Santo Port and Santo Beach Club: Discover the new photo spots on Hon Thom Island

1. Start at Santo Port: Capture Santorini-inspired architecture on Hon Thom Island

1.1. Stroll past rows of white buildings and sloping pathways overlooking the sea

Along a coastal corner of Hon Thom Island, Santo Port is gradually taking shape as a new commercial and tourism district, featuring vibrant rows of buildings, distinctive architecture, and narrow sloping pathways leading toward the ocean. The space was designed by two international firms, 10 Design and EDSA.

Distinctive architecture at Santo Port

10 Design is an architecture and urban planning studio headquartered in Hong Kong, with a portfolio of urban developments and tourism destinations across various markets in Asia and the Middle East. Meanwhile, US-based EDSA is known for its extensive landscape design projects for resorts and large-scale coastal urban developments around the world.

Inspired by the coastal villages of Santorini, Santo Port makes use of Hon Thom’s natural hillside terrain overlooking the sea to create a series of terraced structures. This layout allows multiple spots throughout the district to enjoy ocean views, while offering a constantly changing sequence of perspectives with every step.

The buildings feature bright color schemes, graceful arched windows, charming balconies, and a shared orientation toward the sea. Viewed from a distance, the overall landscape evokes the coastal villages of the Mediterranean. Yet, as visitors venture further inside, Santo Port reveals a distinctive tropical character shaped by sunshine, sea breezes, rows of coconut palms, and native greenery.

Panoramic view of Santo Port, with terraced buildings overlooking the sea.

What makes Santo Port worth exploring is the way its spaces are designed to encourage visitors to walk around and discover new photo opportunities along the way. The coastal promenade opens up sweeping views of the ocean, while winding alleyways between rows of buildings create the feeling of exploring a miniature seaside town. Inspired by Santorini’s maze-like streets, the district features stepped pathways, small courtyards, and unexpected turns that reveal views of the sea. Every stretch of the route can therefore become a photo spot rather than simply a passage between buildings.

1.2. Photo spots to prioritize at Santo Port

For those looking to capture memorable photos, a good starting point is the terraced rows of buildings overlooking the sea. From there, visitors can make their way down the sloping pathways and into the narrow alleys instead of limiting themselves to panoramic shots. Arched doorways, balconies, pastel rooftops, and courtyards nestled between buildings create multiple layers of composition within a single frame.

Another highlight is the “Pineapple” Square at the heart of the area. Inspired by the pineapple, a fruit closely associated with Hon Thom, the paving patterns and decorative details here draw on its distinctive shape, creating a recognizable design feature and a unique backdrop for photo opportunities.

The architects have skillfully blended Santorini-inspired architecture with the distinctive character of Hon Thom. Many design details have been adapted to suit the local tropical climate. Larger windows allow sea breezes to flow through, while open balconies and verandas enhance natural ventilation. Wood, reeds, white gravel, and other familiar materials found in Vietnam have been incorporated into the finishing touches, creating a closer connection with the island landscape.

The rough-textured plaster finishes on the walls also evoke traditional Vietnamese earthen houses. Coconut palms and native plants are interspersed between the buildings, allowing the Mediterranean-inspired aesthetic to blend naturally with the sunshine and breezes of the tropics.

Pastel-colored buildings with domed roofs create a “tropical Santorini town” in the heart of the Pearl Island.

Late afternoon is a particularly rewarding time to visit Santo Port. As the sun descends, its warm light washes over the colorful walls and reflects off the sea, while the stairways and balconies gradually take on golden hues. This is when architecture, ocean views, and brilliant natural light come together in a single frame, creating an especially romantic atmosphere.

Santo Port is located next to the Sun World Hon Thom tourism complex, between Bai Nam and Bai Trao. Its location also makes it convenient to combine a visit with other well-known experiences on Hon Thom, such as Aquatopia Water Park, Bai Trao Beach, and Exotica Village.

2. Continue to Santo Beach Club: From photo hunting to seaside relaxation

2.1. An infinity pool and Bai Trao in one frame

While Santo Port is ideal for exploring and taking photos, Santo Beach Club makes a natural next stop, shifting the pace from walking and sightseeing to relaxing by the sea.

Located right beside Bai Trao, Santo Beach Club offers direct views of the ocean. From the restaurant, the turquoise waters blend with the rocky shoreline and the distinctive rows of coconut palms on Hon Thom, creating an uninterrupted natural backdrop.

The dining area is just steps away from the sea. Visitors can sip a drink while watching waves roll onto the shore, or simply sit back and soak up the coastal atmosphere after a day exploring Hon Thom.

