The sun had just started to lower itself towards the Sulu Sea, giving long, honey-colored shadows on the deck of an old wooden banca. I was sitting prostrate against the rail, nursing a cold glass of calamansi juice, when I noticed her. She was slightly lost with a dog-eared guidebook, which was obviously letting her down.
“No! no, it is not in there, you see,” I said, nodding my head at her book. “There are no good places around here with sufficient signal to use a GPS pin, and they have no marketing budget. If you want to find undiscovered beaches in the Philippines, you have to stop looking at the top of the search results.”
She turned her head up and was startled and laughed, a sincere, fatigued sound. I have spent three days in the footsteps of must-see lists and have seen nothing but selfie lines. I wanted… something else. Something real.”
I pointed at the vacant spot next to me. Well, now you have collided with an expert in travel who has been avoiding queues his whole life. In an hour, I may explain to you where the Philippines is properly hiding its remote beaches.”
That was how it started. I was not merely a business and a sightseeing when the first stars started to make their holes in the violet sky; we were two hearts that had a map.
The Secret Map: 6 Lost Edens.
“You see,” I said to her, and I drew a line on the wooden table, “everything; it is not a destination it is a feeling. And you should go where the people are not so bold to go, to get the soul of it. Many travellers ask, ‘are there any undiscovered islands left?’ The answer is yes, if you know where to look.”
1. The Shifting Ribbon: Leyte: Kalanggaman Island.
Imagine a beach Philippines that determines how it should be, I said. Kalanggaman is a work of geographical art. It is a sandbar that protrudes in the blue like the wing of a bird. Since the tides are ever dancing, the island on which you are walking at noon is physically different to the island you observe at dusk. It is one of the most stunning Philippine beaches I have ever set foot on.
The Secret of Insiders: You see I do not do a day trip, I said to myself. “Rent a simple tent. As the last tour boat goes, the island turns into an empty cathedral of stars. It remains one of the most stunning hidden beaches in the Philippines. You, the licking water, and the Milky Way, it is as near to walking on water as you are going to get in this tropical dreamscape.”
2. El Nino, Limestone Vault: Secret Beach.
She informed me that she had seen Palawan on Instagram. I shook my head. You have not yet seen the actual Palawan until you are swimming through a keyhole in a cliff. While the crowds head to the big lagoons, those seeking undiscovered beaches in the Philippines look for the hidden slits in the rock.”
A wall of jagged karst limestone hides Secret Beach. To access it, you have to swim through a slit between the waves. When you get in, you come out into a secret lagoon, a world of white sand and emerald water all closed in with rock. It is a perfectly secluded sanctuary.
The Secret of the Insider: “At 5:00 AM, rent a private boatman. When you come first through that hole in the rock, the quiet is so intense that you can almost feel the cliffs breathing. It is one of those hidden beaches in the Philippines that Mother Nature keeps close to her chest.”
3. The Toasted Shore: Sipalay, Sugar Beach.
Here I noticed that she had sun-tanned skin, and I said to her, “People think that beaches must be dazzling white to be beautiful. However, Sugar Beach in Negros Occidental is different. It makes travellers wonder: are there any undiscovered islands with sand like this? The sand is pure roasted sugar, warm and earthy and as soft as possible.”
This beach is not reached by road, but by a little boat. It is a place where time not only slows down, but it halts. You pass your days to the beating of the waves and evenings to see the sun set on the horizon like gold. This is the island that people only read about in novels.
The Hushpuppy: The coral reefs are within a few meters of the shore. There is no need to take a boat to go snorkelling; you simply have to walk into the water, and you are in the midst of a hypnotic festival of fish that is neon-coloured in this coastal paradise. Before you head out into the deep blue, you can always check the Official Philippine Travel Website to get a sense of the region’s vast geography.
