Last updated March 2024 | Words and photos by Vietnam Coracle

Tom Divers is the founder and creator of Vietnam Coracle. He’s lived, travelled and worked in Vietnam since 2005. Born in London, he travelled from an early age, visiting over 40 countries (he first visited Vietnam in 1999). Now, whenever he has the opportunity to make a trip, he rarely looks beyond Vietnam’s borders and his trusty motorbike, Stavros. Read more about Tom on the About Page, Vietnam Times and ASE Podcast.

A broad sweep of sand between two dramatic headlands, Đại Lãnh Beach is a strikingly beautiful spot on the south-central coast that’s generally ignored by foreign travellers. Located between Nha Trang and Tuy Hòa, this wide, two-kilometre beach is bounded to the north, south and west by steep, green mountains. To the east, the sea rolls in, breaking on the sand beneath a line of tall casuarina trees. A fishing village nestles at the northern end of the bay giving way to a long stretch of sandy public beach at the southern end, where there are two good, affordable accommodation options. Đại Lãnh has always been a beautiful beach, but until recently it was spoiled by road noise and traffic from National Highway 1, which passed behind it. Now that two new tunnels lead under the headlands at either end of the bay and the highway has been re-routed further inland, Đại Lãnh is comparatively peaceful and pleasant. Ideal as an overnight stop on a longer coastal itinerary or as a destination for travellers wanting to avoid the more touristy beaches in the region, Đại Lãnh is also a good base from which to explore other attractions in the area.

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DAI LANH BEACH

A Broad Beach in a Dramatic Bay Enclosed by Green Mountains

Đại Lãnh Beach is 80km north of Nha Trang and 40km south of Tuy Hòa. Despite its obvious potential as a beach destination, there has been little development of the bay for tourism so far. This is mainly due to the traffic and noise pollution that the beach was subjected to before the opening of the tunnels, in 2017. Since then, Đại Lãnh is a much calmer, quieter and more attractive place to be, and it won’t be long before developers realize this and start building more accommodation on the beach. Đại Lãnh makes an excellent overnight stop between the popular beach cities of Nha Trang and Quy Nhơn, or as a stop on a coastal road trip, such as the Beach Bum or Coast Road routes, or as base from which to explore other sights in the area (see Related Guides). Weather and sea conditions are best from March to August; it can be rough and wet between November and January. Click an item from the contents below for more details:

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CONTENTS:

Map

See & Do

Sleep

Eat & Drink

Transport

Related Guides

MAP:

Đại Lãnh Beach

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See & Do:

Every time I visit Đại Lãnh, I’m surprised at what a dazzling sight it is. Seen from the passes at either end of the bay – the Cả Pass to the north and the Cổ Mã Pass to the south – it’s difficult to understand why Đại Lãnh doesn’t attract more visitors and receive more attention from the travel industry. In the past, everyone travelling north-south on the nation’s main road would be treated with glimpses of the sweeping bay and blue sea from their vehicle. People would gasp at the sight of the beach, but few would stop, except maybe for a quick snack and a photo before continuing on their journey. Back then, the issue of traffic and noise pollution from the road took the edge off Đại Lãnh’s appeal and was a major hindrance to its development as a beach destination and being anything more than a pretty sight from the road. However, when two new tunnels opened in 2017, leading under the Cả and Cổ Mã passes and linked by a new highway several hundred metres inland from the beach, Đại Lãnh was left in relative peace. Some transportation still takes the old road along Đại Lãnh Beach (motorbikes and oil trucks aren’t allowed through the tunnels), but the traffic is light. The train line still passes along the bay, but I feel this adds a certain romance and excitement to the destination, rather than being an unwanted distraction.

Known during the colonial period as Cap Varella, the beach used to be a popular weekend destination for French colons and any Vietnamese lucky enough to have the time (and money) for leisure. The post-tunnel era should mark a change in the perception of Đại Lãnh Beach from brief pit-stop to desirable beach retreat once again. The transition is still in the early stages, but it seems inevitable that major tourist development will eventually come. For now, travellers can enjoy this long beach for a night or more at a couple of good accommodation options.

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Sheltering tightly at the northern end of the bay is Đại Lãnh fishing village, whose fleet of wooden boats cluster in the calm waters, nodding in the surf. A new embankment leads along the seafront by the village lined with coracles and wooden trestles of tiny fish drying in the sun. A pier handles the catch each morning, which is interesting to watch, although the fishy smell might be too much to handle for some people. On the opposite side of the main road (west of the ocean), there are crossings over the railway line and into the narrow village lanes which are dotted with local food and drinks vendors, especially around the market. There are some interesting buildings, including a few old red-tile-roofed traditional houses and some Vietnamese Modernist dwellings. Phước Sơn pagoda is on the main road not far from the small, good-looking Đại Lãnh train station.