Santo Beach Club boasts a stunning oceanfront setting and two infinity pools for visitors to enjoy.

What makes Santo Beach Club a standout photo spot is right next to the restaurant: two infinity pools by the sea, available free of charge to diners. From the water, visitors can look straight out over the ocean, creating the impression that the pools merge seamlessly with the sea beyond.

The design evokes famous oceanfront swimming pools such as Bondi Baths in Australia, yet is set against the tropical backdrop of Hon Thom. Visitors do not need to travel to a far-flung resort to capture the pool, sea, and sky in a single frame.

Santo Beach Club offers uninterrupted views of Bai Trao Beach.

Santo Beach Club offers a different atmosphere throughout the day. During daylight hours, it is an ideal place to unwind by the sea, accompanied by violin music and gentle melodies. As evening approaches, the mood becomes more vibrant, with DJ performances and shows by international dancers.

While Santo Port is best suited to exploring distinctive architecture and discovering unique photo spots, Santo Beach Club can be scheduled for late afternoon to make the most of the brilliant sunset light, the poolside setting, and the lively entertainment that continues after dark.

2.2. Stay longer and enjoy seaside dining

If the ocean views are what draw visitors in, the food is what makes them want to stay longer at Santo Beach Club.

The menu combines familiar Vietnamese dishes with Western-style options, catering to both full meals and casual gatherings or relaxing moments by the sea.

Among the Vietnamese specialties, the clay-pot braised cobia with black pepper stands out for its firm, succulent fish, natural sweetness, and the aromatic heat of Phu Quoc pepper. The crab soup with Malabar spinach offers a lighter alternative, with a refreshing flavor that is especially enjoyable on sunny beach days.

Western dishes at Santo Beach Club taste even better when paired with Sun KraftBeer, a craft beer brand with a distinctive Phu Quoc identity.

Western-style options include shrimp in cream sauce served with French fries, and pan-seared salmon featuring crispy skin, tender flesh, and a lemon butter sauce. The drinks menu is equally varied, ranging from traditional coffee and Mojitos to Sun KraftBeer, a craft beer brand that reflects the distinctive character of Phu Quoc.

This versatility allows Santo Beach Club to serve several purposes within a single itinerary: a place to enjoy coffee, a seaside restaurant, a spot to use the infinity pools, or an entertainment venue as evening sets in.

3. Combine Santo Port and Santo Beach Club for a full day of island experiences

The real value of these two new destinations lies not simply in adding two standalone photo spots, but in how easily they can be incorporated into an existing Hon Thom itinerary, which already offers a wide range of experiences.

Sun World Hon Thom brings together a range of exciting attractions amid the island’s spectacular seascapes.

An itinerary can begin with recreational activities at Sun World Hon Thom. Visitors can spend the morning at Aquatopia Water Park, home to a variety of water rides and thrilling experiences. Among its attractions is Wavy Whirl – Tropical Tornado, the world’s first next-generation water slide of its kind. At Exotica Village, Moc Xa Thinh No (Rage of the Wooden Serpent) offers the experience of Vietnam’s first wooden roller coaster.

Wavy Whirl offers a next-generation water slide experience at Aquatopia.

Then, rather than ending the journey at the amusement park, visitors can shift gears and head to Santo Port. The early or mid-afternoon is an ideal time to stroll past the rows of buildings, explore the narrow alleyways, and take photos at the arched doorways, balconies, and “Pineapple” Square. This part of the itinerary focuses more on exploring the surroundings, making it a refreshing change after hours of active entertainment.

As the sunlight begins to take on golden hues, the journey can continue to Santo Beach Club beside Bai Trao. Here, visitors can enjoy a meal, order a coffee or refreshing drink, take a dip in the infinity pools, and spend time admiring the ocean views.

This itinerary also makes the most of Santo Beach Club’s changing atmosphere throughout the day. While daytime is ideal for relaxation, late afternoon brings a livelier mood with music and performances, offering visitors even more reasons to extend their time on Hon Thom Island.

A day on Hon Thom can therefore be divided into distinct experiences: enjoying attractions at Sun World Hon Thom, exploring and taking photos at Santo Port, then relaxing and savoring seaside dining at Santo Beach Club while soaking up the vibrant coastal atmosphere into the evening.

Santo Port and Santo Beach Club add even more exciting experiences to the journey of discovering Hon Thom. Looking ahead, the island is set to welcome luxury hotels and a wide range of new attractions and developments for visitors, further establishing Hon Thom as a beloved island destination that travelers to Phu Quoc will fall in love with.