Provincia Phu Yen

February to August is the best time. The weather is dry and sunny, and the sea is calm. September to December is the rainy and typhoon season, with heavy rain and rough seas. Winter can be cool and wet.

• Gành Đá Đĩa is a cliff of basalt columns by the sea, like a stack of discs. It is the best known sight in the province.
• Bãi Biển Đại Lãnh is a sandy beach next to Mũi Điện headland, with rocks and clear water.
• Đầm Ô Loan is a large brackish lagoon with fishing farms.
• Sand dune is a sand dune on the coast near Đại Lãnh.
• Coral Island is a small island with coral and calm water, reached by boat.
• Ho Van Hoa is a lake and recreation area west of Tuy Hòa.
• Salt flats is a salt flat on the coast near the Cầu river mouth.

Mũi Điện (Cape Đại Lãnh) is the easternmost point of the mainland and has a lighthouse. Nhạn Tower is a Cham tower on a hill above Tuy Hòa. Mang Lang church is an old French-era church.

• Walk on the basalt cliff at Gành Đá Đĩa: Go early or late to avoid the heat.
• See sunrise at Đại Lãnh: Mũi Điện is the easternmost point of the mainland.
• Visit the lagoon at Ô Loan: Seafood restaurants line the water.
• Take a boat to the coral islands: Calm, clear water in season.
• Eat fresh seafood: Lobster, squid and fish are cheap compared with Nha Trang.

• Binh Dinh: Quy Nhơn is about 2 hours north.
• Khanh Hoa: Nha Trang is about 3 to 4 hours south.
• Dak Lak: Buôn Ma Thuột is reached over the mountains to the west.
• Vũng Rô Bay: A sheltered bay south-east of Tuy Hòa.

• North: Binh Dinh has Quy Nhơn and Cham towers.
• South: Khanh Hoa has Nha Trang.
• West: Dak Lak covers the Central Highlands.

• By air: Tuy Hòa Airport (TBB) has flights from Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City.
• By train: Tuy Hòa station is on the north–south line. Vietnam Railways
• By bus: Buses run along Highway 1 from Quy Nhơn, Nha Trang and Da Nang.
• By road: Highway 1 and the coastal road run through the province.

• Motorbike hire: The best way to follow the coast road.
• Car with driver: Useful for a full day along the headlands.
• Taxi: Available in Tuy Hòa.
• Bicycle: Possible on flat roads near the city and lagoon.

• Is a car worth it? A car or motorbike is the best way to follow the coast. Sights are far apart.
• Roads: Highway 1 is busy. The coast road is quieter but narrower.
• Typhoons: Check forecasts from September to December.

Phú Yên food is fresh seafood. Try bánh canh hẹ, thick noodles with chives, fish noodle soup and grilled squid. Lobster and squid are sold at the lagoon. Sweet snacks, dried fish and local rice are common gifts.

Phú Yên is quiet and safe.

• Rocks at Gành Đá Đĩa are slippery. Wear shoes with grip and stay off the edges.
• Currents can be strong. Swim only in calm bays.
• Typhoon and flood season runs from September to December.
• Use sun protection and bring water on beach trips.
• Wear a helmet on a motorbike.

Phú Yên was part of the Champa kingdom, and Cham towers such as Nhạn Tower still stand. Vietnamese settlers moved into the region from the late 16th century. The province became a rice and sugar area and later a French-era port.

The coast has changed little compared with Nha Trang. The Gành Đá Đĩa cliff was recognised as a national landscape site in 1998.

Quick practical facts for Vietnam at a glance: