The main place of Con Son is Con Son village, home of most of the 9.000 inhabitants of the island. It is located at the centre of the island, directly at a protected bay.
It is also the main place for tourists, as most accommodation and restaurants are in the village, though with a few exception the main attractions of the island are outside of the village.
The layout of the roads is very simple, mainly leading east to west and north to south. The most important roads are Nguyen Hue / Nguyen Duc Thuan which run through the village from east to west, Vu Thj Sau which leads to the northern part of the island and Ton Duc Thang along the waterfront.
The main attractions located in the village is the Trai Phu Son prison (the old French prison) and Hang Duong cemetery, which are covered on Things To do.
Until recently the main museum showing old maps and remains of the victims of the prison was located at the old governor house near the pier. The building alone was worth a visit, though there were no English signs inside the museum, so without help I found the museum not that interesting. It has now been relocated on Nguyen Hue. The old governor house is still worth a visit though.
At the east entrance of the village, just before the road splits into Nguyen Hue and Ton Duc Thang you can find a memorial. This is a location of a graveyard for prisoners. Their bodies have moved to Hang Duon cemetery.
When the road finally splits into Nguyen Hue and Ton Duc Thang you can find a little, but lovely park with some benches, a pond and some very strange-looking statues. THere are also the usual public exercise items, so this is an interesting place to watch the locals in the afternoon.
The waterfront along Ton Duc Thang is one of my favourite places in the village. During the day the promenade is deserted and very quiet. But late afternoon it changes dramatically. Suddenly several street stalls selling little snacks appear, and the locals arrive to enjoy the free time at the beach, talking to friends while eating, playing football on the beach or going for a little swim. It is a fascinating place to be and watch people. It has a great atmosphere. Though, while the water is very refreshing after a hot day, due to the amount of boats you can see quite a few oil spills on the water, so the water quality is not the best here. Still worth a quick dip. Even without swimming, come here and sit on the wall to experience the atmosphere. The waterfront looks lovely as well when it the street lights switch on and offer a nice contrast to the incoming darkness.
Walking up the Quay is a nice option as well to enjoy the view towards the island and the sea. It is a great motives for some selfies. At the entrance of the quay is a memorial for those who vanished during the construction work.
Other places that might be important are on Pham Van Dong. Here you can find the local market where you can have breakfast or lunch or just buy some fruits. Further down are some little shops and food places. At the corner Vu Thj Sau is a branch of AgriBank where you can exchange money, and an ATM outside. The only petrol station is on Nguyen Huy, just before Vu Thj Sau.
It is not a stunningly beautiful village, but Con Son village has a lot of charm and a very relaxed atmosphere. So walking around the village, especially late afternoon or evening can be very nice.
