Quy Hoa beach is situated between two low mountain ranges that merge with the blue sea, offering stunning vistas and mild weather that combines sunshine with the cool breezes blowing out of the forests from the mountains.
To reach it, one has to ride down the road going from Quy Nhon to the neighbouring province of Phu Yen, make a turn on the first downhill road on the left and follow it.
The beach is closed off and there is a gate. The whole place has been developed into a complex. The entrance cost for the complex is VND5,000 plus another VND2,000 for a motorbike. At the entrance of the beach is a park with statues of world celebrities who dedicated their lives to fighting leprosy.
"The beach is a favourite place for me and my friends to go during a free afternoon or on the weekends," said Phan Thao Ngan, 21, who lives near the Quy Nhon central beach, where there is a wide square for people to sit and drink from coconuts, or walk.
Ngan and her friends said they prefer this beach to others in the city because it is peaceful and has a romantic view. "We often spend hours chatting, seeing lovely waves under the sunlight, and we return home refreshed," one of her friends said.
"This beach is fantastic because people of all walks of life can enjoy it," Ngan said.
The park, which is separated from the sand by a low embankment, is shaded by willow trees and has tables and chairs and a long bench in the shape of a guitar.
Inside are statues of scientists like Louis Pasteur, Albert Calmette and Alexandre Yersin. The only Vietnamese scientist here is Prof Dang Duc Trach, the country’s leading micro-biologist.
The site is a good destination for lovers of famed poet Han Mac Tu.
People can indulge in their poetic inspirations while reading Mac Tu lines on stones or wood plates that are on display.
Under the sunset, visitors are able to say goodbye to the complex after being completely refreshed due to their encounter with humanity under the watchful eyes of the statue of Gerhard Henrik Armauer Hansen, who devoted his life to studying and fighting leprosy.