4. The Volcanic Sanctuary: Mantigue Island, Camiguin.
I explained to her the Island Born of Fire. There are over two volcanoes per square mile in Camiguin, more than any other island in the world, yet a small four-hectare piece of heaven called Mantigue is its greatest treasure. For those hunting for undiscovered beaches in the Philippines, this volcanic escape is a dream. When people ask where are the best beaches in the Philippines, I always point them toward this volcanic gem.
The major island is gloomy and somber, but Mantique is blazing white. It is a safe zone in the sea, and the hawksbill turtles have so much peace there that they may simply swim with you. It remains one of the top hidden beaches in the Philippines.
The Secret of the Insider: Have a taste of the sea urchin. It will be picked right before your eyes by the locals. Add a spoonful of vinegar and a spoonful of spice, and you are trying the very heart of the ocean. It is the extreme luxury, and is nearly free.
5. The Dream of the Minimalist: Naked Island Siangao.
She questioned whether there were resorts there. I laughed. “No. No trees, no huts, no shops. Only a sandbar out in the Pacific. This iconic beach in the Philippines is for the purist.
The purest place in Siargao is Naked Island. It is only a band of blindingly white sand bounded by a kaleidoscope of blues. It is a place that removes the mess of life in the present day. You stand there, and you know how simple you have to be to be happy. For many, it answers the question: Are there any undiscovered islands that still feel untouched? As you plan these journeys, searching for the right path through World Pinoy Flights can help you bridge the gap between the busy cities and these quiet shores.
The Secret of the Insider: “During the Golden Hour. The setting sun impacting the reef along its shallow side forms an effect of the water being illuminated in the depths. It is the most romantic place in the archipelago.
6. The Sapphire Crescent: Calaguas Island, Camarines Norte.
“And, last,” I said, there is the Holy Grail. Calaguas had long been the resort of the bravest travellers. It remains the gold standard for undiscovered beaches in the Philippines. It is a long, sweeping, crescent of sapphire water and sand so smooth that it is like silk. The green hills in the background of the beach resemble those of the Scottish Highlands and seem to be transplanted.
The Secret of the Insider: When you are up on the bay, and you look down in it, you will understand why this beach in the Philippines is considered the most beautiful in the world. It is Boracay, though it was half a century ago, before the world discovered it.”
An Ending and a Beginning
It was now high moon, with a silver streak upon the water. Her guidebook dropped on the ground and she looked up at me.
You have changed my whole trip, she said with a new kind of excitement in her eyes. “I spent so long searching for hidden beaches in the Philippines in a book, but I needed to hear it from a soul who knows.”
I smiled and extended my hand to clink my glass to hers. We go away to get the fragments of ourselves that got lost in the din. And in the Philippines, those are generally buried in the sand of a coastal paradise unknown to anyone. If you ever wonder where are the best beaches in the Philippines, just remember it’s about the journey to find them.”
So, she thought, with an expression of deep mischief, because, evidently, we are now going to the same places… are there any undiscovered islands left for us to see together? Would you like me to accompany you on that boat tomorrow to find more remote beaches?”
I saw my new friend, no longer a stranger, but a fellow-traveller. “I thought you’d never ask. Pack light. We’re going to find another undiscovered paradise in the Philippines. We’re going to Leyte. It is the perfect way to begin the most authentic of Philippine holidays.”
FAQs about Undiscovered Beaches in the Philippines
What will be the most appropriate time to go to such remote beaches?
Island hopping can be done during the dry season, which is between March and May and has the calmest seas and clear skies.
Do these islands have good cell coverage?
Generally, no. The sites are highly sought-after because they are off-grid, which means that the signal is extremely weak or non-existent.
Should I make bookings ahead of time?
Although not a must, but strongly advised, it is best to make arrangements with local boatmen a day before, particularly when leaving early in the morning, specifically at sunrise.
Do they have luxury resorts in these secret beaches?
A majority of them provide basic eco-huts or camp sites; their aim of the destinations is the primitive nature, not the luxurious way of living.
Is it safe to drive to these remote locations?
Yes, but never forget to have a look at local weather warnings and sign in with the municipal tourism office before going out.
