Children play at the Da Dia Cliffs in the central province of Phu Yen

Phu Yen Province on the central coast is full of great places to visit like Long Thuy Beach, O Loan Lagoon, Da Trang Pagoda and the ever-popular Ganh Da Dia, otherwise known as Da Dia Cliffs.

Though there are no signs pointing the way to Da Dia Cliffs, the magnificent bank of basalt is easy to find anyway.

To get there, drive 30 kilometers from the town of Tuy Hoa to Chi Thanh Junction in Tuy An District, then turn into the small road with a sign pointing to Mang Lang Church. Once at the church, the friendly locals will tell you how to navigate the remaining ten kilometers.

The road to Da Dia Cliffs is quite romantic as it winds its way past paddy fields and an impressive mountain, then through a village that supplies large stones for building houses, fences and pigsties without the need for mortar.

The first sight of Da Dia Cliffs is breathtaking. The 50- meter-high rock wall extends for two kilometers through mountains that reach down to an emerald sea where fishing boats lie at anchor in the distance.

Geologists say that the rock walls were formed 200 million years ago after a volcanic eruption occured in the Van Hoa mountain range 30 kilometers away.

But that doesn’t explain why there are two different cliffs forming the shape of a human hand dipping into the sea. The hexagonal rocks make a striking picture as they jut out of the water at all angles and heights.

There is also a rocky hill split in two by a stream where the basalt blocks lie horizontally and are covered in moss, as well as a temple farther along, and a lovely beach where you can hire a small boat or just go for a dip.

Since it takes several hours to get the most out of Da Dia Cliffs, be sure to pack plenty of cooking and drinking water.

Reported by Phan Huy Tram