Cat Co Beaches

From the hotels of Cát Bà town, a walk of about five minutes ends at the sea.

The three Cát Cò beaches lie right beside the town, about 500 meters from its center. They are the beaches in the heart of Cát Bà, where nobody needs to go far or hire a boat. A walk through a small lane is enough to reach the waves.

The beaches sit in a small bay south of the town, sheltered by the limestone hills of Cát Bà National Park. This area belongs to the Cát Hải special zone of Hải Phòng. It also lies inside the Cát Bà Biosphere Reserve. A biosphere reserve is a UNESCO-recognized area where nature is protected and the people living there keep working the land.

The name comes from the cò birds. According to folk tradition, many cò once came down to this sand to feed, so people called it "cát cò", the sand of the cò. Today tourism has grown and the birds are fewer, but the name remains.

The three beaches each have their own character, like three personalities in one family.

Cát Cò 1 is the liveliest, the widest, and the closest to town, with many drink stalls along the sand. It suits families with children and large groups best.

Cát Cò 2 is the quietest. It is smaller than the first beach and has fewer visitors. The limestone hills close around it more tightly, and the air feels a little secluded. It suits couples, or anyone who wants a properly restful time.

Cát Cò 3 is the most modern. It is the farthest of the three, and the Flamingo Cát Bà Resort, a high-end resort, takes up part of the beach. It is also the best place of the three to watch the sunset, because the beach faces west across the bay. In the evening the sun drops toward the bay, and the sky turns from yellow to orange to red. The limestone hills darken slowly against it.

A footpath joins the three beaches. It is one of the finest coastal walks on Cát Bà. The path follows the slope of the limestone hills, with green trees and views of the sea. Walkers go slowly, looking at the hills and the water, and each stretch gives a different angle. Between the first and second beach the walk takes about 5 to 10 minutes, and between the second and third another 5 to 10 minutes. The whole walk along all three beaches comes to about 30 minutes in all.

The best bathing season runs from April to September, when the waves are gentle and the water is warm. The path ends at the third beach, and there the last light of the day turns the whole bay gold.