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Surf, Solitude, Soft Sand: A Traveler's Guide to the Philippines' Best Beaches and Accomodations
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items Whether you're looking for luxury or searching for adventure, there's a beautiful beach in the Philippines for you. With more than 7,000 islands, the country has enough coastline that you could spend a lifetime chasing waves, sandbars, and quiet cove...
Sections
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MAPPING OUT THE PHILIPPINE's BEST BEACHES
SURF: Siargao (Surigao Del Norte)
SURF: LA UNION (Ilocos)
SOLITUDE
SOFT SAND
MAPPING OUT THE PHILIPPINE's BEST BEACHES
Whether you're looking for luxury or searching for adventure, there's a beautiful beach in the Philippines for you. With more than 7,000 islands, the country has enough coastline that you could spend a lifetime chasing waves, sandbars, and quiet cove...
Conde Naste Traveler is one of the best resources out there for more information on the picturesque beaches in the Philippines.
The Best Beaches in the Philippines for Surfing, Seclusion, and Powder-Soft Sands
Very good resource for surfers
San Juan Beach Break Surf Guide
Siargao Surfing from the point of view of Gwilym Thomas
Surfing Siargao: A slice of heaven in the Philippines - The Ticket to Ride Journal
A more detailed look into Dinagat Islands
The Pristine Beaches of Dinagat Islands
Good read if you are planning on going to BORACAY
Boracay Island | Condé Nast Johansens
SURF: Siargao (Surigao Del Norte)
Surfing in the Philippines isn't new, but it's finally getting the attention it deserves. The country sits right in the path of consistent Pacific swells, and its long, exposed coastlines mean there's a wave for pretty much every skill level if you k...
Daku Island sits a short boat ride south of General Luna, and its reef break offers a soft, slow take-off into a long right-hander that makes it one of the best beginner-to-intermediate waves near Siargao. It gets crowded when conditions line up sinc...
Surfing SIARGAO Daku island - Beginner / Intermediate
Cemetery — also called Pesangan by locals — is one of Siargao's most popular surf spots, sitting roughly 800 meters offshore from the cemetery in General Luna that gave it its name. What makes it a favorite is the reef itself: it sits deeper than mos...
Surfing SIARGAO Cemetery - Intermediate
No list like this can skip Siargao. Cloud 9 put the island on the map decades ago, and it's still one of the best reef breaks in Asia, drawing everyone from total beginners taking their first lesson to pros chasing barrels during surf season around S...
Surfing SIARGAO Cloud 9 in the Philippines - Heavy
Tuason Point sits right along Siargao's famed stretch of reef, just a stone's throw from Cloud 9, and it's known for holding fairly reliable surf year-round. It's a left-hand reef break that works best on a rising tide, picking up windswell out of th...
Surfing SIARGAO Tuason - Intermediate / Advanced
Greenhouse Siargao is just five beachfront villas tucked into a lush, green property near Cloud 9, and it's rated the #1 hotel in General Luna at 4.9 out of 5 across 250 reviews, thanks largely to the food and genuinely warm staff. Worth knowing thou...
GREENHOUSE SIARGAO - Prices & Hotel Reviews (Siargao Island/General Luna, Philippines)
Harana Surf Resort sits right on Tuason Beach, close enough to walk or scooter over to Cloud 9, with a pool, on-site restaurant, and its own surf school covering everything from single lessons to multi-day courses. It's rated 4.4 out of 5 across 157 ...
HARANA SURF RESORT - Updated 2026 Prices & Specialty Inn Reviews (Siargao Island/General Luna, Philippines)
Siargao Bleu Resort & Spa is the Balinese-inspired pick near Cloud 9, built around a massive 1,600-square-meter pool and personal butlers assigned to every room, which is exactly the kind of detail guests keep raving about in reviews. It's not wi...
SIARGAO BLEU RESORT & SPA - Updated 2026 Prices & Reviews (Siargao Island/General Luna, Philippines)
The Henry Resort at Kermit Siargao is the newer, restaurant-attached property known for one of the biggest, deepest pools on the island and genuinely good Italian food, thanks to its ties with the popular Kermit restaurant next door. Reviews are pret...
