Quieter limestone islets, sandy coves and floating fish farms off Cat Ba, the largest island of the Ha Long Bay karst
Cat Ba is the largest of the 367 islands of the Cat Ba Archipelago, a rugged, forested island whose interior is largely protected as a national park. Off its south-eastern shore lies Lan Ha Bay, a maze of limestone islets with small sandy coves, lagoons and floating fish farms. The scenery is the same marine tower karst as neighbouring Ha Long Bay, but the boats are fewer and many beaches can only be reached by water.
Cat Ba town, on the south coast, is the main base, with hotels, seafood restaurants and the harbour of Ben Beo, from which most boat and kayak trips leave. The island is known as a centre for adventure activities: kayaking, sailing, hiking in the national park, cycling and rock climbing and deep-water soloing on the sea cliffs.
People have lived on Cat Ba for thousands of years. In 1938 French archaeologists found remains near today's Ben Beo harbour belonging to the Cai Beo people of the prehistoric Ha Long culture. In later centuries the island was home to fishing communities, and during the wars of the 20th century its caves sheltered residents; Hospital Cave, a three-storey bomb-proof hospital in use until 1975, is now open to visitors.
Cat Ba National Park was established in 1986 as the first protected area in Vietnam to include a marine component, and in 2004 the archipelago became a UNESCO Biosphere Reserve. The forests are the last home of the Cat Ba langur, or white-headed langur, a critically endangered primate whose numbers fell to a few dozen in the early 2000s. In 2023 UNESCO extended the Ha Long Bay World Heritage Site to include the Cat Ba Archipelago. Tourism grew quickly after roads, electricity and car ferries reached the island from the late 1990s.
Cat Ba town is a busy harbour and resort strip, lively in summer when Vietnamese families arrive for the beaches. Fishing and fish farming remain important, and floating homes and rafts in the bay raise fish, clams and other seafood for the markets and restaurants along the seafront, where crab, squid and mantis shrimp are popular. Inland, small villages grow rice, fruit and vegetables in the narrow valleys between the hills.
Day trips by boat from Ben Beo harbour, or from Ha Long on the longer cruise routes, combine kayaking among the islets, swimming from quiet beaches and stops at floating fish farms. Some visitors stay a night on a cruise boat in the bay, others base themselves in Cat Ba town and mix boat days with time on land: hiking through the national park forest, visiting Hospital Cave, walking up to Cannon Fort for views over the bay, or swimming at the beaches a short walk from town. Climbing outfitters run courses on the island's limestone crags and deep-water soloing trips above the sea.
Spring and autumn, roughly April to May and September to November, usually bring comfortable temperatures and calmer seas. Summer is the domestic holiday season, hot and busy, with a risk of storms that can halt boat trips. Winter is cool and often misty, with water too cold for most swimmers.
Checked against the sources on 29 October 2026. Opening times and fees can change — confirm before you go.
General guidance from our specialists, not official information.
Ha Long Bay lies immediately to the north-east and can be reached by boat on combined routes. Monkey Island and several small beaches are a short boat ride from Cat Ba town, and the port city of Hai Phong, with its own airport, is linked to the island by ferry and road. Hanoi is about 150 kilometres away.
Vietnam · 11 nights4★ HotelVietnam · 7 nights4★ ResortThis guide was researched from the sources below and reviewed by our team on 29 October 2026. Facts under “Verified information” link to the page they were checked on; travel tips are general guidance. Photos are credited on each image. The ambient recording’s author and licence are shown in the sound player.
