The Central Coast is a region of Vietnam.

Cities

• Da Nang - Vietnam's fifth largest city, where the beaches are the main attraction
• Dong Ha
• Dong Hoi
• Hoi An - trading port with a UNESCO World Heritage listed old city and pedestrian-friendly shops and cafes
• Hue - the former imperial capital and a popular tourist attraction
• Nha Trang - popular beach town
• Lang Co - fishing village that includes mountains, a river, a lagoon, an island and a 32 km beach
• Quẚng Ngãi - a sleepy town and off the beaten tracks, known for the My Lai incident during the Vietnam War, with lots of cultural and historical sights
• Qui Nhon- Lively town, relatively tourist-free, makes for a good break between Nha Trang and Hoi An
• Tan Ky
• Thanh Hoa

Other destinations

• Cham Islands - or in Vietnamese Cu Lao Cham are 7 islands 9 nautical miles offshore to the East of Hoi An river-ocean inlet
• DMZ
• My Son - UNESCO World Heritage listed ruins of temples built by the ancient Champa civilisation, located close to Hoi An
• Na Meo - border crossing town
• Van Phong Bay - Includes a 25 km long peninsula called Hon Gom and the islands Hon Lon (Big Island) and Hon Ong (Whale Island), one of the few places on the Vietnamese coast that remains semi-natural, after the decision to abort a container port project.

Understand

This region is likened by the Vietnamese to the bamboo pole connecting the baskets of north and south. The Truong Son Mountains, stretching all the way to the coast between Hue and Da Nang, have traditionally divided the country in two in terms of weather and dialect, although the actual demarcation line during the Vietnam War was slightly higher up at the 17th parallel to the north of Hue.

Climate

Jul-Nov is the typhoon season, so it's wise to check the forecast a few days before your planned visit. Typhoons form in the Pacific, east of the Philippines. In some years, they curve north toward Taiwan and Japan and leave Vietnam in peace. In other years, they cross the Philippines and run straight into central Vietnam, causing flooding and wind damage. The threat of typhoons is one factor that has limited economic development in the central region relative to the north and south.

Get in

By plane

Da Nang's airport has good domestic connections and a limited selection of direct regional flights. It is one of three airports in Vietnam where visa-on-arrivals are granted.

Hue's airport has flights to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi.

Tuy Hoa and Quy Nhon airports have a flight connection from and to Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City nearly every day.

By rail

There are train stations at Nha Trang, Tuy Hoa, Quy Nhon, Danang (convenient for Hoi An), and Hué.

By road

The 2005 opening of the Hai Van Tunnel between Danang and Hue shaved 20 km and a good hour off travel time between the two cities, as well as short-cutting past the Hai Van Pass, which was as dangerous as it was scenic. Toll for an ordinary car is 25,000 dong, a price well worth paying, especially if you're prone to carsickness.

See

The south gate of the citadel

• The Citadel of the Hồ Dynasty, a UNESCO World Heritage located some 40 km north of Thanh Hoa