The Ultimate Guide to Nha Trang’s Best-Kept Secret: A Seafood Market Paradise for Locals and Adventurous Foodies Alike

Before long, Vinh Luong Fish Market emerges in the dazzling dawn. As the sun slowly rises from the east, the sky transforms, and the entire area comes to life with the first rays of sunlight. The fish port becomes bustling with a steady stream of motorbikes and cars, creating a vibrant scene of commerce.

The offshore fishing boats, which had been out for several days, now return to the port one by one. Vinh Luong Fish Market is located within the Vinh Luong Fish Port area, which has been upgraded to accommodate vessels not only from Khanh Hoa but also from Binh Dinh, Phu Yen, and neighboring provinces. Considered one of the largest seafood wholesale markets in the region, it supplies an abundant variety of seafood to traders who then distribute it across the region.

As you immerse yourself in the bustling trading atmosphere, you’ll undoubtedly delight in witnessing the constant weighing, icing, and loading of fresh seafood into trucks for transportation.

A distinctive feature of Vinh Luong Fish Market is the numerous stalls along the road leading to the port, offering a wide array of live seafood. Swimming in large tanks are tít shrimp, giant tiger prawns, crabs, and various fish species, all ready to be purchased at reasonable prices. Familiar fish such as mackerel, saury, tuna, jackfish, silver biddy, and scad, along with different types of squid like tube squid, leaf squid, and cuttlefish, are abundantly available here.

Additionally, the market boasts an endless variety of sea snails and clams of diverse sizes, creating a colorful and vibrant setting. The friendly and enthusiastic shop owners are more than happy to advise customers on the different types of seafood and share the best cooking methods. For instance, they’ll suggest steaming jumping snails with lemongrass and dipping them in a mixture of salt, pepper, and lime to retain their crunchy texture.

They might also recommend grilling khế snails with salted chili for a chewy texture similar to beef tendons or suggest that the best way to cook fingernail snails is by stir-frying them with garlic, while fatty snails pair perfectly with a sweet and sour tamarind sauce.

Each day, Vinh Luong Fish Port welcomes two batches of boats docking at the port, one in the early morning and another around 3 – 4 p.m. The afternoon trading atmosphere is equally lively, if not more bustling, as many city dwellers take a break from their urban lives to enjoy the outskirts and seize the opportunity to purchase fresh seafood at reasonable prices. Foreign tourists are also drawn to this place to observe the local fishermen’s way of life.

Many are fascinated by the port’s activities and enjoy capturing images of the bustling scene, sometimes even posing for photos with the cargo handlers as a unique memento.

Beyond the vibrant trading activities, the area surrounding the port is dotted with modest eateries serving delicious specialties made from fresh seafood. Dishes like bánh canh (rice noodle soup), bún cá (fish noodle soup), bánh xèo (savory pancakes), bánh căn (mini savory pancakes), and boiled snails, among others, embody the essence of coastal cuisine, enticing diners with their freshness and simple yet flavorful preparations.

Moreover, the area boasts several relics closely associated with the cultural life of the traditional fishing village. Experiential tourism, which involves immersing oneself in the local culture and lifestyle, is gaining popularity globally, alongside other forms of tourism such as resort, cultural-historical, eco, sports, entertainment, adventure, culinary, and teambuilding tourism. International tourism organizations and travelers are increasingly intrigued by the prospect of exploring the labor and trading activities at fish ports.

Given its convenient location near the city center, Vinh Luong Fish Port has the potential to cater to this emerging interest. Additionally, the scenic route from Nha Trang to Luong Son, coupled with the area’s natural beauty, further enhances its allure. Promoting Vinh Luong Fish Port as a unique tourist destination is, therefore, essential to diversifying the city’s tourism offerings and attracting more visitors to the coastal city of Nha Trang.