Potipot Island, Little Paradise Within Reach

Potipot Island is your best bet if you really want some nice beach that is just within your reach. It’s a tantalizing small piece of land surrounded by white sand and calm waters, off the shore of Candelaria, Zambales. Within 4 to 5 hours from Manila, you can reach this little paradise dominated by locals and unspoiled by foreign tourists.  And one good thing about this place is that there are no touts or cheaters around. Prices are all the same and cheap in the area.

Getting There:

This is way faster to reach by car but of course for the budget wanderers, commuting is not really that of a hassle. If you want to get to Potipot by noon then try to catch the early morning bus (4am and 5am) going to Sta. Cruz in Caloocan Victory Liner Station (at the back of the last LRT station). Ask the bus conductor to drop you off in Dawal Beach in Candelaria Zambales. There’s a small alley from the main road going to Sunbloom Resort, skip the entrance fee and tell the boat driver that you want to go directly to the island. And from the mainland beach, take a 10 minute boat ride to Potipot Island.

Notable Things:

The small island itself

Starfish and small crabs

Gentle and clear waters, fine white sand

A Huge dead tree and some rocky parts

Budget Matters:

There are no hotels or restaurants in the island, but there’s one in the mainland resort where you can eat or stay. The entrance fee in the island is P100 for a day trip, and P500 for overnight stay. You can rent some available cottages for P500 overnight. People who visit here usually bring tents with them as this island is better for camping, so you’ll be saving more if you pack some food with you before going here.

For the transportation cost:
(Prices are subject to change)

Bus to Sta. Cruz - around P450

Boat Ride to Potipot Island (2way good for 6 people) - P400

Nuisances and Joykillers:

This once virgin island is becoming more and more popular nowadays among weekend road trippers, yuppies and couples. If you settle near some group campers, expect to hear their laughter and endless storytelling. If you want to get away from them, you can still find some nice peaceful spot around the beach to camp.

Though not many, you’ll still see some piece of trash here and there - cigarette butts buried in the sand, plastic bottle and junk food wrapper swimming with you in the beach. It’s just painful to see how this beautiful beach is being messed up by some inconsiderate beach-goers or locals. Well even if these are just some trash carried by the waters from somewhere, then the local people in-charge should still clean this up and maintain the beach. Besides, what’s the entrance fee for anyway?

Posted by MissForlorn, Photos by Peregrine