Malcapuya Island in Coron

My third island hopping day was spent frolicking in the sea, sand, and sun, at the beautiful Malcapuya island. For Php 950 tour fee and after 1.5 hours of boat travel, I was able to set foot on this secluded island. 

Its still windy on our way to the island, so the waves continue to splash in our boat, which at that time consists of seven all-Filipino guests. The canvas roof of our boat has to be rolled to avoid getting ripped by the wind, so we have to endure the 3-hour round trip of being exposed to the sun's rays.

We docked at the back of the island, then walked for about 5 minutes to the wide expanse of the white sand beach. I can't help but be awed by the cyan blue color of the seawater, hugging the long white sand of the beachfront. 

Its been 12 years since I went to Boracay island in Aklan, so I don't know which has a better sand. However, my tourmates say that Malcapuya's sand is as fine yet whiter than the sand in Boracay.

Banana island can be seen from the beach, but we're contented to stay at Malcapuya.

I left my things at one of the tent to explore the ends of the island.

The island is flanked by two small hills on both ends of the island. We found one small cave opening on the west side hill.

At the end of the western part are nice rock formations, carved by waves over thousands of years, serving as good backdrops for photo opportunities.

The island has native huts where visitors can stay overnight for Php 500/person. If they want to stay at an airconditioned room, the island's owner collects a fee of Php 1,000/person on his house leaning on a cliff. The caretaker operates a variety store for selling goods at understandably high prices, so it will be wise to bring your supplies from the mainland.

When I got tired of checking the beachfront, I explored the sea which has shallow floor, even at about 50 m. from the beach. Despite the absence of coral formations, there are many fishes on the shallow waters. There are also some endangered giant clams to see as a bonus for us snorkelers.

After 30 minutes, I decided to read a book in a hammock under the shade of a tree, while the sea breeze and sound of the waves lulled me to nap for more than 15 minutes.

I was awaken by the sound of the boat crews who brought our freshly-cooked lunch food at the beach. Unfortunately, we can't stay long at the beautiful island, as three of us have a flight to catch that afternoon back to Manila.

When my tourmates asked me to choose between Boracay and Malcapuya islands, I responded my preference to Malcapuya without any hesitation. Aside from the cleaner, peaceful, quiet, and more relaxing atmosphere, the latter has more to offer for nature lovers. But for people who likes partying with the crowd, they won't like it in Malcapuya.

The only downside of Malcapuya is its inaccessibility, especially during bad weather. But this seclusion works to its advantage, to keep the party crowd away from its private serenity.