CO TO Island → Travel Guide + Beaches ☀️

ℹ️ Information – Cô Tô
🛵 How to move in Cô Tô
☀️ Weather in Cô Tô
❓ FAQ + Travel Tips
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Escape to Tranquility and Relax: Uncover the Charm of Co To Island.

• • Co To Island (Đảo Cô Tô) – another way to visit the South China Sea in northern Vietnam. Co To Island is located about 50 km from Cai Rong port in Quang Ninh province and is significantly less visited by foreign tourists. It is popular and visited mainly in the tourist season by Vietnamese visitors. I visited this island after the main tourist season, and you can also visit another closest island – (as from Quan Lan Island), this island is also accessible from Cai Rong port in Van Don. I can recommend this island for a few days beach realax.

Part of the Van Don archipelago, which includes hundreds of small islands.

• • Like the Island of Quan Lan, Co Co Island is a part of the Van Don Archipelago, which consists of up to about 600 smaller islands. However, many of them are uninhabited and inaccessible to ordinary tourists. According to what I could see (buildings under construction, hotels …) I conclude that the Island is preparing for a slightly larger tourist boom, but that’s just my assumption. Co To Island was in 2016 accessible for foreign tourists only with special permission, but that changed and you can go to the island with your original passport (you will be checked in Cai Rong port or in Co To Island). If you are already in Cai Rong, you should definitely visit this island.

Co To Island will offer some very nice beaches, but again the problem – the rubbish.

• • Right after you arrive at the island, you will appear at the main town of the Co To Island (with the same name). Already near the town begins the first largest beach – Tinh Yeu Beach (Bãi tắm Tình Yêu). The beach was quite clean at the time of my visit, the water was calm, warm, with some exceptions at the end of the beach, where lots of brothels and plastics from the sea had already appeared, the beach was almost empty all day.

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  • 2. longest beach in the east of the island – Hong Van beach (Bãi tắm Hồng Vàn, about 3.5 km long), completely abandoned and unfortunately clogged with brothel and plastic, but the water was also clean. But this beach could be clean in the tourist season, because there are also some homestays or bungalows, but it is limited.

Main beaches on the Co To Island – Tinh Yeu, Hong Van, Van Chay, Bac Van.

• • There are several beaches on the island, but the four beaches are the largest. The absolutely clean beach was at the time of my visit just a very nice beach Van Chay (Bãi tắm Vàn Chảy) in the northwestern part of the island. Unfortunately, other beaches, such as Bac Van Beach (Bãi tắm Bắc Vàn), have been clogged with plastics and brothels (this may not be the case in the tourist season).
  • All these beaches are easily accessible and can be reached by motorbike or bicycle. You can ride the whole island on a motorcycle in 1 day very easy and fast.

The beaches on the island were practically completely deserted and without tourists.

• • Visiting this island off-season means significantly less tourists, I was almost alone on almost every beach (only a few local people came to the evening). More limited services, but unfortunately unkempt beaches clogged with brothels. It is important to add, in the tourist season count with more visitors and perhaps tidy and clean beaches, some local people told me that they are cleaning these beaches in the tourist season, but I cannot really guarantee these words.

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Co To Island in a lighter phase of urbanization, new hotels were build? Maybe.

• • Also on the island during the time of my visit, there were several constructions of the new roads, which was a bit uncomfortable with the movement on the motorbike (a lot of dust) and some new roads were built and some new hotels/guesthouses were probably built. When and what exactly will stand in the future – I really do not know, just wish they will not destroy this island. Just somewhat similar pictures to Quan Lan Island – it was the same situation.

Movement around the island – on a motorbike, bike by a hotel minibus.

• • Co To Island is a smaller island, about 10×5 km in size. You can reach the nearest and the main beach on foot, but if you go further, I recommend to rent a motorcycle/scooter or bicycle. Where to rent a motorbike or bicycle in Co To? Ask directly where you will be staying – at the hotel/guesthouse, I believe they will help you and rent a motorbike. There is also a small petrol station just outside the city port.
  • Some larger hotels also have small open minibuses on the island (similar to Quan Lan Island), which will take people to the hotel and take them to the beach for a small fee, or to the island tour. However, in the non-tourist season, these minibuses can be limited and you need to check out the driving times on site. Of course you can move on foot, but if you want to walk every day, I’m not sure 🙂

Mong Rong and Cau My coast – you can go on foot in the south of the island.

