Tra Co Beach

Tra Co runs for about seventeen kilometres along a peninsula at the north-eastern corner of Vietnam, which makes it usually cited as the longest single beach in the country, on flat firm sand with shallow water and very little development along most of its length. Sa Vi, at the northern end, is marked as the first point of the Vietnamese mainland coastline - the corner where the land border with China meets the sea - with a monument shaped from three conical hat forms. The village behind the beach has a communal house of the sixteenth century, and Mong Cai next door is a border trade town.

What you actually see

• About seventeen kilometres of sand - usually cited as the country's longest.
• Sa Vi at the northern end - where the border meets the sea.
• A sixteenth century communal house - in the village behind.
• Very little development - along most of the length.

When to go

April to September; the winter monsoon makes it cold and grey. A full day.

Honest expectations

The water is silty rather than clear, being close to river mouths. It is a domestic destination and largely empty outside Vietnamese holidays. Mong Cai is a border trade town, busy and functional. The border area has some rules.

Nearby

Mong Cai and the Chinese crossing are inland; Binh Lieu is west.