A high-speed boat service has been launched to bring tourists to a less-explored island off the north-central Vietnamese province of Quang Tri, part of a bid to transform the former military base into a new tourist destination.

The new speedboat service, inaugurated on Sunday, is the first tourism boat to connect Con Co Island with the mainland.

Adventurous tourists have previously had to travel with local fishing boats to reach the island.

The new service will offer one daily round trip, departing from Cua Viet Port at 7:30 am and returning at 2:00 pm.

It takes around one hour to travel from the mainland to the island on the Greenlines DP C5 vessel, capable of carrying up to 50 passengers at a time.

Upon reaching Con Co, tourists can explore the historical and military relics and the wild, yet well-preserved natural forests.

They can swim, dive on the coral reef and camp, as well as enjoying fresh seafood.

The service will run for free from now until the end of April, before a cost of VND250,000 (US$11) per trip is applied.

Con Co Island, some 17 nautical miles (31.4km) from the mainland, was a frontline base for wartime operations until 2004, when it was converted into a civilian island, administratively known as Con Co District.

The 2.2-square-kilometer Con Co is now home to only ten households, with local authorities planning to encourage more residents to relocate to the island in the near future.

Con Co seen from afar. Photo: quangtri360.com

A beach on Con Co. Photo: quangtri360.com

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