. The district currently has 193 inventoried historical sites, including 15 national-level sites. Quynh Luu is also famous for many unique traditional folk festivals such as the Ky Phuc Festival (Quynh Doi commune), the Cau Ngu Festival (Son Hai and Tien Thuy communes), the Den Thuong Festival (Quynh Nghia commune), and the Basket Boat Race (Quynh Long).
In Quynh Luu, there are many long-standing traditional craft villages such as flower and ornamental plant cultivation, carpentry (Quynh Hong), incense making (Quynh Doi), carpentry (Quynh Hung), clean vegetable farming (Quynh Luong, Quynh Minh, Quynh Bang), and salt production in coastal communes.
With 25 km of coastline, Dien Chau boasts wide, endless beaches, meticulously adorned by nature with white sand and lush green mangrove forests of casuarina and other trees. These forests form a sturdy green wall, protecting the ecosystem from storms and tidal surges. This green wall resembles undulating mountain ranges. It is also home to a diverse array of birds and wildlife.
The beaches of Dien Chau are pristine, peaceful, and romantic. Strolling along these beaches, visitors can breathe in the fresh air and admire the colorful sailboats hurrying back and forth across the sea at sunrise, midday, and sunset. The sails form long, winding trails, resembling giant butterflies in motion from afar. The sight of boats coming and going is like a herd of horses racing across the waves… Here, visitors will feel relaxed, forgetting all the fatigue, hardship, and worries of everyday life.
In Dien Chau, Dien Thanh beach is most beautiful at the transition between day and night. The beach has quite a few restaurants, but it's not crowded; it's peaceful and tranquil, like a rural village.
Next is Cua Hien Beach – a place steeped in legend and folklore. This beach witnessed the conclusion of the legend of the Magic Crossbow, Loa Citadel, and the love story of My Chau and Trong Thuy. Legend says that it was here that King An Duong Vuong beheaded Princess My Chau and then followed the Golden Turtle God into the sea, the origin of the legend of the Pearl.
The Cua Hien beach is flat with fine sand. Cua Hien beach retains its pristine beauty and is the only place in Nghe An province without the hot, dry winds from Laos. A special feature is the long stretch of rocks along the coastline. These rocks, resembling a "fishing ground," are known locally as Ngu Hai beach (Fish Beach). At the outer edge is a round rock, over 2 meters high with a fairly flat top, called the "fairy's chessboard." Legend says that whenever the fairies descended to the mortal world, they would land on this rock to play chess, drink wine, and admire the earthly scenery. While there aren't many restaurants and shops in Cua Hien, the food is still simple and rustic, but the seafood here is always fresh and very affordable.
The Nghi Loc coastal area boasts many beautiful and attractive beaches such as Bai Lu, Bai Tien Phong (Nghi Tien), Cua Hien, and Nui Rong (Nghi Thiet). These beaches have clear water, clean sand, gentle waves, shallow depths, suitable salinity, and convenient transportation access, along with a pristine natural environment. Besides its tourism potential, this coastal area also has great potential for developing aquaculture of various aquatic species such as shrimp, crab, and high-value fish, for exploitation and processing into seafood.
Among the beaches in Nghi Loc, Bai Lu is the most fully developed, operational, and attracts a large number of domestic and international tourists. Bai Lu is likened to "Cinderella transforming into a princess"... The sea extends deep inland, resulting in crystal-clear water where you can see even the smallest pebbles. According to numerous studies, the water at Bai Lu has a high mineral content due to its location within rock sediments and its proximity to mountains, making it very beneficial for health.
Upon arriving at Bai Lu Beach, visitors will be amazed by the perfect combination of the clear blue waters of the sea on one side and the lush green of the whispering pine forests on the other. "Mountains intertwined with the sea, the sea intertwined with the sky"; the soft, silken sands undulating along the waves give Bai Lu Beach a gentle, tranquil, and graceful appearance, like a young maiden. The waves are not too big, gently lapping the shore, and with the long, gently sloping sandy beach, visitors can comfortably play volleyball or football here.
