Con Co Island is not far away.
With just a few clicks, you can book your ticket and your journey to Con Co Island (Quang Tri Province) will be laid out before you. High-speed boats departing daily from Con Co - Cua Viet Tourist Station (Cua Viet Commune) will take you from the mainland to Con Co Island in just over an hour.
It was unthinkable during the war years, when officers and soldiers on the island had to struggle against the American imperialists' plot to turn Con Co Island into a target for destruction in order to cut off the sea supply route to the South. And even after the country was completely liberated, the ships bringing fishermen from Vinh Linh district (formerly Quang Tri province) to settle and make a living here still faced countless storms.
Con Co Island is an attractive destination for tourists. Photo: Vo Dung.
But things are different now. With ships large enough to brave the rough waves, not only young people but also elderly people of advanced age can easily reach this frontier island of the Fatherland. Con Co Island, an island just over 2.3 square kilometers in size, is closer than ever before!
“Things are much simpler now compared to 2002, when we, along with the Youth Volunteer Brigade, came here to work on Con Co Island, building infrastructure and establishing our lives. At that time, Con Co Island only had armed units; there were almost no civilian facilities. The island was just the green of the mountains and forests, and the basalt rocks and beaches along the coast. But now it's very different. Not only is the island's population growing, but every year, many tourists come to visit. The infrastructure isn't as developed as on the mainland, but it basically meets the needs of tourists,” shared Le Van Vinh, an early resident of Con Co Island.
The journey to Con Co Island begins from Con Co - Cua Viet Tourist Station. Photo: Vo Dung.
Having retired and previously worked in the tourism industry, specializing in welcoming international tour groups, Ms. Phan Thi Thanh Luong from Dinh Cong ward, Hanoi, chose Con Co Island as her destination for her exploration trip this summer.
Departing from Con Co - Cua Viet Tourist Station on a high-speed tourist boat of Chin Nghia Quang Tri Co., Ltd. at 8:00 AM, the group of tourists disembarked at the harbor of Con Co Island at 9:30 AM.
Despite the scorching sun of central Vietnam, the group of tourists still managed to take a stroll around the island to experience life there. They were accommodated in homestays nestled under shady trees, just a few hundred steps from the harbor. Every morning, visitors could take a walk around the island, explore the harbor, and experience the daily life of the fishermen.
After more than an hour's journey by speedboat, tourists were able to check in on Con Co Island. Photo: Vo Dung.
Perhaps, even Mrs. Luong herself didn't imagine that in a harsh, windswept region like Central Vietnam, the soldiers of yesteryear could hold their ground for 1,500 days and nights, enduring nearly 850 battles, large and small, shooting down 48 aircraft and sinking/burning 17 warships of the American imperialists. These achievements further embellished the glorious history of Vietnam's resistance against foreign invaders. They also served as a powerful affirmation of the inviolable sovereignty of our beloved homeland. The blood of these heroes, mingled with the mountains and rivers of the country, reminds us to cherish and value every inch of our land and every blade of grass.
“Visiting landmarks like the Military Medical Bunker, Point A11, and the Monument to the Heroes and Martyrs… on Con Co Island truly reveals the indomitable spirit of our army and people during the years of resistance against the US to protect every inch of our beloved homeland. This will be a ‘red address’ to educate young people to cherish their country even more,” Ms. Luong proudly stated.
Homestays on Con Co Island will welcome you. Photo: Vo Dung.
Con Co Island is in its tourist season! Streams of people board speedboats to visit the soldiers and civilians on the island. Amidst the vast ocean, the Con Co Special Zone emerges like a familiar, beloved green gem.
These are the "landmarks" on the frontier island.
In late 2002, the People's Committee of Quang Tri province established the General Youth Volunteer Brigade to build the "Youth Island" of Con Co. Con Co. Con Co. Island. The first group of civilian residents, consisting of 43 youth volunteers, voluntarily crossed the sea to the island to work, build infrastructure, and establish their livelihoods. This laid the foundation for transforming Con Co Island from a military rocky island into a civilian island.
