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This island is a popular diving destination in the Philippines. It is the only place known where thresher sharks can be seen regularly because one of its shoals serves as its cleaning station. The island is a diver’s paradise. But if one is not a diver, how will you enjoy this island located north of Cebu? This is what I came for when I finally ticked off of my bucket list destination this 2024 - Malapascua Island.  A non-diver chronicles of his Malapascua adventures. Just a bus and boat ride away from the city, Malapascua Island is located at the northern tip of Cebu Province. The island was a popular beach destination for its white sand beaches and it was in the 90’s that the island started getting popular as a diving destination. Our guide, Bunso, shared with us that the name Malapascua was a shortened version of the phrase “malas sa Pascua” that translates to bad luck during Christmas. He says that the island experiences rainy weather or bad weather during the Christmas season hence its name. Now the island has reaped the benefits of its popularity as a diving spot with most of its livelihood rooted on tourism. It is a diving destination but the great part of it is that the island can be enjoyed by any kind of tourist, whether you are a diver or not. Bounty Beach Despite the rise of popularity of Malapascua as a destination, development in the area is relatively slow. Bounty Beach is the most developed tourism beach front on the island. This is where you will find most of the upscale restaurants and accommodations that cater to mostly foreign guests. This is where you will also find evening parties and gatherings although expect it to have a more laidback vibe.
Bounty Beach was the first spot that made Malapascua Island famous. Its white sand beach shore stretches around 2 to 3 kilometers. The sand is not as powdery as other drstinations but its beauty and its laidback vibe remains to be its biggest draw. The spot where the beach curves to the other side is a perfect place to catch the sunrise. You get to enjoy the morning sounds of nature while enjoying the warmth of the morning light touching your skin. North Beach North Beach is THE most popular beach spot north of Malapascua. It is the ONLY attraction where the boat and land tours converge as it is a part of the itineraries for both tours. Unlike Bounty Beach, this one kilometer strip of white sand shoreline remain laidback with only a few commercial establishments by the beachfront.  North Beach is the most popular beach spot on the northern side of the island with its powdery white sand shores. The white sand shoreline of North Beach is a perfect spot if you just want to bum around the beach. It boasts of powdery white sand shoreline matched with the azure-colored waters. It is a picture perfect spot where you can enjoy a nice drink or meal without the usual crowd. You can walk along the beach and find your own cozy spot to enjoy your own beach vibe.
I got to enjoy North Beach under the sun and under a downpour. Our morning boat tour gave us our dose of the sun while we enjoyed a nice grilled brunch along one of its local’s stores. Our afternoon land tour met us with a heavy downpour but that did not dampen our spirit to enjoy the warm waters of the beach. We got to enjoy the sun and the rain against the white sands of North Beach. Under The Waters of Malapascua For non-divers visiting Malapascua, you can still enjoy the surrounding waters of the island. There are locals who offer boat tours that give you a glimpse of the island’s underwater bounty with just a snorkel. The tour usually runs for 2 to 3 hours that covers 5 stops around the island. It is best done in the morning.  Getting ready to explore the waters around Malapascua Island. Dakit Dakit Island Dakit Island is a small rock formation just a couple of meters from the shoreline of Bounty Beach. The island looks unwelcoming with its sharp rocks jutting out from the sea. If you want to step on the island, you would have to deal with its steep walls and sharp rocks. It is void of sandy shores and is not the place to enjoy the sand, sea, and sun.  Dakit Dakit Island is a collection of rock islets with an amazing underwater ecosystem.
The real beauty of Dakit Dakit Island lies under the waters that surround it. It is teeming with life with its coral formations and amazing underwater ecosystem. The salty waters come alive with its coral gardens bursting into life with different colors. It was a beauty to watch. The reef is often affected by strong currents and it is also a diving spot in Malapascua. It was our first stop and the sea was calm when we snorkeled in the area. The tide was low when we arrived and my foot hit a formation so I donned my life vest to make snorkeling easier. It was a real beauty to just float around as I enjoyed the underwater view teaming with color and life. Baby Shark You don’t need to be a diver to enjoy shark watching. Just a few meters from Dakit Dakit is a spot where baby sharks enjoy a quick swim. The shallow waters off the shores of Tepanee Beach is a spot that baby sharks frequently visit that the spot was called “Baby Shark”. Don’t worry, the baby sharks just swim along and have no intentions to take a bite at you.  Sorry for the shot but we were lucky to catch a glimpse of a baby shark.
