Cu Lao Xanh

Cu Lao Xanh, also called Van Phi, lies off Quy Nhon and is a granite island of a few square kilometres with a fishing village of a few thousand people, lanes walled with rounded boulders, and a lighthouse built by the French in 1890 on the high ground - one of the older working lights on this coast, reached by a stair with a view over the island and the sea. The water around is clear and used for snorkelling, and the beaches are small. Electricity reached the island properly only in the 2010s. It is visited almost entirely by Vietnamese and facilities are homestays and simple food.

What you actually see

• A lighthouse of 1890 - on the island's high ground.
• Boulder-walled lanes - through the fishing village.
• Clear water and small beaches - the reason for the trip.
• A late arrival of electricity - properly only in the 2010s.

When to go

March to August; boats stop in the monsoon. Two days.

Honest expectations

Sailings are cancelled by sea state and getting stuck is possible. Accommodation is homestays. Water supply on the island is limited. There is little shade and few services.

Nearby

Quy Nhon and Nhon Ly are on the mainland; Ky Co is on the peninsula.