Being an island you will find several beautiful beaches on Con Son. The good thing is, most are quite remote and not filled with hundreds of sun loungers you have to fight for. You can easily take a towel, drinks and food and have a whole beach area for yourself.
I saw six specific beach areas, though there could be some more hidden away. Except of the beach in Con Son Village and An Hai beach you require a bicycle or scooter to reach them from the village.
Along the waterfront in the village there is a little stretch of beach. It is certainly the least beautiful beach on the island, and the water is not the cleanest thanks to the amount of boats that come and go on a daily basis. But it is still a nice place to visit in the afternoon to see the locals enjoying their free time there, and also having a quick dip in the water after a day out on the island. Make sure you have flip-flops as the start of the beach is full of little stones before you reach the sand. And yes, you might see in some bits oil floating on the water. Still – it is worth to enjoy the atmosphere here.
This beach is a short distance of the village – 5 minutes towards the west. The best place to park a scooter is at the road coming from the Van Son Pagoda. The beach is fairly remote – no resorts near it – and just stunningly beautiful. THe sand is white, and offers a great contrast to the blue sea. There are no loungers at all, but you might spot some little round boats along the beach. Bring a towel with you and you have a little stretch just for yourself. However, there is not a lot of shades available, the best option is near the trees separating the beach from the road.
This little beach north of Con Son Village is a little mystery. To reach it you really need a bike or get a taxi. Follow Vo Thj Sau Road to get out of the village and left into Huynh Thuc Khang and then right into the dirt path leading up the hill. After passing a few memorials there is a path on the right, which leads to the sea and to Ong Dung Beach.
It is not the nicest beach with white sand – it is a rocky beach. But the setting is beautiful, inside a little bay and next to the jungle where plenty of shades is provided. There are no sun loungers, but a swing and a few benches. There are no bars or restaurant, but a little house where you can get some warm coke. And there is a little monkey running around trying to steal things from your bags (or your hat or your sunglasses). So be prepared to have your backpack secured unless you want to chase a monkey.
While the beach is rocky (which means you might want to bring shoes with you) there is a nice underwater world. Around 200m from the shores there is a coral reef protecting the bay from strong currents – so this beach offers some nice snorkeling opportunity. Before you reach the reef there are plenty of fish hiding in the sea grass and some interesting rocks underwater. So bring your snorkelling gear.
So this is not the most beautiful beach, but it has a nice relaxed atmosphere and a lovely setting – and it can be included as part of some hiking in the national Park. So a visit to Ong Dung beach might be worthwhile.
Following the road from the village to the west there is a little stretch of beach near the most southern point of the island. Between some of the big rocks between the road and the sea is a sandy beach. While the surrounding in this area is absolute stunning and the beach fits well into the scenery that reminds me more of the Scottish Highlands than a Asian island. It is not the best beach to sit down and relax thpugh as there are just too many stones and it is tpp close to the road. It is nice for a little stroll though.
This beach is located next to the luxurious Six Senses resort, and some of the area might be restricted to their guests. However, after passing the resort there is a one stretch that easily invites any beach lovers to stay.
The sand is nice, the sea is blue and clean, and it is rather empty. Also the nearby trees provide some welcoming shades. Like most other beaches there are no loungers, drink or food stalls or anything at all. Bring everything with you, and you can have some relaxing time at this beautiful beach.
This beach in the north-east of the island is probably the most developed beach on the island, with plenty of sun loungers, hammocks and restaurants directly on the beach.
Getting there is very easy. Follow the main road east for the airport. Before the airport turn left into a dirt path and follow the roads with a few potholes and passing some fields until you arrive at the larger parking spaces for taxis and bikes, where you can see the various beach food places.
Protected in a little bay the beach itself is beautiful, surrounded by trees and hills, the sand soft and warm, and the water here is just clean and beautiful. For me it is the best place to go swimming. It is very good for families with kids as well, as the water is rather shallow so kids can safely play in the water.
Having loungers and hammocks available it is also very comfortable, especially if you do not just want to lie on a towel. Being able to get fresh cold drinks (beer, sugar cane juice or coconuts) and delicious sea food (1kg of fresh crab for just 350.000 Dong) is also a big plus. And there are even toilets.
The only downside is the fact, that the tarmac of the airport starts on this beach. All planes landing on the Con Son fly over this beach. There are only a few flights per day, and it is not very loud. In fact it is an interesting sight while on the beach. Some might not like it and prefer more remote and quieter beaches on the island. But overall this is a nice place if you need some comfort during a beach stay.