THE HENRY RESORT AT KERMIT SIARGAO - Prices & Hotel Reviews (Siargao Island/General Luna, Philippines)
Las Palmas has this Bali-vibe thing going with its private villas and casitas, and honestly the food alone is worth the stay — multiple guests mention gaining weight from how good the restaurant is. It's basically a perfect fit for families traveling...
LAS PALMAS VILLAS AND CASITAS - Prices & Hotel Reviews (Siargao Island, Philippines)
SURF: LA UNION (Ilocos)
If you'd rather stay closer to Manila, La Union has become the go-to weekend surf trip for people who don't have days to spare. San Juan's beach breaks are forgiving enough for beginners, the town leans into its surf-and-cafe culture pretty hard thes...
If you'd rather stay closer to Manila, La Union has become the go-to weekend surf trip for people who don't have days to spare. San Juan's beach breaks are forgiving enough for beginners, the town leans into its surf-and-cafe culture pretty hard thes...
Surfing LA UNION (Elyu), Philippines A golden hour Wonder where the sun ...
Urbiztondo Beach in San Juan, La Union is where most people actually learn to surf in the Philippines — the beach break is forgiving, the water's warm year-round, and there's no shortage of instructors lining the shore ready to get beginners standing...
San Juan Beach Break Surf Guide - Surfline
Curbside Villa nails the aesthetic — modern industrial design, spacious bathrooms, a koi pond, and genuinely great food from their in-house restaurant Curo, especially the tapa breakfast — but it's still a work in progress, with ongoing construction ...
Curbside Villa La Union Reviews San Juan La Union Province Ilocos Region Luzon
The Circle Hostel is exactly what it's built to be — a colorful, community-driven backpacker spot with a great coworking setup, communal art walls, and a genuinely friendly staff, all a short walk from the beach and San Juan's best restaurants. It's ...
The Circle Hostel La Union H33050328 La Union Ph Hotel La Union Ph
Kahuna Beach Resort & Spa is easily one of the most polished stays right on Urbiztondo's surf strip — Balinese-inspired villas, an infinity pool overlooking the beach, a surf school and dive shop steps away, and a restaurant with sunset views gue...
Kahuna Beach Resort and Spa La Union Ph
SOLITUDE
For Solitude: The Islands Most People Skip This is where it gets fun, because the Philippines has no shortage of beaches that barely show up in a Google search.
Dinagat province, up near Surigao, is stacked with beaches that could each carry a "best in the country" claim on their own — it's honestly hard to pick just one to recommend. If Siargao feels a little too built-up for your taste, Dinagat is close en...
Solitude DINAGAT ISLANDS - Complete Your Adventure Visit Dinagat Islands
Isla Aga used to be the private resthouse of a former Dinagat Island governor, but these days it's mostly ruins — decades of sea air and moisture have worn the once-grand building down, though the crystal-clear water and white sand around the islet a...
Solitude DINAGAT ISLANDS Isla Aga - All You SHOULD Know Before Going 2026 (with Reviews)
Cape Seaductive is genuinely off the grid — a handful of handmade villas on Dinagat Island reachable only by boat, run by owner Lulu Gilmore and a staff that guests keep describing as feeling like family rather than hired help. It's rated a perfect 5...
Solitude DINAGAT ISLANDS Cape Seaductive - Cottage Reviews (Basilisa, Philippines)
Blue Lagoon in Libjo is basically a deep, blue-green sinkhole ringed by limestone cliffs, and the best way to experience it is by hopping on a bamboo raft and jumping straight in — visitors keep calling it the highlight of their whole Dinagat island-...
Solitude DINAGAT ISLANDS Blue Lagoon - All You SHOULD Know Before Going 2026 (with Reviews)
Getting to Lake Bababu means a genuinely tough 30 to 45-minute hike up steep, rocky terrain from the beach — reviewers keep warning that trekking shoes are non-negotiable, not slippers — but the lake itself, described as "meromictic" with separate fr...
