The stunning archipelago of the Pearl of the Orient Seas is rich in picturesque beaches and seascapes that’ll make you feel like you’re in a tropical utopia. With over 7 641 beaches, it can be tough for beach bums to pick the best ones. Here is a list of patches of paradise you need to peg down to your big dipper list, lets start! here is your best beaches in Philippines.

Malcapuya Island, Coron Palawan

Source: El Nido Paradise

Topping the list is an awe-strikingly pristine, lovely, unadulterated, tranquil beach on an island located one and a half hours away by boat from Coron mainland in Palawan. The underwater scenery is also spectacular. The reason why this hidden paradise is able to maintain its natural beauty is because no boats are allowed to dock on its shores. The docking area is located at a rocky area at the rear end of the island a few minutes walk to the main beach.

White Beach, Boracay, Aklan

Source: TripAdvisor

Boracay’s White Beach has been consistently hailed as best in the world by several international publications with its crystal-clear cerulean waters and signature sugar-fine white sand. It offers tons of water activities for beachcombers including snorkeling, banana boat ride, parasailing tour, paddle boarding tour, helmet diving tour, jet ski experience, wakeboarding activity, and speedboat riding. You can also just lounge by the white sand and bask into the infamous Boracay sunset or join a sunset yacht cruise tour.  At night, the beach comes alive with candle-lit sand castles, cozy restaurants and bars that stay open until dawn.

Kalanggaman Island, Palompon, Leyte

Source: Qing’s Style 

The island of Kalanggaman is a pristine dream beach destination in Visayas famous for its crystal-clear waters, white powdery sand and long sandbars stretching on both sides of the island. This paradise is located in Palompon Leyte, three-hour drive away from Leyte’s capital, Tacloban City and one-hour drive away from Ormoc City.

Aside from basking into the sun and snorkeling, there are a few other activities one can actually enjoy on the island. You can try kayaking which costs Php 150/ hour and stand-up paddling which costs Php 200/hr; just approach any of the “Island Relations Officers” roaming the island. And, for a complete Kalanggaman Island experience, go scuba diving! There are no dive shops around the island, so you have to bring your own or rent it from the Palompon Eco-Tourism Office.

The island is a perfect getaway for a just a day or a couple of days of camping but it’s not without flaws. There is no running potable water, no electricity and no resorts which can give you a perfect natural beach experience but you have to bring your own supplies. Moreover, the local tourism office in-charge of the island’s maintenance was not entirely prepared for the sudden influx of sun-worshippers and selfie fanatics so there might come a day where this island will turn into trash. Let’s not let that happen.

Calaguas, Camarines Norte

Source: Deal Grocer

Calagua’s Long Beach is perhaps the only beach in Luzon that can rival the likes of Boracay and Palawan when it comes to powdery white sand.  Despite its remote location in the northernmost part of Bicol, it still tends to draw beach campers and adventure-seeking tourists because of the sprawling view of unbelievably turquoise blue and crystal-clear waters. The tough two hours boat ride on mostly choppy seas can easily be shrugged off once you step into the shore of the island. Just like Kalanggaman, there’s no electricity, no resorts and no potable or running water. You need to bring your own food and drinks, your own tent and your own sane self.  During Holy Week, the beach becomes alive with organizers bringing generators, lights and speakers for that once a year Reggae Night.

Entatula Island, El Nido, Palawan

Source: Entalula Cottages 

The dramatic limestone formation in the Entatula Island is truly breathtaking, like something out of a fiction movie. Filled with water activities, the glass-like water of the Entatula Island is fringed with white sand, some with rich coral and fish populations at forty to sixty feet.

You should also read Top 15 things to do in EL NIDO Palawan

Secret Beach, Matinloc Island, El Nido, Palawan

Source: TripAdvisor

The Secret Beach is a piece of paradise concealed by the towering gray karst cliffs. The only way to access the beach is by swimming through a narrow crevice beneath limestone cliffs that could be dangerous during monsoon season when the sea current is strong as the waves could bump you into sharp rocks when going through the small opening.  However, when you get inside, you could probably utter that you have never seen and experienced anything like it before! It was also the place that, according to legend, inspired author Alex Garland to write his novel The Beach when he stayed in El Nido.

Bantayan Island, Cebu 

Source: TripAdvisor

The blade-shaped province of Cebu is rich in historical sites and grand churches but it is also teeming with natural resources. Its coasts and outlying islands cradle pockets of white sand. Bantayan Island, off its northern tip, is dumped with some of the best beaches in Philippines, with wider shores. Despite its serenity and quiet façade, Bantayan Island is a top-rated travel destination visited by thousands of travelers from around the world and a pride of the Philippines. 

Dumaluan Beach, Panglao Island, Bohol

Source: TripAdvisor

Aside from the infamous Chocolate Hills and the Philippine tarsier, Bohol also boasts its magnificent beaches. One of these is the Dumaluan Beach located south of Panglao Island in Bohol famous for its fine white sand, gentle sloping beach and crystal-clear water fringed with palm trees which landed it on our list of best beaches in Philippines. A better alternative than the crowded Alona Beach 2.5 kilometers away, Dumaluan Beach is also a great spot for romantic sunsets.

Siquiijor Island

Source: TripAdvisor

The island of Siquijor, renowned for its witchcraft, magic and sorcery tales, is located just an hour away from Dumaguete City, Negros Oriental. Aside from mystery, mystics and magic, Siquijor aka Isla del Fuego (Island of Fire) is also home for beautiful beaches and abundant aquatic life. There’s plenty of good diving spots as well like Maite Point and the Tubod Marine Sanctuary nestled in front of Coco Grove Beach Resort.

Bulog, Coron, Palawan

Source: El Nido Paradise 

Bulog Dos has one of the best beaches in Philippines, it is a tiny, uninhabited island in Coron Palawan that at first glance you’d think would be perfect for a beach wedding. This gem is rich with vast areas of sea grass and on the deeper parts, you’ll see the most colorful and mesmerizing corals and fishes. It has also fine white sand and a sand bar that connects it to a neighboring island.