The real challenge is catching a glimpse of these baby sharks because they are fast swimmers. Our guide had to tow us around the vast area using a floater while he tries to look for these baby sharks. We were lucky to catch a glimpse of one as it swam gracefully underwater. It was exhilarating to watch one in their natural habitat and in a place that is known where you can interact with these gentle sea creatures. Lighthouse Shipwreck This was probably THE most memorable snorkeling activity that I have done to date. This was the first time that I was able to enjoy the underwater view of an actual WW2 shipwreck. The best part of it was we did not have to go far and dive for us to enjoy the view. A snorkel was enough for me to explore the wreckage.
Located in the shallow waters off the coast of the lighthouse, the shipwreck was a Japanese World War 2 Landing Craft. It was bombed as it was about to deliver cement shipment intended for an artillery structure. The hull broke apart into two as it sank. The ship and its shipment sank where it remains to this day.  Getting a closer view of the Japanese shipwreck. From the boat, you can already see the shadow of the wreck underneath the waters. I slowly slid into the water as our guide told me not to jump into the sea since it was low tide and I might hit the wreck-turned-reef. It was amazing to watch the boat’s outlines as I floated around the area. Nature has already claimed the ship and has turned it into a home for other sea creatures. The Lighthouse Shipwreck is one spot where you get to enjoy the underwater beauty of Malapascua without the need to dive deep into its waters. Coral Garden After our brunch stop at North Beach, we headed to the eastern side of the island to enjoy the underwater scenes of the Coral Garden. This underwater garden is teeming with marine colors and life. The beauty of this underwater spot is that it gives non-divers a glimpse of the under the sea bounty and beauty of Malapascua.  Our final stop for our boat tour was the Coral Garden on the eastern side of Malapascua. The Coral Garden comes alive in different colors. Armed with my snorkels, I got to enjoy the beauty of its corals and sea life. I got to enjoy the views of different fish swimming along the vast and vibrant ecosystem. It is not surprising that Malapascua is a paradise for divers with its relatively shallow waters are teeming with life. If this is what you can enjoy a few meters off its shores, I wonder what beauty lies on the deep waters around Malapascua. Above the Ground of Malapascua Despite being a prime tourist destination, Malapascua’s road network still needs a HUGE improvement. The only means around the island is by foot or by motorcycle. The roads connecting the barangays is a mix of narrow dirt and cemented roads. These networks are often shared by motorcyles and those on foot. This means that you can also explore the island on a motorcycle.  And we are rocking the roads of Malapascua!!! Malapascua Lighthouse Standing on a hill at 18 meters above sea level, the Malapascua Lighthouse is a major lighthouse in the country that guide seafarers along the Visayan Sea. The 10 to 15 minute trek to the lighthouse is easy. The trail is relatively established passing through a small resort with its own beach front. The lighthouse faces the Japanese shipwreck that’s part of the boat tour’s itinerary.  A 10 to 15 minute hike gets you to see one of the land attraction of Malapascua - its Lighthouse. The original lighthouse was built in 1913. A modernized and solar-powered structure now stands replacing the older one, standing guard to the waters of the Visayan Sea. The ruins of a cemented structure is evident in the area. It indicates that a bigger structure probably stood there previously and was destroyed by a very strong typhoon.  The Malapascua Lighthouse stands at 18 meters above sea level on the western side of the island. More than just a functioning structure, the lighthouse is now part of the island’s tourism structure. We had the whole area for ourselves at the time that we visited which allowed us to freely explore the place. Sadly, there was no trace of the original structure that once guarded the northern waters of Malapascua. Lapuz Beach Weaving our way through the island, we found ourselves in a beach strip that has sandy shores on both sides - Lapuz Beach. It is very rustic and picturesque with its white sand shorelines with the blue waters of Malapascua in the background. Motorized boats are parked along its shores. It is a secluded beach spot where you can enjoy a peaceful vibe away from the crowd.
