O Loan Lagoon – not only is it a place with poetic beauty in the land of “Yellow flowers on green grass” but also in the East of the Truong Son range it hides the majestic beauty of the Phoenix spreading its wings.
1. INTRODUCTION TO O LOAN LAGOON
O Loan Lagoon is not only known as a place with a romantic, poetic scenery but also a national scenic spot in Phu Yen. O Loan is a brackish water lagoon with an area of about more than 1500Km. The lagoon receives salty water each time the tide rises through the Le Thinh gate leading to the sea but also simultaneously receives fresh water from the Cai river and small streams around flowing in.
O Loan Lagoon seen from afar
Location of the Lagoon in Phu Yen
O Loan Lagoon is located along National Highway 1A, Chi Thanh town, Tuy An district, Phu Yen province and about more than 20Km north of Tuy Hoa city, right under the foot of Quan Cau pass. From Quan Cau pass, O Loan Lagoon appears like a beautiful watercolor painting. The vast, calm water surface makes many people mistake it for a giant mirror reflecting the deep blue sky creating a peaceful, quiet scene. But sometimes, O Loan appears like a giant Phoenix flying in the clear sky with wings spread wide from Tan Quy (An Hoa commune) to Ha Yen (An Thach commune) then stopping at Phu Tan – the tail tip of that Phoenix.
2. LEGEND OF O LOAN LAGOON
It is said that long ago there was a fairy girl of extraordinary beauty but mischievous and playful. One day, she borrowed the O Thuoc bird of the fairy old man to roam the mortal world, but being fascinated by the beautiful scenery of the mortal world, she did not realize that the O Thuoc bird was exhausted, hungry and thirsty. When flying over Tuy An, O Thuoc was too tired and landed on the Tu Bi mountain range and died right after. Because of too much sorrow and self-blame, the fairy girl together with the body of the O Thuoc bird transformed into a lagoon here. O Loan Lagoon is a combined name from the O Thuoc bird and the fairy girl named Loan.
Heartbreaking beauty of O Loan Lagoon
3. IDEAL TIME TO ADMIRE THE BEAUTY OF O LOAN LAGOON
You can come here at any time of the year, because this place always possesses an extremely charming beauty regardless of natural conditions, rain or shine. However, to enjoy the finest essence of nature or explore other famous places of Phu Yen, the period from January to August is the most ideal because Phu Yen’s weather at that time is dry season, with little rain, very convenient for entertainment. In spring, especially during the Lunar New Year, many festivals are held here such as boat racing, fishing prayer festivals, deity worship, etc.
Annual boat racing festival in spring
4. HOW TO GET TO O LOAN LAGOON
From Tuy Hoa city, there are quite a few options to get to O Loan Lagoon:
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Motorbike: the most popular and flexible means, allowing tourists to be proactive in time and freely explore. Rental cost in Tuy Hoa city is about 150,000 VND/day. You can go along Hung Vuong street from the city center then turn into National Highway 1A and continue for about 30 minutes to the destination.
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Taxi: a choice for those who need quickness or want to avoid harsh weather. Taxi fare here is about 400,000 VND/one way.
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Bus: for those who want to save money, the bus is a perfect choice. Bus route number 2 from Tuy Hoa costs only 15,000 VND/person, but this is not a convenient choice if you need to carry a lot of luggage or want to visit other places along the way.
5. WHAT TO DO WHEN VISITING O LOAN LAGOON?
5.1 Watch the sunrise and sunset
Sunrise over O Loan Lagoon is like a watercolor painting, the golden sunlight dyes the water red, reflecting the fishing boats drifting slowly, creating a peaceful scene that touches the heart. All worries seem to vanish, giving way to a feeling of serenity and full of hope.
Contrary to sunrise, when sunset falls, the lagoon puts on a magical, shimmering beauty. The red sun gradually sinks below the horizon, dyeing the water and clouds red, creating a fascinating picture. The whole space seems to fall into a peaceful sleep, only the gentle waves and the whistling wind remain. Facing that majestic and poetic beauty, our soul feels purified, all worries disappear, leaving only a feeling of relaxation and peace.
Magnificent sunset at O Loan Lagoon
5.2 Photo hunting and check-in
Coming to O Loan Lagoon, you will feel like lost in a beautiful natural painting, where rare pristine, peaceful, and poetic beauty blends magically. This place has fascinated many photographers and filmmakers who come to capture the shimmering beauty – a beauty that shines brightly throughout the four seasons. Imagine standing on An Hai bridge, capturing the vast scenery of the lagoon, with the water surface calm like a giant mirror, reflecting fishing boats far away, and the majestic mountain range on the horizon. The nearby beach with fine white sand stretched like a silk ribbon, and the clear blue water like jade, is a perfect background for emotional photos to keep wonderful moments at O Loan Lagoon.
5.3 Experience fishermen’s life
O Loan Lagoon is not only beautiful because of the poetic natural scenery but also contains a colorful marine life where simple, resilient people have bonded with the sea for generations. Try once drifting on the vast water surface beside local fishermen, full of experience and stories about the sea. Stories about livelihood at sea, challenging fishing trips, and the ordinary joys of fishermen will bring you unforgettable feelings and help you understand more about the culture and people here.
5.4 Enjoy specialties at O Loan Lagoon
O Loan Lagoon is not only a beautiful natural painting but also a "golden forest, silver sea" nurturing many generations of fishermen. Here, the sea generously gives precious specialties, sustaining and bringing prosperity to the people, while attracting tourists from everywhere to enjoy. When coming to O Loan Lagoon, you cannot miss the wonderful dishes generously given by nature. Delicious blood cockles, creamy oysters, fresh sweet squid, and especially the royal crab, a unique crab that crawls lengthwise not sideways like other crabs, are dishes that make tourists passionate.
Blood cockle – a must-try dish
5.5 Other tourist attractions near O Loan Lagoon
1. Ganh Da Dia: or Ghenh Da Dia, about 15Km from O Loan Lagoon, is a natural masterpiece with basalt columns in hexagonal shapes stacked on each other. Seen from above, this place looks like a giant beehive, and from offshore looking in, it looks like a giant crocodile with black scales.
2. Ganh Den Lighthouse: also known as Ganh Da Den, located about 15Km from the lagoon and about 1Km from Ganh Da Dia. It has a light beam reaching up to 17 nautical miles, with a height of 10m and dominant red-white colors, tourists can admire the romantic poetic panorama.
3. Nghinh Phong Twin Towers: about 23Km from O Loan Lagoon, a symbol of Phu Yen, this French-style building was built based on the image of “A hundred eggs hatch a hundred children” of the National Father Lac Long and National Mother Au Co. The towers are divided into two parts with each side having 50 hexagonal stone blocks representing “50 go to sea – 50 go to the mountains”.
6. NOTES WHEN VISITING O LOAN LAGOON
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Prepare sun protection: Bring sunscreen, hats to protect your health.
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Protect the environment: Do not litter, keep public hygiene.
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Security: Be careful with personal belongings, especially in crowded places.
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Respect culture: Respect local customs, dress politely when visiting.
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Friendly communication: Communicate openly and politely with locals.
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Prices: Ask prices before buying goods or ordering food.
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Food safety: Choose reputable restaurants, ensure hygiene.