Experience a day trip to Eo Gió and Kỳ Co.

To start your day, from Quy Nhon city, you can ride your motorbike towards Eo Gió (Nhon Ly) early in the morning to watch the sunrise. Along the way, you'll pass the Thi Nai Bridge (Nhon Hoi), the longest sea bridge in Vietnam, connecting Quy Nhon city with the Nhon Ly peninsula. The road to Eo Gió is quite scenic and only takes about half an hour to reach.

The famous coastal walking path at Eo Gió, surrounded by a fence, is clean and beautiful, attracting many tourists and locals who come here for a stroll every day, enjoying the peaceful and romantic scenery amidst the vast sea and sky. Some people climb to the high rocky outcrop to look towards the Nhơn Lý fishing village on the other side of the mountain, while others descend to the bottom, choosing a large rock to sit on and rest, watching the waves crashing against Đá Đẻ beach with its strangely shaped rocks. Along the cliffs are many caves with amusing names like Kỳ Co Cave, Ba Nghé Cave… attracting many swallows to build their nests. Around the strait are lush green meadows, dotted with goats grazing peacefully and a few couples happily taking wedding photos.

After wandering around and taking photos at Eo Gió, you can head to Nhơn Lý market for breakfast. The food here is simple and inexpensive but quite delicious, such as pork offal porridge with rice noodles, fish cake noodle soup, and shrimp pancakes... These are typical dishes of many coastal provinces in Central Vietnam, but each place has its own unique flavor, and Quy Nhơn's cuisine is no exception, sure to leave you with a special and unforgettable impression.

From here, you can begin your journey to Ky Co Island, the destination of the entire trip. Ky Co is located quite close to Eo Gió. Previously, to get to Ky Co, you could only choose fishing boats. Nowadays, in the Eo Gió area or Nhon Ly village, there are several day tour services for tourists such as visiting and swimming at Ky Co beach, snorkeling to see coral reefs, and having lunch for about 350,000 - 400,000 VND/person.

After about 15 minutes of speedboat travel, gently gliding across the sea, you'll reach Ky Co Beach, one of the most beautiful beaches in Central Vietnam, with its fine, creamy golden sand and stunningly clear, two-tone blue water. This is a cluster of rocky outcrops in the sea, with many rocks, crevices, and shallow caves, still retaining its pristine beauty as it hasn't been heavily developed for tourism. Seen from afar, Ky Co resembles a large bow, curving to embrace the long sandy beach and two towering rock formations. The seawater shimmers in the sunlight, looking like silver from a distance. The rocks here are interconnected, and when the tide rises, the seawater flows in, creating unique natural pools.

The sea at Ky Co is quite calm, with gentle ripples because the beach is enclosed by a windbreak arc. Immersing yourself in the cool water, stepping onto the soft sand, and admiring Ky Co through your camera lens, visitors not only capture the stunning beauty of Ky Co but also their own emotions. The seawater here is very clear, changing color with the sunlight. Near the shore, the water is crystal clear, revealing the pristine white sand at the bottom. Further out, the water gradually changes color to turquoise, then to blue.

Simply by "dropping" into the water, you can explore the coral reef right below. What's special is that the water here is quite shallow, so even if you don't know how to swim, you can still admire the colorful and breathtaking coral reefs. And if you look from above, you'll see the strange sight of the basket boats swaying as if floating amidst the azure clouds.

Ky Co is quite crowded with tourists; just ask a local guide and they will direct you towards Ong Dia Rock Beach, a separate sandy beach from the main beach. Ong Dia Rock Beach is a small sandy area nestled between high cliffs, surrounded by beautiful and majestic rock formations, along with clear, turquoise seawater. At lunchtime, you can rest and eat in the small caves around the area, which will surely provide many unique experiences.

Ky Co Island is a natural green hill range amidst the vast ocean. To explore the island, you must follow the rocky beaches, trail up the high mountain slopes, conquer the precarious paths along the cliffs, or walk across the scorching sand. Or you can choose an easier way, cruising around some points near Ky Co beach by speedboat before stopping at Hon Seo to admire the coral reefs. Each passenger is provided with a life jacket and snorkeling mask to enjoy the experience. The coral reefs here aren't abundant but are quite beautiful, colorful, and teeming with schools of small fish.

Located on the road from Eo Gió back to Quy Nhơn city, Phương Mai sand dunes are a beautiful but little-known spot you should visit. These white sand dunes are visited by very few people, so there's almost no litter and few footprints. Tourists often climb to the top of the dunes to take photos; just by looking out into the distance, you can see a clear blue lake similar to the one at Bàu Trắng (Mũi Né). That's why Phương Mai sand dunes are considered the most beautiful sunset viewing spot in Quy Nhơn.

Even a one-day trip to Ky Co beach, though short, will undoubtedly create unforgettable memories of a land with beautiful natural scenery and friendly, hospitable people.

Additional information

• Trip:From the center of Quy Nhon city, head towards the Nhon Ly peninsula (over 20 km), then follow the small road to the boat dock. From there, take a large boat for about 30 minutes to reach Ky Co Island. This area is not yet heavily developed for tourism, so the construction of piers is limited. The boat fare to Ky Co Island ranges from 270,000 to 300,000 VND per person. Currently, Ky Co beach is managed by a tourism company that sells entrance tickets (30,000 - 50,000 VND per person), as well as building rest shelters, restrooms, etc.
• Cuisine:Ky Co offers rustic dishes with unique flavors such as various types of grilled snails, lobster, grilled abalone, grilled sea urchin with scallion oil… all for around 300,000 VND per person.
• Time:The best time to visit Ky Co is from February to April, or from June to September, as this is when the central coast of Vietnam is at its most beautiful.

Huong Thao