Cửa Lò Beach

Cửa Lò is a beach town about 15 kilometres east of Vinh, on the South China Sea coast. It is a popular Vietnamese domestic resort destination rather than an international one, and visiting it gives a different perspective on Vietnamese beach culture than the more tourist-oriented beaches further south. The beach is broad and sandy; the water is warm from May to October.

The town itself is low-key, with rows of guesthouses and seafood restaurants catering primarily to Vietnamese visitors from Hanoi and the north. If you have time, the seafood at the market and along the beach road is fresh and inexpensive. Getting there from Vinh takes about 30 minutes by xe om (motorbike taxi) or minibus.

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A story
Cửa Lò was one of the first beach resorts developed in Vietnam after the country opened to tourism in the 1990s, primarily serving Vietnamese holidaymakers from Hanoi and the surrounding provinces. It remains a largely domestic destination and the atmosphere is different from the internationally-oriented resorts of central and southern Vietnam — the food is local, the vendors are Vietnamese, and in summer the beach fills with Vietnamese families rather than backpackers.