The best beaches on Malapascua

Three beaches, three moods

Malapascua is small, about 2.5 km long and 1 km wide, and its beaches are close enough together that you can try all three in a single day on foot. Each has a distinct character. Bounty Beach on the west side is the busy, sociable one with the resorts and restaurants. Langob Beach on the north is quieter and more local. The Lighthouse area in the northeast is the place for a walk and a sunset rather than a full beach day.

Which one you will love depends partly on what you want and partly on when you come, because the wind swings around with the seasons and takes the calm water with it.

Bounty Beach

Bounty Beach runs along the west side of the island and is the reason most visitors never feel the need to go anywhere else. It is lined with beach resorts, dive shops and restaurants, and it is where the boats from Maya land. Walk off the boat and you are already on the main beach.

Good for: staying right on the sand, eating and drinking without a walk, watching dive boats come and go, sunset over the water, meeting people.

Sand and shade: pale sand with palms and resort frontage along most of its length. Shade is easy to find, and most resorts put out loungers for guests. Restaurants set tables on the sand in the evening.

Swimming: from November to May, when the Amihan winds blow from the northeast, the west-facing Bounty Beach sits in the lee of the island and the water is calm and clear. The house reef is reachable from shore for snorkelling. From June to October the Habagat monsoon brings southwest winds that push waves onto this side, and swimming can be choppy.

Restaurants: almost all of the island's dining is here or a minute behind the beach. Browse the restaurants directory and the food and nightlife guide. A restaurant meal runs ₱150 to 300 at the budget end, ₱300 to 600 mid-range, and ₱600 to 1,000 at the top. A local beer is ₱50 to 150 depending on where you drink it.

If you want to wake up on the beach, the resorts directory lists the beachfront options. Mid-range beach resorts are ₱2,000 to 4,000 a night and comfort and luxury rooms run ₱5,000 to 15,000. See where to stay for how to choose.

Langob Beach

Langob Beach is on the north of the island, a walk through the village from Bounty Beach. It is quieter, with fewer places to eat and far fewer people, and it has a more local feel. Fishing boats are pulled up along parts of it and children play in the shallows after school.

Good for: escaping the main beach for a few hours, a quiet swim, a long walk, a picnic you carried in.

Sand and shade: softer and wilder than Bounty, with patches of shade from trees behind the beach but no resort loungers to speak of. Bring a hat, water, and a sarong to sit on.

Swimming: the north coast gets more exposure to the northeast Amihan winds from November to May, so it can be livelier than Bounty in the dry season. From June to October the southwest Habagat pushes onto the west side instead, and Langob often becomes the calmer choice. If Bounty is choppy, walk north.

Restaurants: few. Eat before you go or carry snacks and water. A 1.5 litre bottle of water is ₱25 to 40 at the small shops in the village on the way.

The Lighthouse area

The lighthouse stands at the northeast end of the island, and the stretch of coast around it is less a beach for swimming than a place for walking, exploring and watching the sun go down. The walk from Bounty Beach crosses the island through the village and along paths between palms and small farms.

Good for: the sunset walk, photographs, a sense of the whole island, time away from everyone else.

Sand and shade: rocky in places with small sandy coves between. Shade is limited, so time your visit for the late afternoon rather than midday.

Swimming: possible in the coves on a calm day, but this is exposed coast and conditions change. Treat it as a bonus, not a plan. There are no lifeguards anywhere on the island.

Restaurants: none to count on. Bring water and a torch for the walk back, because the paths are unlit after dark.

The non-divers guide has more on the lighthouse walk and how to fit it into a slow day.

Swimming conditions by season

Water temperature is 26 to 30°C all year, so there is never a cold season for swimming. The difference is wind and waves, not temperature. The best time to visit overall is November to May, when the seas are calmer across the board. Read when to go for the full picture and check live conditions for what the sea is doing this week.

Beach etiquette

• Do not stand on or touch the coral when snorkelling off Bounty Beach.
• Take your rubbish with you from Langob and the Lighthouse area. There are no bins.
• Dress modestly once you leave the beach and walk into the village.
• Keep an eye on the dive boats landing and leaving on Bounty Beach. They come up onto the sand.
• Everything is cash only and island ATMs are unreliable, so carry pesos. See money and ATMs and the costs page.

Getting between them

Walk. Paths connect every part of the island and nothing is far. A scooter costs ₱300 to 500 a day to rent if you want one, but most visitors never bother. See getting around.

If you are arriving for the first time, the public boat from Maya lands on Bounty Beach and costs ₱240. Boats run from about 7:30am to around 4pm, so plan to reach Maya early. The getting there and ferry pages have the details.

For a day that strings all three beaches together with a sunset at the lighthouse, see the itineraries.