Phu Quy Island is a small island located about 100 km from Phan Thiet. The island is deemed the largest among ten beautiful islands in Phu Quoc district. With its long stretch of white sandy beaches and dense coral reefs, only the rocky in the north, the northern half of the island is inhabited. Endowed with beautiful landscapes including vast rows or casuarinas trees, the entirety of the island is very pristine.
Though the island holds a lot of beautiful sceneries and important cultural sites, the speedier development of its neighboring islets has helped Phu Quy maintain its paradise-like visage and its pure state. Although there are still no rated hotels in the island, tourists can enjoy a peaceful night under the starry sky and explore nearby caves. With cool climate year-round, crystal-clear waters and fascinating coral reefs, the island is really a great place to keep close touch with nature and enjoy a calm and serene atmosphere ideal for summer getaways or romantic settings.
Among the places to see around the island is the famous lighthouse that sits on Cam Mountain. Not only the lighthouse provides tourists the best view of the island’s romantic landscapes and beautiful rock formations, the people in the island also take pride on it as it is one of the only two lighthouses in the country that runs on solar energy. On the same mountain lies the Linh Buu Pagoda, one of the many pagodas and temples that have graced the island for so long. An Thanh Temple which holds remains of gigantic whales worshipped by the locals along with the 18th century-built Linh Quang temple are two of the nationally-recognized cultural-historic sites embedded in this beautiful place.
Apart from that, as Phu Quy’s name means “rich and precious”, the island indeed has vast reserves of mineral resources and perfect fishing conditions. In fact, its waters are considered the most important fishing grounds in the central coast of Binh Thuan province where a wide and diverse marine life dwells in. Snappers, groupers, tunas and sharks are among its most common products, yet the abundance of squid makes it the island’s specialty.
Viewing the island from the north, it resembles giant mackerel emerging from the sea, thus, Phu Quy is commonly referred to by the local residents as Cu Lao Thu (Mackerel Island).
If having a chance, you should not miss a Phan Thiet trip to discover the underlying beauty of Phan Thiet City by once setting your foot into the space of pristine Phu Quy Island