Co To island: A jade pearl of the northeast region

Co To island district in the northern province of Quang Ninh often features in poetry and music thanks to its pristine and alluring charm, a gemstone of the country’s northeast region. Nowadays, the island has been coated with a fresh vitality and become an attractive tourist destination for domestic and international travellers.

From the windy wharf, visitors can reach deeper into the heart of the town where cultural and tourist activities are staged. They can take an electric car trip to go into the forest and discover the quiet Hong Van beach, where they can stay in small wooden houses facing the sea.

Co To island is home to many interesting cultural and historical sites. Prominent among them is memorial site dedicated to President Ho Chi Minh, built in 1968. It has since been recognised as a national cultural and historical site.

Another noteworthy place is Co To lighthouse, dubbed the magical eye of the island. Visitors must climb up a 72-stair snaky path to reach the top of the light house, where they are offered panoramic views of the entire island.

Travel lovers should not also miss Cau My rock ground which has a sedimentary rock system dating back tens of thousands of years, Hong Van beach where the seawater is calm and the sand is soft like silk, Van Chai beach where visitors can conquer strong waves and a 2-km long romantic road which runs along the coast.

One option to explore the island is to rent wooden boats and row to Small Co To Island, which is 1km from the main island, a travel time of about 25 – 30 minutes. As an uninhabited island, nature there has been kept intact and pristine.

Visitors can walk along the beach to collect sea shells and look through the crystal clear seawater with its colourful coral reefs and fish swimming around. It is also a perfect place to admire stunning sunrise and sunset scenes.

In addition to its beautiful natural landscape bestowed by Mother Nature, Co To has impressed visitors thanks to its people’s hospitality. The islanders are well aware of how to combine tourism development with natural conservation.

After being hit by the COVID-19 epidemic, the local hospitality sector launched a series of activities to stimulate tourism demand. As a result, the number of domestic visitors to Co To reached nearly 30,000 over the past two months.

Notably from May 23 to 31, the island welcomed more than 10,000 travellers, up 718.8% compared to the first week following the lifting of the social distancing order.