Pristine Xuan Dai Bay in Phu Yen

From Phu Yen’s Tuy Hoa City, head north on Highway 1 for 45 kilometers and you will see Xuan Dai Bay in front of you, like a watercolour painting. The bay is ringed by a mountain chain stretching some 15km, providing a dramatic scenic backdrop. With a water surface area of approximately 13,000ha, the entrance to the bay, by the mouth of the Ky Lo River, is 4.4km wide and varies from 7m to 18m deep.

Listed among the most beautiful bays in the world, Xuan Dai Bay is a remarkable sightseeing spot in Phu Yen Province, offering both sea and mountain views. Recently, Xuan Dai Bay has become a famous destination attracting not only local people, but also foreign travellers who love relaxing on the beach. From Phu Yen’s Tuy Hoa City, head north on Highway 1 for 45 kilometers and you will see Xuan Dai Bay in front of you, like a watercolour painting. The bay is ringed by a mountain chain stretching some 15km, providing a dramatic scenic backdrop. With a water surface area of approximately 13,000ha, the entrance to the bay, by the mouth of the Ky Lo River, is 4.4km wide and varies from 7m to 18m deep. Few bays have the topographical variety of Xuan Dai, with secluded inlets interspersed with mountain cliffs.  There are dozens of coves of various sizes and depths. Xuan Dai Bay is best viewed from the surrounding mountains, or islands and peninsulas, such as Ong Xa, Nhat Tu Son, Yen, Mom, Ghenh, Da Mai, Tai Ma, and Den. All are big, beautiful and pristine. Nhat Tu Son Island looks like the Chinese character for the number one, making a horizontal slash on the sea. Yen Island is famous as well, depending on your viewpoint you can see its shape as a sail, or as a tiger sitting carefree on the ocean. Tourists can swim or take leisurely walks on wild stretches of beach to view the unique features of Xuan Dai Bay. Binh Sa, also called Dai Beach, is the most impressive, a gently curving beach stretching for 5km lined by poplar forest. All around the bay there are rugged islands emerging from the water surface, green with plants throughout all four seasons. From the tops of the islands, visitors can see fishing villages with rows of coconut trees along the shore of Xuan Dai Bay and, in front of you, fleets of fishing boats bobbing gently on the sea. Visitors can also see the local people pass by on the way to their daily work on the sea. Some areas around Xuan Dai can be quite difficult to be reach, as the landscape is still wild and primitive. The best time to visit is from November to April.