Take a Break: Here are 4 Beautiful White Beaches near Metro Manila

Take a Break: Here are 4 Beautiful White Beaches near Metro Manila

You don't need to go too far for some beachy r&r.
by Abu Poblete | April 21, 2016

White sand beaches don’t always have to be crowded or expensive like Boracay or Palawan. Fortunately, you’ll find glorious white sand beaches just a few hours away from your busy life in the Metro.

Here are four of them.

Patar White Beach in Bolinao, Pangasinan

A photo posted by Mond Caliguiran (@mond0721) on Dec 5, 2015 at 1:41am PST

Opposite the rocky shores of Pangasinan’s Rock View Beach is the hidden glistening shoreline of Patar White Beach, dubbed as the “Boracay of the North” for its smooth white sand.

Patar White Beach is a quaint place with only cottages and tents to welcome tourists, making it easy for everyone to reconnect with nature in this northern paradise.

The sunset—or course—is beautiful in Patar, so make sure to catch it in Cape Bolinao Lighthouse to cap off your white beach getaway.

A photo posted by Kristine Kaye (@kristinekaye2403) on Apr 7, 2016 at 1:12am PDT

Get to Bolinao, Pangasinan through Victory Liner, FiveStar Bus Inc, or Dagupan Bus Line that have terminals in Cubao, Pasay and Sampaloc. Upon arriving, take a tricycle to get to Bolinao town proper. Travel time takes roughly around 6 hours.

If you have a car, take NLEX and then SCTEX to Tarlac City. Take Tarlac’s road going to Camiling and drive all the way to Alaminos, Pangasinan. You will then reach a junction in Bani with the north road going straight to Bolinao town proper. The trip takes about five hours.

Magalawa Island in Palauig, Zambales

A photo posted by Muyong Stockinger (@romperez_di) on Apr 7, 2016 at 5:04am PDT

Magalawa Island in Palauig is a hidden gem behind all the other famous beaches in Zambales. Here, powdery white sand and the colorful reefs will astound you. Plus, the island at night is just as majestic as it is in the day.

A photo posted by Where To Next? (@wtn_wheretonext) on Feb 17, 2016 at 1:28pm PST

Magalawa Island has two resorts—Ruiz and Armada.

Ruiz Resort has a P100 entrance fee and tent rental fee at PHP300. Ruiz also has fan rooms for PHP1,200 good for six people. Be ready though, because Ruiz Resort only has electricity from 6pm to 7am.

Armada Resort has 24-hour electricity and air-conditioned rooms. Overnight packages with a minimum of five people include entrance fee, accommodation, meals and boat services are at least PHP1,500.

If you’re driving, go from Balintawak to NLEX and SCTEX. Take the Subic Tipo Road to RH5 where you should exit and then turn left going to Iba. You will be going past the towns of Castillejos, San Marcelino, San Antonio, San Narciso, San Felipe, Botolan and Iba until you arrive at Palauig. Head north to Masinloc and turn right at Banlog Triangle and go straight to Barangay Pamolingan. From there go to Luan port where the boats en-route to Magalawa island are. You may park your car in the safe port. The boat ride will then take you five minutes to get to your sweet, sweet escape that is Magalawa Island.

A photo posted by irisruby 🌈 (@rsrby) on Mar 27, 2016 at 9:12pm PDT

If you’re taking public transportation, take any Iba-Sta. Cruz-bound buses from Pasay or Cubao. Here are the schedules of Victory Liner and Five Star. The trip will be about six to seven hours depending on where you ride.

Burot Beach in Calatagan, Batangas

A photo posted by clashisthename (@cruzclash) on Apr 6, 2016 at 11:18pm PDT

Break away from Batangas’ crowded beaches in Nasugbu and Laiya, and bask in Burot Beach’s remoteness and calm.

Before getting there, make sure you prepare all your vacation necessities like food, your own grill and charcoal, and you know, toiletries, as the town proper is far away from Burot.

Bus companies like Celyrosa Transport, San Agustin Bus or DLTB Bus have Calatagan-bound buses that take about three to four hours and PHP180 fare per person.

For private car owners, take the SLEX and exit at Sta. Rosa Exit, passing Tagaytay. Take the Nasugbu-Tagaytay Road after. You will then reach the Nasugbu-Lian instersection. Turn right to Lian. Take a left in the intersection after passing the Central Azucarera Don Pedro Sugar Refinery. Drive straight and turn right towards the town market. After the market, turn left at M. Apacible street where signs going to Burot Beach will help you.

Masasa Beach in Tingloy, Batangas

A photo posted by Ellie Trinidad (@elliet0215) on Apr 9, 2016 at 10:42pm PDT

Masasa Beach boasts of a brand of isolation that takes you away from everything—there are no establishments and restaurants in the area, just green hills and a few houses in front of the pristine waters, sparkly white sand, and this very instagrammable unfinished stairway at the shore.

A photo posted by SunniesandStyle (@mariaolaguivel) on Apr 7, 2016 at 12:48am PDT

You can take a bus to Batangas City Grand Terminal for about PHP120 to PHP180. Jam Liner in Cubao has daily trips for PHP165. From there, take a jeepney to Anilao Port for PHP35 and board the boat to Tingloy for PHP70. Take a tricycle worth PHP30 from the port to get to Masasa Beach.

Want to head deeper down south? What about these unspoiled Quezon province beaches and islands?