At the end of the strip stands what remains of an old resort that was damaged by the typhoon - Los Bamboos Resort. You can actually see how the resort flourished during earlier times with the skeleton structures of its villas. The resort sits on a rock foundation of Lapuz Beach. A landing was constructed by its rocky shoreline on one side that gives you an amazing view of its surrounding blue waters.  Enjoying the rugged views of the once thriving Los Bamboos Resort. The west side of the resort also sits on rugged and sharp rick formations. It gives you an amazing view of Lapus Lapus Island. Adventure junkies can get that extra adrenaline rush by jumping off a cliff into the cool waters of Malapascua. The challenge is getting your way back to the platform because you need to navigate onto the sharp rocks of the cliff.  Los Bamboos Resort has a spot where you can jump off from a cliff. It’s sad that the owners of the resort were not able to recover from the calamity. This beach spot offers the best of both worlds where you can enjoy both the laidback vibe of the beach and the adrenaline rush of jumping off a cliff in one spot in Malapascua. The best part of it is that you can enjoy both without the usual crowd. Bantigue Beach Bantigue Beach is another beach spot where a resort suffered the same fate as that of Los Bamboos in Lapuz Beach. Sitting adjacent to North Beach, we walked our way to this beach spot as our last stop for our land tour. One needs to navigate through its trail where a portion of it had sharp rocks and was a challenge since I did not wear my slippers. So take my advice, wear slippers if you are planning to visit Bantigue Beach.  Bantigue Beach / Gugma Beach is a small white sand cove adjacent to North Beach. The beach spot’s main attraction is its white sand cove. Although it was a mix of rock and sand, you can enjoy the peace and tranquility the spot offers because it is secluded, that is, at present. The beach was once part of a resort that was, according to our guide, Bunso, was one of the popular resorts during its time. Now, it is a secluded cove where you can enjoy your own space and time with nature.
I explored the place and I can only imagine how the resort buzzed during its good days. It had a nice bar atop a hill that has a great view of the cove and sea. The rooms looked spacious judging from its size. I guess those who have stayed here must have had a great time, fusing communing with nature and having their time of their lives in one spot. POST TRAVEL NOTES Malapascua Island has been a buzz on my radar for years. Surprisingly, it still has to take on in building its tourism infrastructure despite its popularity. It definitely has a lot to offer for both divers and non-divers alike with a lot of similar activities but only with varying degrees of experience. What struck me the most is having to see establishments closing down as this also meant livelihood opportunities lost for its locals, especially since majority rely on the tourism industry of the island. I really hope that the LGU can focus on building up its tourism for its locals.  Let's head off to another beach destination in Cebu! It is interesting how we get a certain perception of a place only to be surprised with how different it would be when we finally get to explore it. Malapascua is an actual case of reality vs expectations but it was in a good way. I loved how it was able to keep its laidback and rustic vibe. I just hope that the popularity of this diving destination can translate to improving the lives of the locals in Malapascua. Watch out for the release of my Malapascua Youtube Travel Video soon. #MahalinNatinAngPilipinas Getting there: Major local and international airlines have direct flights to Cebu. You can take a cab to the North Bus Terminal where you can take a Ceres bus to Maya Port in Daangbantayan. From the port, you can take a ferry boat to Malapascua. For habal-habal and boat tour arrangements, you can contact Bunso at 0975 2454060. For an affordable beachfront accommodation at Bounty Beach, you can check out HMC Guesthouse.
2 Comments
JasonS
4/17/2024 11:53:19 am
Marc's write-up is a captivating portrayal of Malapascua which truly immerses readers in the mesmerizing beauty of the place. His vivid description and engaging narrative paints a clear picture of the underwater wonders as well as those above the waters awaiting adventurous souls. Marc transported us to a world of marine marvels with unparalleled beauty. One can sense by the writer's work his passion for nature and love for travel. Thanks Marc for this. Leave a Reply. |
Marc del Rosario
I believe in education, entrepreneurship, and caring for the environment. 
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