Buzz
With its blue sea, cool breeze, endless sandy hills, and delicious yet affordable seafood that makes you forget your way home, Tan Thanh Beach is increasingly proving its allure, enticing tourists to Tiền Giang. This tourist destination attracts many visitors on weekends.
Where is Tan Thanh Beach?
Tan Thanh Beach, also known as Go Cong Beach, is located in Tan Thanh commune, Go Cong district, Tien Giang province. This beach stretches about 7 km, featuring truly impressive stretches of black sand. It's not an exaggeration to say that this is one of the most interesting black sand beaches in our country.
A dreamy morning at Tan Thanh Beach (ST photo)
Best Time to Travel
Unless you're extremely picky, you can actually go backpacking to Tan Thanh Beach, Tien Giang anytime. The water here is not too clear, so there are usually very few people swimming. If you want to choose the best time to visit Tan Thanh Beach, the locals will advise you to come during the seafood season. Tan Thanh is truly extraordinary, oh Tan Thanh!
Seafood is the number one attraction for tourists, so here are the best times for you to visit for the ultimate experience:
- Clam Season: From March to September in lunar calendar, especially in April.
- Blood Cockle Season: In May in lunar calendar.
- Sam Season: From October to February in lunar calendar.
Local specialties (ST photo)
What to Do at Tan Thanh Beach?
If you arrive at Go Cong in the early morning, the beach will treat you to stunning sparkling sunrise moments. What could be more wonderful after days of exhausting work, than immersing yourself in the vast space, breathing in the fresh air filling your lungs, to embrace the first rays of morning sun shining on your shoulders? If you go in the early morning when the tide recedes, you can leisurely stroll on the dark brown sand occasionally shimmering under the golden sun.
Sunrise on the beach (ST photo)
If you're not a morning person, don't worry because there's plenty of excitement awaiting you at this Tiền Giang beach. The beach area stretches for about 7km, with the tourist area embankment extending 300m.
Prominent green bridge leading to the beach (ST photo)
Strolling on the small bridge, tourists will witness firsthand the fishing activities of local fishermen casting nets. Watching the diligent locals laboring on the vast sea backdrop amidst the serene natural scenery, one could even experience a sense of nostalgia.
Background of a serene scene (ST photo)
On the long bridge leading to the beach, you can spot the towering mussel huts swaying on the waves. If you happen to visit during low tide days, you can head down to the beach area for a fun experience of clam digging.
Who's ready for some clam digging in Tân Thành? (ST photo)
What to eat in Tân Thành beach
When traveling to Tân Thành, you'll pass through Tân Hòa where you can find many famous Tiền Giang delicacies like rice cakes, shrimp paste, and more. Remember to fuel up for your day trip!
When it comes to the beach, the main specialty is undoubtedly seafood. But because each beach has its own unique charm, people eagerly anticipate beach trips all year round. The 'golden factor' of Tiền Giang beach is undoubtedly the clams. Clams thrive in the sea, so they are big, plump, and their meat is very sweet. If you've made it to Gò Công, you must try grilled clams, steamed clams with lemongrass, and more, so your journey isn't in vain.
Let me tell you a secret, clam dishes are also the most beloved seafood dishes at Tân Thành beach (ST photo)
Besides clams, the seafood table of tourists coming to this black beach is also filled with abundant crabs, snails, etc. such as: cockles, murex snails, bubble snails, etc. Every snail dish is marinated or served with a sweet and sour broth that is very flavorful. Tourists also have the opportunity to enjoy dishes with very unusual names such as sour soup with snail eggs, sea tamarind soup, ... which are rarely seen in the city.
Abundant seafood (ST photo)
Sharing a table of seafood feast among a few people only costs around 100.000đ - 150.000đ/ person/ meal (ST photo)
Sam is a rare seafood that many people have the opportunity to marvel at for the first time when they come here. This creature has a hard shell like a crab, a flat round body, a diameter of about the size of a palm, eight small legs under the abdomen, and a long triangular pointed head about 20cm long.
Sea Sam (ST photo)
Turning over the hot sam, removing the stomach, using a sharp knife to split the belly, you will see the eggs are full, eye-catching golden. The raw meat on the back and near the tail is chewy and sweet. Sam eggs are fatty, fragrant, rich in protein, and very nutritious.
Dish made from sea sam (ST photo)
Speaking of a seafood dish in Tan Thanh that may not be widely known. That's the vop found only in the brackish water area near Go Cong River. This creature resembles a clam but is four to five times larger, with thick, sweet flesh. The vop sour soup with young tamarind leaves (cooked similar to chicken soup with giang leaves) dipped in fish sauce is a delicious treat that's hard to find.
Delicious dish from vop (ST photo)
Tourists can also enjoy the famous Tan Thanh trumpet shell. Boiled or steamed trumpet shells, when cooled in the refrigerator, are delicious. When served, dip them in salt and pepper lime for a sweet and crunchy taste.
Trumpet shell is a premium snail type highly sought after by major restaurants in Saigon (ST photo)
Experienced travelers to Tan Thanh beach often share a tip for enjoying delicious and inexpensive seafood. You just need to buy clams, mussels, snails, shrimp at the beginning of the beach and then ask the restaurant to prepare them. Seafood here is abundant and cheap: clams are around 25k/kg, blood cockles 70k/kg, large squids about 70k-80k/kg, shrimp 200k/kg.
Tan Thanh sea clams (ST photo)
Here, besides buying some seafood or cherry wine as souvenirs, tourists should enjoy some authentic Mekong Delta snacks such as: sponge cake, steamed sticky rice, various types of pickles...
Nearby tourist destinations near Tân Thành beach in Tiền Giang
After exploring the fabulous Tân Thành beach area, you can visit some famous spots in Tiền Giang nearby such as: Royal Tomb relic area, Trương Định temple, the 100-year-old My Tho Cathedral, or stop by Gò Công market area...
Some Tiền Giang tourist destinations you can visit (ST photo)
Route to Tân Thành Gò Công beach
From Saigon, there are various transportation options to reach this appealing destination:
For families with young children, it's advisable to choose either coach buses or self-driving cars:
Coach buses: You can catch a bus at the Western Bus Station, with the earliest departure at 7 a.m. and a later one at 9 a.m., ticket prices range from 34,000 to 50,000 VND per leg. The travel time is about 2 hours.
For families residing in District 8 area, they can opt for direct bus routes to Gò Công, with ticket prices ranging from 5,000 to 25,000 VND per trip.
From Gò Công bus station, you can opt for a taxi to continue your journey.
Captivating snapshots at the renowned Tiền Giang tourist destination (ST photo)
For groups of friends, besides choosing coach buses, motorbikes are also very convenient:
Motorbikes: The journey from Saigon to the beach takes just under two hours. You ride straight on National Highway 50, passing through Cần Giuộc town and Cần Đước (Long An) to the north bank of the Soài Rạp River, then continue to Mỹ Lợi ferry terminal in Gò Công, proceed for another 25 km to reach the beach. This route is flat and easy to navigate, with many directional signs.
Accommodations around Tân Thành beach area may not be plentiful, but there are some quality hotels or homestays if you drive back towards the town.
Going to the beach is fun, going with friends is even more fun (ST photo)
Estimated cost around 200,000 VND/ person (Including transportation and food) (ST photo)
If there’s a “national treasure” tourist destination in Tiền Giang, Tân Thành beach definitely deserves the top spot. No one would be foolish to turn down the vast blue sea, the opportunity to check-in with beautiful and unique black sand dunes, along with delicious fresh seafood feasts. So, don't miss the chance to visit this unique beach!
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