Da Dia Rock Beach

Vietnam has many "stepping stone" rock beaches. Among them, that of Da Dia in Phu Yen Province is considered the best and the most beautiful.

Located in An Ninh Dong Commune in Tuy An District, the beach is 40km north of the provincial town of Tuy Hoa and 540km from Ho Chi Minh City. The "stepping stone" beach area is 50m wide and more than 2,000m long. The area consists of black or yellow rock columns, which are half-undersea. Each rock is about 60-80cm tall and weighs hundreds of kilograms. The rocks have a hexagonal, square or round top, just right for stepping on. Seen from afar, the area looks like a giant honey comb, with the rocks the comb's cells.

At Da Dia, waves beat on the rocks and this creates beautiful rays in the spray. Oysters and seaweed are found there. In the center of the rock area is a pool formed by rain and the sea water. This pool is the habitat of small color fish species. Around the pool the layers of rocks allow visitors to sit with a backrest and relax.

Scientists say the rocks are basaltic, created during volcanic eruptions about 200 million years ago. When volcanoes erupted, the lava flowed into the sea where it "froze," and the whole mass of lava cracked. Most of the rocks cracked vertically and this created upright or oblique columns. Horizontally-cut rocks formed rounds and polygons that look like stacks of dishes.

Da Dia was certified as a national scenic spot in 1998 by the Ministry of Culture and Information. The road to the sea is not good but hardy vehicles can get close to it. The scenery remains pristine so there are no restaurants, guesthouses or hotels there. The best time to visit is from March to August.