Solitude DINAGAT ISLANDS Lake Bababu Underwater Cave System - All You SHOULD Know Before Going 2026 (with Reviews)
San Pascual used to be just a sleepy cattle-ranching town in Masbate — the province still calls itself the "Rodeo Capital of the Philippines" — until word got out about a cluster of six islets nearby with white sand, striking rock formations, and a n...
Solitude MASBATE San Pascual: Gateway to the Island Gems of Burias Island
Dancalan Beach Resort's biggest selling point is location — it sits right next to the whale shark visitor center and dive shops, so you can practically roll out of bed and onto a boat. Reviews are pretty mixed at 3.7 stars though, with plenty of gues...
Solitude PORT BARTON DANCALAN BEACH RESORT - Prices & Hotel Reviews (Donsol, Philippines)
Secret Paradise Resort sits on its own private cove in Port Barton — 118 hectares with four beaches, a protected turtle sanctuary just offshore, and villas tucked between virgin forest and open sea — and it's earned genuine bragging rights, including...
Solitude PORT BARTON SECRET PARADISE RESORT & TURTLE SANCTUARY - Reviews (Port Barton, Palawan Island)
Here's a 2-sentence description with a natural, non-AI feel: Coconut Garden sits on its own tiny island a 45-minute banca ride from Port Barton, and it's genuinely rustic — limited electricity, cold showers, generator power only in the evenings — but...
Solitude PORT BARTON COCONUT GARDEN ISLAND RESORT - Prices & Specialty Resort Reviews (Port Barton, Palawan Island)
Green Hill sits deep in the jungle above Port Barton, with basic bungalows that trade luxury for sweeping sea views and a 15-minute walk through the forest to White Beach — most reviewers rave about the food, the owners, and the total escape-from-eve...
Solitude PORT BARTON GREEN HILL RESTAURANT & COTTAGES - Updated 2026 Prices & Hotel Reviews (Port Barton, Palawan Island)
Salagdoong Beach is Siquijor's go-to spot for cliff jumping — a couple of diving platforms let you leap or slide straight into crystal-clear water, and the coral and fish life just offshore make it a genuinely good snorkeling stop too. It's a mixed b...
Solitude SIQUIJOR Salagdoong Beach - All You SHOULD Know Before Going (2026 Reviews)
Paliton Beach is a short stretch of white sand on Siquijor known mostly for its sunsets, framed by coconut trees and small food stalls selling fresh, cheap grilled seafood. It's a genuinely split-opinion spot, though — some visitors call it one of th...
Solitude SIQUIJOR Paliton Beach - All You SHOULD Know Before Going (2026 Reviews)
SOFT SAND
If sand quality alone is your priority, Boracay's White Beach still earns its reputation — genuinely fine, almost flour-like sand that's rare even by Philippine standards, despite the island's crowds and its complicated recent history of overtourism ...
Discovery Boracay was the island's first true luxury resort, and its 99 all-suite rooms and beachfront Station 1 location still hold up — reviewers consistently rave about the personalized touches, from framed family photos in rooms to a private Vibe...
DISCOVERY BORACAY - Updated 2026 Prices & Resort Reviews (Balabag, Philippines)
Shangri-La Boracay sits secluded on 12 hectares up in Station 0, away from the party crowds, with two private beaches, villas scattered across the hillside, and an infinity pool that keeps showing up in nearly every glowing review. It's genuinely pri...
SHANGRI-LA BORACAY - Updated 2026 Prices & Resort Reviews (Philippines)
Crimson Resort sits at Station Zero with modern, contemporary architecture, three pools, a genuinely fun weekend foam party, and a private beach shared quietly with just two other five-star neighbors. At 4.7 stars across nearly 1,740 reviews, guests ...
CRIMSON RESORT AND SPA BORACAY - Updated 2026 Prices & Reviews (Philippines)