The village peters out as it reaches a shady stand of casuarina trees near the centre of the bay. This is where the long, sandy public beach starts and continues unbroken to the southern end. Although there’s some household trash washed up on the sand, the water is clear and the swimming is very good. The cleanliness of the beach will depend on the time of year, weather conditions and currents, but in general the sand is kept cleanest in front of Đại Lãnh Beach Hotel and Đại Lãnh Beach Villas. The former is accessed via a small bridge over a stream leading to a large, open-sided restaurant, which also offers deck chairs, beach loungers and showers for a reasonable fee. Busy during national holidays, it’s tranquil, breezy and empty at most other times. Assuming the weather and sea conditions are good, you could happily spend anything from a few hours to a few days here, watching the blue waves break in a long line across the two-kilometre beach, enjoying cool evening swims, and waking up early for mesmerizing sunrises.

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What’s more, this is a great place to base yourself for several nights while exploring the area’s other interesting sights, such as Vũng Rô Bay, Hòn Nưa Islet, Núi Đá Bia Mountain, the Cả Pass and Hòn Gốm Sandbar. There are lots of reasons to like Đại Lãnh Beach and to think that it has a bright future.

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Sleep:

On the main street through Đại Lãnh there are a couple of cheap and decent local guesthouses (nhà nghỉ). The best of them is Phú Ngoan Hotel, which offers clean, simple rooms for around 300,000vnd per night. But it’s worth remembering that the railway is immediately behind the hotel and the road is in front, so noise can be an issue. There used to be a better choice of guesthouses and mini-hotels along Đại Lãnh’s main road, but they have disappeared post-pandemic.

By far the best place to stay is at either of the two locations of Khu Du Lịch Đại Lãnh – Dai Lanh Tourist Zone. Located near the centre of the bay, the cheaper of these (Đại Lãnh Beach Hotel) is accessed via a little bridge leading off the main road and into the trees along the beach. Beyond the sprawling restaurant are several rows of simple but pleasant rooms set back from the beach under the trees. Singles, doubles and triples are good value at 400,000đ-900,000đ with air-con, hot water shower and breakfast. The cheapest option are the cute, colourful wooden beach huts raised above the sand (400,000đ), but they’re a bit cramped. Furnished tents are available too (500,000đ) or you can pitch your own on the sand for a nominal fee. For even better accommodation (and a swimming pool), head to the southern end of the bay where a roadside restaurant is also the location of a collection of very attractive beach villa rooms (Đại Lãnh Beach Villas) with balconies and terraces leading onto the sand beneath a grove of coconut palms (1,000,000đ-1,200,000đ per night with breakfast). Note that all prices are likely to rise during public holidays.

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Eat & Drink:

Đại Lãnh, and much of the surrounding coastal region, is famous for its chả cá (fish cakes). These are sold in speciality stores along the main road through the village (look for signs saying chả cá). The fish cakes are also served in many of the dishes sold at eateries along the roadside, such as bún chả cá (fishcake noodle soup) and bánh mì chả cá (fishcake baguette). There are several casual seafood restaurants (quán cơm hải sản) lining the road through Đại Lãnh village, many of which serve the local speciality, lẩu mực (squid hotpot). For good, visitor-friendly dining with ocean views (and a breeze), the restaurant at Đại Lãnh Beach Hotel is very good and so is Quán Như Tiên. For breakfast, snacks, juices and cafes, try searching the streets around the market.

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Transportation:

Before the tunnels opened at either end of Đại Lãnh Beach, all north-south buses used to pass through the village. Now, however, buses take the new highway which leads behind Đại Lãnh and through the tunnels. This means it’s a little more difficult for independent travellers to get to Đại Lãnh, unless you have your own wheels or hire a vehicle and driver. If travelling by motorbike or bicycle, simply take the Cả Pass from the north or the Cổ Mã Pass from the south (both are beautiful roads) and you’ll arrive at Đại Lãnh Beach. It’s also possible to visit Đại Lãnh as a day- or day-night-trip from either Nha Trang (80km due south) or Tuy Hòa (40km due north) with a hired car and driver, which usually costs around $100 per day arranged through your accommodation. If travelling by bus, you can ask any of the north-south buses to drop you at the Cổ Mã Pass, from where you’ll need to walk or hitch the last 3km to Đại Lãnh Beach. The nearest airports are Tuy Hòa and Cam Ranh (Nha Trang), both of which have regular flights to/from major domestic cities. Đại Lãnh has a train station, but it is rarely used and is not a regular stop on the north-south Reunification Express train services. There may be irregular local trains that stop at Đại Lãnh station, but you’d need to check at one of the major stations nearby, such as Tuy Hòa or Nha Trang.

*Disclosure: I never receive payment for anything I write: my content is always free and independent. I’ve written this guide because I want to: I like this beach and I want my readers to know about it. For more details, see my Disclosure & Disclaimer statements and my About Page

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