The Philippines has countess beaches that comes in black, brown, and even pink sand. However, our white sand beaches have to be our top tourists attractions. Although there are many white sand beaches here in the country, a few of them really stand out with their crystal clear water, long shorelines, and sand that’s so fine and powdery you’ll want to walk around barefooted.
Here are 10 of the most stunning white sand beaches in the country.
Mahabang Buhangin, Calaguas, Vinzons, Camarines Norte
This stretch of powdery-fine white sand stretches to more than a kilometer and sits right beside a beautiful row of bright, green hills. The water is crystal clear and blue that it looks unnatural, something that you have to experience to believe. You can pitch a tent on the beach and enjoy a cool drink while you look across the horizon. There are also cottages by the beach for rent if you want your own place to stay and rest. The beach can get a bit crowded during the weekends, so if you want to ditch the people, drop by during a weekday. To get there, you need to get to the town of Paracale where you can ride a boat to Calaguas. From the pier, the beach is only a tricycle ride away.
7 Commandos Beach, Papaya Beach, and Entalula Island, El Nido, Palawan
These three beaches are found in El Nido, a prime destination on the Palawan archipelago. They all have clean, clear waters and magnificent backdrops of limestone rock formations and cliffs that are dotted with trees. The beachfronts are also lined with coconuts to give you some shade from the sun. Entalula and 7 Commandos have powdery sand that has the consistency similar to polvoron. Papaya Beach, however, has sand so powdery and soft that it become like cream when the waves washes it. To get to El Nido, you’ll need to take a flight to Puerto Princesa and a bus to Puerto Princesa. Trips to these beaches are parts of arrange island hopping tours, so make accommodations at the hotel where you’re checked in.
Malcapuya Island, Coron, Palawan
This island in Coron is compared to the more well-known beach of Boracay because of how fine and powdery the sand is. If you want to get away from it all, Malcapuya Island is the place for you. There’s no electricity, but you can rent out basic accommodations like small houses and huts. You can sit back and relax while watching the beautiful clear water turn from light blue to dark. The island also has a small hill where a stunning view of the water and neighboring islands awaits you. A plane ride to Coron and a short tricycle trip to the boats can take you to Malcapuya. Again, since there’s not electricity there, it’s best to sort your accommodation details out first before going there.
Cagbalete Island, Mauban, Quezon
Although the sand on this beach is not as fine as all of the others, what makes it special and barefoot-friendly is its long beachfront during low tide. It’s so long that you can simply walk over to the neighboring rock island. While walking, you can enjoy the island’s beautiful signature sand ridges which is shaped by the waves. To get there, you need to reach the town of Mauban, then take a tricycle to the port. There’s a resort on the island that has all basic accommodation needs.
White Beach, Boracay, Aklan
We can’t deny that Boracay, no matter how crowded it can get, is one of the most beautiful white sand beaches here in the country. It’s even considered by many as the benchmark for other beaches’ whiteness and fineness. The island is not only know locally, but internationally, with its 3.5 kilometer-long beachfront, five star hotels, booming night life, fun water activities, and the finest sand and clear blue waters. Dive into the water and have fun by the beach all day and enjoy a sunset cruise on a Paraw and a fine dinner at night. Boracay is one of the most accessible beach paradise on the list, with multiple flights from most domestic and international airports to Kalibo or Caticlan daily. If you do land in Kalibo, you still have to ride a bus to reach Caticlan. From there, a boat can take you to the island, and you can ride a tricycle to your hotel.
Alona Beach and Dumaluan Beach, Panglao Island, Bohol
If you want to go somewhere less crowded, but as beautiful as Boracay, Panglao Island in bohol might just be the right place. Alona and Dumaluan beach offers fine sand and clear warm waters however Dumaluan is less crowded. For Boracay-like conveniences such as restaurants and resorts, you can go to Alona. While in Panglao, you can visit the many attractions like Hinagdanan cave and the Bohol bee farm. There are regular flights to Tagbilaran, but you can fly to Cebu and take a fast craft to Tagbilaran, Bohol. From there, a van or tricycle can take you to Panglao Island.
White Beach (Basdako), Moalboal, Cebu
Locally known as Basdako, this stretch of powdery and grainy white sand beach is a popular destination for many locals who want to get away from the city. Moalboal is also a known destination for diving and snorkeling because of its rich marine life. Corals of different colors, wrecks from WWII, vibrantly colored fishes, and a massive school of sardines are common dive attractions. A flight to Cebu and a two and a half to three hour bus ride to the municipality of Moalboal is the route to this diving paradise. There are multiple trips that pass through Moalboal from the south bus terminal in Cebu City. When you get to the town proper, you can ride a tricycle to Basdako.
Malinao Beach, Siargao, Surigao del Norte
This quiet, relaxing beach is just a few kilometers away from Siargao’s Cloud 9. If you want to get away from the busy bustle of Cloud 9 and go a chill place where you can dig your toes into the sand and just let time slip away, head on down to Malinao Beach. You can hang out at the beach till nighttime and get to the beautiful fireflies come out. To get there, you’ll need to fly to Siargao and take a motorcycle or a tricycle to Malinao beach. If you’re staying in Cloud 9 or are going their first, Malinao beach is pretty accesible via the many motorbikes and tricycles that stay near Cloud 9.
Kalanggaman Island, Palompon Leyte
Kalanggaman has recieved a lot of attention over the past few years for its beautiful sand strip that’s heaven to walk on. The clean, cool waters offer visitors an escape from the summer heat as they take a walk on the sand strip. You can pitch a tent on the beach or rent a small cottage and stay over-night. To reach Kalanggaman, you can fly to Tacloban Airport or Cebu Airport. From tacloban, you can ride a van to Palompon, Leyte. From Cebu, regular trips by boat go directly to Palompon, but these leave at night so you’ll have to stay on the boat even after it docks or have your hotel pick you up from the port. From Palompon, you can ride a boat to Kalanggaman.
White Island, Camiguin
This little uninhabited white sandbar is located about 1.4 kilometers (0.87 mi) off the northern shore of Mambajao, Camiguin. Although the island’s shape and size is always changing, it generally follows a horseshoe shape. On this sandbar, there are no shelter or trees, just the white sand and the water. You can access White Island by going to the port of from Barangay Agoho or Brgy. Yumbing. Small boats can be hired here to take you to the island. If you’re planning to stay long there, bring a tent and some food.
What other white sand beaches did we miss? Leave your comments and suggestions below. Also, don’t forget to share this article and maybe even turn it into your summer destination bucket list.
Great list! Just wondering why there’s no Bantayan/Santa Fe on it though?