• • In the south of the island, about 3km from the small town, there is a nice rocky coast of Mong Rong + Cau My (Điểm nhìn toàn cảnh Móng Rồng + Bãi đá Cầu Mỵ) with some interesting sea and island sightseeing spots. This place is easily accessible by motorbike/bicycle, but also very easy on foot. The place offers mainly very nice sunsets and a few bays/beaches for the evening (however, during my visit, a brothel and plastics were often seen).

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Lighthouse in the middle of Co To Island – easily accessible by bike or motorcycle.

• • In the middle of the northern part of the island, there is a lighthouse (Hải Đăng Cô Tô) which can be easily reached by motorbike, see map. The lighthouse has the best panoramic view of the entire island of Co To.
  • You can use Google Maps for the whole movement and orientation on the island, as well as the main roads, as well as often smaller side roads eg to the beaches. Count on the fact that you will not be able to communicate with most people in English.

What are the roads and weather on the island and when to visit Co To Island?

• • The island is intersected by several different small roads and small paths, as well as side field paths. The main roads and the bigger roads are in a good condition and moving in the island is very easy. Some minor paths may be unmaintained, but overall, moving on a motorbike is the best option. Some other roads at the time of my stay were being repaired and even completely new.

Tourist season on the Co To Island starts from May and ends in September.

• • Tourist season on the Co To Island is almost the same as on Quan Lan Island – it starts from May and ends in September and temperatures are about 30 °C (may be higher). This period is also the best for swimming, in a non-tourist season, swimming in the sea may not be safe and, as already written, beaches can be unmaintained by mess and plastics. At the time of my stay, in November, the temperature was about 27 °C.
  • Tourist season – more tourists, available services, sea is safe for swimming
  • Non-tourist season – limited services, less tourists, not safe for swimming.

Where to eat and where to find accommodation on the Co To Island?

• • The best place to eat is in the town of Co To, right by the harbor, the center of services, restaurants and shops, as well as the accommodation of this island. There is a sufficient number of different restaurants (predominantly seafood dishes) but also several cafes, even a small supermarket, shops (+ ATM) so everyone can choose almost everything. Of course, in remote villages outside the town, the choice is much smaller, so I recommend to buy some food/drinks for the trip if you go to the beach (most of the refreshments at the beach can be closed in the non-tourist season).

Hotels + Guesthouses on the Co To Island (Book online):
▶️ Homestay CôngAnh ▶️ CôTô Starlight Boutique Hotel ▶️ Sao555 Hotel ▶️ Coto Life-Mini Resort ▶️ Maldives Resort Co To ▶️ Homestay CoTo Haki ▶️ Cuong Thinh Homestay ▶️ Mai Linh Hotel

Guesthouses, homestays, hotels, bungalows/cottages – in the town or at the beach.

• • Accommodation on the Co To Island – there are various accommodation options, in the town of Co To there are small hotels, guesthouses, homestays mostly average standard quality. Outside the town, for example, in the vicinity of beaches can be accommodation in the form of bungalows or cottages. Prices for accommodation may vary, ranging from about 10 – 70 USD/night/room.

More accommodation options will grow in the near future on the Co To Island.

• • In the non-tourist season, there were other ongoing construction of some new hotels and other accommodation facilities or shops. The island will be more open to commercial tourism, so it is possible that the number of tourists and visitors will increase in the future. In many places, mainly in the middle of the island, new roads were being built and other roads were being repaired.
  • However, Vietnamese arrive mainly in the tourist season (summer months), at this time, according to local people – beaches are clean (for such statements, however, I can not guarantee this information). There are significantly fewer tourists in the non-tourist period, but the beaches can be unkempt but on the other hand half-empty.

❓ Frequently Asked Questions about Co To Island:

Updated: April 2026

Map of Co To Island:

Various photos of the Co To Island:

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