Con Co Island

Con Co lies about thirty kilometres off the Quang Tri coast, a basalt island of under three square kilometres with black rock shores, a lighthouse, and forest covering a good part of it - unusual for an island this size and this exposed. It was a restricted military area for decades and was opened to civilian visitors only in the 2010s, with numbers still small and arrangements sometimes requiring registration in advance. Facilities are minimal: a guesthouse or two and simple food. The water around it is clear and the marine protected area covers reefs that have seen far less pressure than those further south.

What you actually see

• A small basalt island - black rock shores and forest.
• Opened to visitors in the 2010s - after decades as a restricted area.
• A marine protected area - reefs under less pressure than most.
• Very little development - a guesthouse or two and simple food.

When to go

April to August; the sea closes it otherwise. Two days.

Honest expectations

Sailings are few and cancelled by weather; registration requirements have varied and should be checked. There is very little on the island. Being stuck is possible. Facilities are basic.

Nearby

Cua Viet and Cua Tung are on the mainland; Dong Ha is inland.