Vũng Tàu – Beaches, Views and Architecture

Vũng Tàu offers several reasons to stay: beaches, sea views, religious architecture, a former summer villa and fresh catches at daybreak. These themes offer different perspectives on the place: beach features and waves, views and architectural history, and a clear connection to the time of day when fishing takes place.

Beaches and Sea Views

Back Beach is a three-kilometer-long sandy beach. Its waves are relatively gentle and safe, making the beach suitable for small children too. Front Beach (Tam Duong Beach) lies on the west side of Vũng Tàu and is a good place to watch sunsets over the sea. Calm waters and distinctive rock formations shape the impression of Dâu Beach. This gives you different features to consider when choosing between the beaches: the length of the sand and the waves at Back Beach, sunsets at Front Beach, and calm waters and rocks at Dâu Beach.

Views and Steps

The Vũng Tàu Lighthouse was built by the French in 1862 and is considered Vietnam’s oldest lighthouse. A winding path leads to a 360-degree view, making it a good place to watch the sunset. This landmark brings together historical significance and panoramic views.

The Vũng Tàu Christ Statue was built in 1974 and is 32 meters tall. Around 800 steps lead to its feet, with another 100 leading to its shoulders. The number of steps at each stage helps put the scale of the climb into perspective without implying a walking time.

Religious Architecture and a Summer Villa

Thích Ca Phật Đài is on the northwestern slope of Big Mountain in Vũng Tàu and combines religious architecture with natural scenery. Its structures include a 19-meter-high Bát-Giác Tower. There is also a seated Buddha statue on a lotus flower. It is 10.2 meters tall and about six meters in diameter; the tower is therefore almost twice as high as the statue.

The White Palace (Bach Dinh) was built in 1898 as a summer villa in European architectural style. Vũng Tàu thus brings together distinct architectural styles: religious architecture on the slope of Big Mountain and the European-style villa. Those interested in architecture will find two clearly distinct themes here, without needing to combine them into a single architectural history.

A Morning Highlight

Every morning at daybreak, fishermen bring fresh catches to the seafood market on Tran Phu Street in Vũng Tàu. This timing gives the market its own rhythm: unlike the beaches, views or architectural history, the focus here is on the early catch. If you would also like to take fishing into account when choosing your destination, this morning connection is one of Vũng Tàu’s distinctive features.

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