Best remote beach destinations in Luzon for your summer trips

With over 7,000 islands, the Philippines has loads of beaches to choose from. While there are many popular beach destinations that you can travel to on quick weekend getaways, there are a few more remote and secluded spots worth seeking out. I’ve always preferred quiet beaches away from the crowds where you can enjoy a quality experience. If you’re a solo traveler or introvert who just wants to enjoy a peaceful beach and get quality alone time, you probably feel the same way too.

Admittedly, a lot of these beaches are more challenging to get to. If you’re coming from Manila, most require flights, long land travel, or multiple transfers by sea.

At any rate, I’m listing some of my favorite remote beaches in the Luzon group of islands to serve as inspiration for future trips. For more detailed travel guides on each spot, check out the links.

Cagayan

Getting to Calayan, part of the remote Babuyan Islands in the province of Cagayan is no easy feat. Getting here normally requires a 5-6 hour boat ride on a small cargo boat from Aparri, which itself is 10-12 hours by land from Manila. But once you get there, you’ll be awed by the raw beauty and remoteness of the place.

Sibang Cove is one of the most beautiful and unspoiled beaches I’ve ever been to in the country. The geographical distance from mainland Luzon limits visitors to only the most determined tourists and locals. The wide beach means a lot of people can enjoy the place to themselves.

Palaui Island, known for being one of the filming locations of reality TV show Survivor, is another remote island destination in Cagayan with unspoiled and pristine beaches. You have to be willing to brave long land travel and a boat ride on roller coaster-like waves to get here. The isolation will really make you feel like a castaway.

Batanes

Batanes is really one of the most beautiful destinations in the Philippines. It offers a unique blend of breathtaking scenery, natural attractions, and well-preserved culture. For an uncrowded beach experience, head to Morong Beach in Sabtang Island, which requires a 45-minute boat ride from the capital Basco, which is only accessible by air travel from Manila.

For a really remote beach experience, make your way to Itbayat, the northernmost island of Batanes, which requires a 3 to 4-hour boat ride from Basco. The beach of Kaxobcan is a natural beach formed when an earthquake caused a landslide on one side of the cliff, leading to a small white sand beach surrounded by natural swimming holes in the cliffs.

Quezon

The province of Quezon has several islands with stretches of white sand beaches. Getting to the exclusive Balesin Island, a tropical island with a private luxury resort, requires chartered flights and expensive memberships, which immediately limits the clientele and number of tourists who can visit.

Other remote beach destinations in Quezon include Polillo, Jomalig, and Alabat Island. However, most of these require a combination of long land and passenger boat rides to get to, which puts a limit on tourists.

Romblon

The province of Romblon is made up of 3 main islands (Tablas, Romblon, and Sibuyan), so trying to visit the different spots scattered in different areas requires careful planning because of the multiple sea crossings and limited schedules.

The provincial airport is located on Tablas, while top beach destinations like Bonbon Beach and Cresta de Gallo are located on separate islands. The long travel time and inaccessibility getting around often deters a lot of travelers, leaving their beaches blissfully uncrowded.

Cresta de Gallo, a small islet accessible via Sibuyan Island, has the most stunning sandbar and beach that you can enjoy all to yourself. Getting to this secluded beach involves an 8 to 9 hour-long ferry ride from Batangas to Romblon Island, transferring on another ferry to cross to Sibuyan Island, land travel to San Fernando, then a boat trip to Cresta de Gallo.

Despite being on the mainland, Bonbon Beach on Romblon Island felt uncrowded even during their fiesta season. Other beautiful beach destinations in the province include Alad Island and Cobrador Island in Romblon Island and Aglicay Beach on Tablas Island. There are loads of other beaches along the coast of the three main islands that only locals get to enjoy.

Palawan

Palawan, which usually requires a 1-hour flight from Manila, is regularly hailed as one of the world’s best islands. While some hubs like Puerto Princesa, Coron, and El Nido have become very popular with international backpackers, other parts of Palawan still remain relatively far from the tourist crowd.

For instance, San Vicente has a very wide and uncrowded beach. When we stayed here, you could walk from end to end without encountering another tourist, making it perfect for those trips where you just want peace and solitude.

Another secluded destination in Palawan is the island of Culion, which is just a short boat ride from Coron. The island was once a former leper colony and remained in isolation for over a century. The western side of Culion is home to some of the most beautifully preserved and pristine beaches I’ve ever been to in the country.

Occidental Mindoro

Apo Reef is the largest atoll-like reef in Asia, an underwater paradise and a diving mecca situated on the western waters of Occidental Mindoro.

Getting to this secluded spot requires at least a 3-hour ferry ride from Batangas on mainland Luzon to Abra de Ilog, another 3-hour van ride to Sablayan and then a 3-hour local boat ride to the reef.

Since Apo Reef is a protected area, only a limited number of tourists are allowed to visit at a time, which ensures that the island remains uncrowded.

Camarines Sur

Camarines Sur is a province located in the Bicol Region, roughly a 10-12 hour drive from Manila. Caramoan is a group of islands in the north-eastern portion of the province popularly known as the filming location of several seasons of the hit reality show Survivor.

The islands are lined with white sand beaches, deep gorges, limestone cliffs, coral reefs, diverse marine life, serene lagoons, subterranean river, and caves.

Matukad Island has a tropical forest and hidden lagoon, while other islands have secret beaches that rarely get visited. With the number of small islands, you’re sure to find a secluded beach you can enjoy to yourself.

Masbate

Getting to Masbate requires air travel from Manila or a combination of long land and sea travel as well as careful planning because of the limited boat schedules. The province is made up of three main islands (Burias, Ticao, and Masbate) and it can be a bit complicated figuring out to get from one island to the other.

But each island has its share of beautiful beaches. In Masbate City, the top destination is Buntod Reef Marine Sanctuary, a small islet and mangrove area ideal for swimming, kayaking, snorkeling, and beach-bumming.

Catanduanes

Getting to Catanduanes requires air travel from Manila or a combination of land and sea travel from Albay. Known primarily as a surfing destination, Catanduanes in the Bicol region offers hidden gems just waiting to be discovered.

Some beaches are great for just swimming and island-hopping trips, including the Palumbanes group of islands, made up of 3 islands, namely Parongpong (Palumbanes) Island, Tignob Island, and Calabagio Island. Because these spots are still not that well-known to tourists, chances are, you’ll enjoy the beaches all to yourselves once you get there.

Carorian is another destination in the town of Bato, where you can visit various spots fringed by rock formations and amazing marine life, a waterfall streaming from the side of the cliff and more. One of the highlights here is Poseidon Rock, an area with unique rock formations, crystal-clear lagoons and snorkeling sites nearby. For those who prefer to just marvel at the view of the ocean, Binurong Point, overlooking the coast is a great spot to enjoy the view while getting away from everything.

This is not an extensive list and is based only on my personal trips and experiences. I know there are a lot of other beautiful and remote beach destinations in Luzon.

Stay tuned for the second part of this list which will cover beaches in Visayas and Mindanao.