Lang Co is a long, thin sandbar of a village, with a lagoon on one side, the sea on the other, and the green wall of the Truong Son mountains rising behind both. It sits at the northern foot of the Hai Van Pass, on the road between Hue and Da Nang, and it has the relaxed, slightly sleepy air of a place that most travellers pass through on the way to somewhere else. That is a mistake, because the beach here is one of the loveliest in Vietnam, a wide curve of pale sand edged with casuarina trees, and the water is clear and warm for much of the year.
For riders it is a natural stop before or after the pass. The coastal highway arrives from the north, running along the lagoon on a narrow causeway with fishing boats and oyster beds on both sides, and the road is flat, straight and easy. The village has fuel, small restaurants, cafes and simple guesthouses, and it is a fine place for lunch before the climb. Traffic is a mix of scooters, trucks and tourist buses, so keep your attention up. The best time for a visit is spring and early summer, when the weather is warm and dry, while the autumn and winter months bring rain, wind and sometimes typhoons.
Lang Co is a fishing community, and its history is tied to the water. Families have long fished the lagoon and the sea, and oysters, crab and shrimp are the local specialities, often served grilled with chilli and lime on plastic stools by the roadside. The seafood here is fresh and cheap, and a plate of steamed crab with a cold drink is hard to beat. The old route from Hue crossed the sandbar on a track long before the modern road.
The lagoon is a shallow, calm stretch of brackish water, home to herons, egrets and other waders, and the mountains behind are covered in forest that catches the clouds. The air smells of salt, smoke from cooking fires and drying fish, and the sunsets across the water are glorious. In the evening, the light lingers, and fishing boats head out with lanterns.
Fill the tank here before the climb, bring a light jacket for the pass and give yourself time to walk on the beach. The pace is slow, and that is the point.