A romantic sunset on Con Co Island. Photo: Vo Dung.
After the establishment of the island district (2004), the former Quang Tri province planned to build a sustainable settlement community based on a family-based model to develop the marine economy. In 2017, dozens of households joined and became the first residents on the island. They were allocated land, exempted from land use fees, given a house of approximately 42m², provided with food support for the first year, and received preferential loans for production and fishing. To date, Con Co Island has formed a stable community with strong development in tourism services, aquaculture, and fishing.
In his late teens and early twenties, answering the sacred call of the Fatherland, Le Van Vinh, a fisherman from Cua Tung commune, volunteered to join the Youth Volunteer Brigade to build Con Co Island, the "Youth Island." Now married and still working at sea, his aspiration is to make Con Co Island even more beautiful and stronger in this challenging environment. He and his wife have built a restaurant on the island, along with homestays to welcome tourists. But for him, stopping here would be a disservice to the generations of his ancestors.
Le Van Vinh's aspiration to develop the economy while preserving biodiversity on Con Co Island. Photo: Vo Dung.
After years of accumulating life experience and a decent income on the island, Mr. Vinh hopes to continue contributing to the development of the Con Co Special Economic Zone. Beyond just economic development, he wants visitors to Con Co to enjoy the region's seafood specialties. He also wants to preserve the endemic marine species around the island, not only to serve tourists but also to conserve the biodiversity of the area.
“My family is waiting for the approval of the conservation project for moon snails and cone snails around the island. If successful, dozens of hectares of water around the island will be marked with buoys. Below the coral reef, I will release and regenerate the two endemic snail species, the moon snail and the cone snail, to both create biodiversity in the marine area and allow tourists to enjoy these two specialties when visiting the island,” Vinh shared.
While Mr. Vinh harbors grand ambitions, others like Mr. Vo Van Sang simply desire a peaceful life on the island, doing what they love and being connected to the salty sea. Owning nine homestays and his wife's trading business, Mr. Sang's family is quite well-off. However, deeply in love with the sea and sky of his homeland, every morning and evening he sails out to sea, returning with a full hold of fish and enjoying the view of the sky, clouds, and river. For him, this is also a way of expressing his love for Con Co Island and his homeland. Con Co Island has truly become a second home for him and his wife, and for the children who were born and raised there.
Loving the island and loving his country, Vo Van Sang is dedicated to the fishing profession. Photo: Vo Dung.
“There are still some struggling households on Con Co Island that need support in purchasing fishing gear. The island also needs unique tourism products and souvenirs characteristic of the sea. This will attract more and more tourists to Con Co Island. Fishing boats on the island need to be modernized, the harbor expanded, and the bustling activity on the docks will help the island's economy become more stable in the face of challenges,” Mr. Sang shared.
Head towards the sea
In late May 2026, Mr. Duong Nhat Hoan, Director of Con Co Island Tourism Services Joint Stock Company, held a meeting with the People's Committee of the Con Co Special Economic Zone. Mr. Hoan wanted to invest in ships, not only to help tourists easily get closer to the island but also to provide them with experiences among the coral reefs around the island. This is something many investors have considered, but issues with investment mechanisms and financial difficulties have deterred many. But Mr. Hoan was different.
“Con Co Island has great tourism potential to transform itself into a ‘pearl in the East Sea.’ Everything is difficult, but I believe tourism will be the key to realizing that. I know that pioneers can fail, but if you don’t try, you won’t learn the lessons that lead to success,” Mr. Hoan shared.
The flagpole on Con Co Island - a landmark symbolizing the sovereignty of the Fatherland's maritime territory. Photo: Vo Dung.
Mr. Hoan's concerns are also the sentiments of the residents, the special zone's government, and the agencies and units based on Con Co Island. Tourism will propel the Con Co special zone further in the future. To achieve this, Con Co needs not only to preserve its existing resources but also to boldly embrace the sea.