Standing at the Lu Son Sky Gate, visitors can admire the panoramic view of a vast sea area. Towards the open sea, one can clearly see Song Ngu, Mat Island, Lan Chau, and closer to the mainland are Hung Linh, Lan Chau, Dragon Mountain, Lo Mountain, Co Mountain, Kiem Mountain, Chuong Ga, Mao Mountain, Tuong Son (Elephant Mountain), and Quyet Son. To the north, along the coast, are Dau Rong (Long Thu) Mountain, Hon Cau, Da Son, and Cam Son. To the west are Dai Vac, Than Vu, Len Hai Vai, Dai Hai, Dai Ban, Dai Tu, Dai Hue, Thien Nhan, and Lam Thanh Son… The Cam River, with its clear blue waters, flows towards the vibrant Cua Lo sea area.
Another beautiful beach that tourists should explore is Mui Rong Beach in Nghi Thiet. In the summer, many locals choose this place to escape the fatigue and heat. Mui Rong Beach is suitable for exploration and relaxation because it has a smooth, safe sandy beach with few shops and services nearby. It would be very fun to come here with a group of friends, bring food, and organize a camping trip on the beach.
Nature has bestowed upon Cua Lo a long, gently sloping beach with clean, blue water and a moderate salinity. First and foremost, visitors to Cua Lo should experience swimming and watching the sunrise. Cua Lo beach boasts a long, smooth, flat stretch of sand, clean water, and gentle waves; the depth remains constant regardless of the tide, creating a safe feeling while swimming. Especially, waking up at 4 am to catch the sunrise over the sea is sure to be an unforgettable experience.
When visiting Cua Lo, tourists absolutely must try the fresh and delicious seafood that the area is famous for. Besides dishes like crab, shrimp, mackerel, eel porridge, and clam porridge, visitors to Cua Lo can also enjoy dishes made from a type of squid with a very special name – "jumping squid" (or "jumping squid"). This dish consistently ranks among the top 10 Vietnamese seafood specialties.
When vacationing in Cua Lo, tourists can rest assured about the quality of accommodation, amenities, and prices. The entire town currently has over 300 hotels and guesthouses with more than 10,000 rooms, meeting the accommodation needs of over 20,000 guests per day and night. Among them are dozens of high-end resorts that are qualified to host international events, most notably the Vinpearl Cua Hoi Resort, invested and built by Vingroup. The Vinpearl Cua Hoi Resort includes a 5-star villa complex, a 5-story 5-star hotel, restaurants, a marina, and many on-site amenities such as restaurants & bars, outdoor swimming pools, tennis courts, etc. It must be said that nowhere else offers such affordable room rates as Cua Lo in particular and Nghe An in general.
In Cua Lo, there's not just beach tourism; there are also sacred and tranquil spaces for visitors to explore. With a history spanning hundreds of years, the area boasts a dense network of historical sites, many of which have been developed for tourism, including: Lang Hieu Temple; Mai Bang Temple; Van Loc Temple; Ngu Pagoda…
Ngư Pagoda is located on Song Ngư Island. This island lies between the two estuaries of Cửa Lò and Cửa Hội, about 4km from Cửa Lò beach. Visitors can reach it by boat or speedboat, a journey of about 20 minutes. Song Ngư Island is beautiful and pristine, with many outstanding features such as the stunning pebble beach with a gentle slope, and Tiên Beach with its clear, cool water and breathtaking scenery.
It would be a fascinating experience for tourists to visit the craft villages in Cua Lo to better understand the cultural values and people of this place. Cua Lo currently boasts famous craft villages such as the Nghi Thuy fishing and seafood processing village; the Hai Giang 1 fish sauce village; and the seafood preservation and processing village in Nghi Tan ward… These villages all have origins dating back hundreds of years, stemming from fishing families in coastal fishing villages. The products of these villages are renowned for their deliciousness and quality, derived from the bounty of the sea.
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With their diversity, Nghe An's "beach paradises" possess their own unique beauty and charm. This allows tourists to proactively choose a suitable vacation spot. During the hot summer days, a trip to Nghe An's beaches will surely allow visitors to enjoy swimming in the cool, clear waters and endless days of fun and festivities.
Recognizing coastal tourism as a strength, Nghe An province has been focusing on investing in infrastructure development for coastal areas. The Nghe An tourism industry and local authorities are actively promoting and attracting investors to build high-end resorts and entertainment complexes, as well as inviting tourists to visit the province's coastal areas.
