Cagbalete, Quezon: The Fantastic 3 Islands of the South

 

When in Manila, you know you just have to take a mandatory break from the hustle and bustle of the city from time to time. Regardless of the ridiculously blazing hot 35-39 C temperature, summer is still the best season to explore, go on road trips, feel the sun on your skin and simply have the time of your life. Fortunately, there are a lot of magnificent places to go to in the Philippines, specifically wonderful beaches that can be showcased as our very own jewels. 

If you want to skip out on the crowded, booze-ful, party-all-night-long ambiance of an island and just want a laid-back and peaceful getaway, this hidden jewel, I tell you, is a place that you need to go to.

Concealed in the province of Mauban, Quezon, Cagbalete island is quite different from all of the usual beach attractions.  You won’t find noisy and busy bars nor mosh pits of people drinking booze and jumping to the beats of loud music here. This island is simply such a beauty on its own, it took my breath away. 

Cagbalete, Quezon is known for its long stretch of fine white sand, pristine turquoise waters and magnificent shorelines during low tides. To top it all of, it has 3 incredibly amazing and breathtaking islands that are perfect for various tours and activities.

 

Cagbalete, Quezon: The Fantastic 3 Islands of the South

 

1. Yang in Sand Bar Island

Found at the western side of the island lies a paradise that is deeply concealed, quietly thriving on its own magnificence: Yang in Sand Bar. The moment I saw this place, I fell in love with it. With its long stretch of fine white sand, its amazing blue skies and its serenity, you’d wish you could stay there forever.

The fact that this place is secluded will definitely give you that rare piece of mind. This is just the perfect place to feel the surroundings and take in the sounds of waves crashing on the shore, birds chirping in harmony and the kind of silence that will let your inner soul get in touch with nature – a luxury you will rarely experience in the city.

 

2. Baliscar Islet

Another place that’s absolutely fantastic is the rocky island known for its amazing view and the lighthouse found on it: Baliscar Islet. To reach this beautiful little island, you will need to hire a small boat and the ride will take approximately half an hour.

In as much as we wanted to climb the rocks to reach the lighthouse, we sadly were not allowed to do that. According to our tour guide, tourists were allowed to do so before, but they had to call that privilege off for safety reasons. See, the rocks are too sharp and slippery there. Plus, there are no pathways, so it is basically just rough terrain all the way. 

So, to maximize our experience in this little island, we went snorkeling and explored the cave instead. Of course, we took pictures, too! Memories are very important to preserve in places like this. 

3. Bonsai Island

The island is called Bonsai because of the bonsai-like mangrove thriving on it, but I call it the “Now you see me, Now you don’t” island. Wanna know why? It’s because this islet can only be seen during low tide as the water really gets low. By low, I mean, really, really low. You can even do a kilometer walk to reach this small island. 

The thrill in doing the kilometer walk towards the island is that the tide is unpredictable. We went here early in the morning at around 9am and went back at around 10am, when the low tide got even “lower”. Really unpredictable!

Aahhhh, this is why I love summer. Everyone gets to visit cool places while enjoying the sun and creating memories at the same time. For me, summer is the best season because it has much so more to offer than the rainy season. It’s always warm, the days are long, and it provides so many opportunities in terms of things to do and places to go to. #springbreakforevz

 

Try checking out our other island escapades:

 

 

https://www.wheninmanila.com/top-20-philippine-beaches-and-islands-must-see-list-of-top-vacation-destinations-in-the-philippines/

 

https://www.wheninmanila.com/grande-island-resort-subic-summer-escapade/

 

https://www.wheninmanila.com/calaguas-5-reasons-to-love-this-beautiful-island/

 

 

Cagbalete, Quezon: The Fantastic 3 Islands of the South