Côn Đảo

An archipelago of sixteen islands in the South China Sea off the coast of Bà Rịa–Vũng Tàu Province, Côn Đảo is best known for its French and Vietnamese colonial-era prison complex — among the harshest detention facilities of the colonial period — and for its largely intact marine and terrestrial ecosystems. The surrounding national park protects nesting beaches for the endangered green sea turtle, and the coral reefs around the smaller islands are considered among the best preserved in Vietnam. The island's relative inaccessibility has limited development and retained a quiet, uncrowded character.