“The goal is not to increase fishing yields or the capacity of fishing vessels at all costs. The important thing is to preserve the pristine beauty of the island and the biodiversity of the marine environment to develop the ‘non-polluting industry’ (tourism). In the future, there will be tourist boats here allowing visitors to go scuba diving and admire the coral reefs,” said Mr. Le Nhat Hai, Deputy Head of the Economic and Social Affairs Department of the Con Co Special Economic Zone.
Mr. Tran Xuan Anh, Secretary of the Party Committee and Chairman of the People's Committee of Con Co Special Economic Zone, further shared that in the plan to expand development space, the locality aims to develop aquaculture in a high-tech direction. The serrated oyster and rock snail species will be prioritized for conservation and development, both to increase biodiversity and to serve the needs of tourists. Due to the lack of natural beaches, in the near future, Con Co will build an artificial beach to create a new tourism product on this small island.
The Con Co Island area boasts high biodiversity. Photo: Khuong Canh.
According to Mr. Anh, during the period 2026-2030, Con Co Island will welcome 49 households from the mainland to supplement the island's workforce. They will not only be "living landmarks" on this small, strategically important island but also a necessary force for developing the marine economy, marine tourism, and preserving the greenery of this heroic island.
The project "Developing the Con Co Special Economic Zone into a strong economic and secure zone" has also been finalized to prepare for a plan to expand the zone's development space. In the coming time, the Con Co Special Economic Zone will actively attract investment in a way that effectively exploits its unique potential and advantages in terms of islands, ecotourism, and marine economy, while ensuring national defense, security, and sovereignty over the islands.
Agreeing with the above viewpoint, Mr. Nguyen Van Hoa, Director of the Con Co Island Marine Reserve Management Board - Quang Tri Fisheries and Fisheries Inspection Sub-Department, believes that using tourism to conserve biodiversity is a multi-pronged approach. In his opinion, although the island attracts over 10,000 visitors annually, tourism on Con Co Island is still in its nascent stage and has not yet fully exploited its potential because there are not many large businesses investing there.
According to Mr. Hoa, the unit is currently collaborating with World Vision and the Quang Tri Department of Culture, Sports and Tourism to sign a document on the conservation of the green corridor and marine conservation for the period 2026-2030, promoting ecotourism, resorts, and recreation within the marine protected area.
Developing tourism while simultaneously cleaning up the marine environment and preserving biodiversity is the chosen direction for this island. Photo: Khuong Canh.
“Located at the confluence of two ocean currents from the South Central and North regions, the Con Co Island Marine Reserve boasts high biodiversity of many marine species. It is also home to coral reefs and numerous economically and scientifically valuable aquatic products such as lobsters, groupers, abalone, sea turtles, moon snails, cone snails, and serrated oysters… Not only will marine economy develop, but marine tourism will also grow and bring significant benefits to fishermen on the island,” Mr. Hoa confidently stated.
Spanning the 17th parallel and guarding the southern gateway to the Gulf of Tonkin, Con Co Island served as a forward outpost protecting the sovereignty of the eastern sea and islands of the Fatherland. Aiming to cut off the North-South supply line by sea and turn Con Co into a launching pad for attacks in the North, the US imperialists dropped a massive amount of bombs and ammunition here, but all their schemes failed. Not only did President Ho Chi Minh send a letter of praise, but Con Co Island was also twice awarded the title of Heroic Unit of the People's Armed Forces by the Party and the State.
Source: https://nongnghiepmoitruong.vn/di-ve-phia-bien-d813019.html
![[Photo] General Secretary and President To Lam receives Palestinian Ambassador Saadi Salama](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/1200x675/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2026/06/25/1782365384740_a1-bnd-9423-8322-jpg.webp)
![[Image] Schools organize meetings and introduce teaching models to students admitted to grade 10.](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/1200x675/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2026/06/25/1782368077271_ndo_br_z7970052192242-1ec8daeb77a6eed1a4e9f58c564ddd3e-jpg.webp)
![[Image] Ho Chi Minh City: Ma Lang area, Chicken-Rice Market about to change its appearance](https://vphoto.vietnam.vn/thumb/1200x675/vietnam/resource/IMAGE/2026/06/25/1782377698627_ndo_br_m1-jpg.webp)
