Núi Giếng Tiền

Núi Giếng Tiền is one of five ancient volcanic craters that once shaped Lý Sơn's landscape, sitting in the island's western cluster alongside Cổng Tò Vò and Chùa Đục, in thôn Tây, An Vĩnh commune, roughly 3km from the island's centre. It is the second-largest volcanic crater on Lý Sơn after Núi Thới Lới, standing somewhere in the range of 30-90m tall depending on which point is measured (sources vary), with a crater diameter cited anywhere from roughly 500m to 900m depending on the source, and a total area of about 0.45 square kilometres, tilted slightly toward the north.

Unlike some of the island's barer volcanic formations, Giếng Tiền stays green with vegetation year-round, and its red basalt soil - mixed with sea sand in a specific ratio by local farmers - is part of what makes Lý Sơn's surrounding fields so productive for growing garlic.

The crater's name has two explanations locally: some say it comes from the shape of its mouth, round and pointed like a coin; others tell of a freshwater spring once at its base said to contain ancient coins.

Erosion carved natural stone walls into the crater's slopes, which local people are said to have shaped into stairways in the past, and hollowed out cave shrines for Buddhist worship - one of which became what's now known as Chùa Đục, a site local legend also associates with an appearance of Quan Âm protecting islanders from invasion and natural disaster.

Chùa Đục sits just a few hundred metres from Cổng Tò Vò, whose stone arch was itself formed from basalt laid down by one of Giếng Tiền's ancient eruptions - making the crater, in a sense, the geological 'parent' of the arch.

Like all of Lý Sơn's volcanic formations, it was shaped by eruptions roughly a million years ago and has been slowly worn by the sea and wind ever since; the crater landscape was recognised as a national heritage site by the Ministry of Culture, Sports and Tourism in 2020.

Núi Giếng Tiền is on the western side of Lý Sơn's main island, adjacent to Cổng Tò Vò and Chùa Đục, roughly 3km from the island's centre. From the ferry port in An Vĩnh, follow the coastal road west - around 10-15 minutes by motorbike, or a walkable coastal path for those short on time. The crater is accessed via the same road as Cổng Tò Vò and Chùa Đục.

The lower slopes are accessible via the steps up to Chùa Đục. The crater rim itself requires more effort and, as of mid-2026, is closed to visitors due to landslide risk following cracks discovered in the rock face - check current status locally before planning a climb.

When open, the rim gives views out over the island's western coast, the garlic fields, and Cổng Tò Vò below. Wind on the exposed upper slopes can be strong, and the rock surfaces are often slippery - keep well back from the crater edge and avoid horseplay near the drop-offs.

Most visitors experience Núi Giếng Tiền as the backdrop to Cổng Tò Vò rather than as a destination in its own right - viewed from the arch, the crater sits close by to one side, making the two feel like a single scene. If the summit of Thới Lới is the island's primary volcanic viewpoint, Giếng Tiền is the secondary one - worth the climb for those who want a quieter, less developed perspective on the same landscape.