What are Beaches for but for Bitches to Bitch in?

okay, that's a line from Temptation Island. beaches are in and definitely there are no bitches in Camotes (except for the native dogs that run free along the shores of Santiago Bay).

this one is a continuation of the Enchanting Camotes post where we started the tour with Bukilat cave. 

Cebu has some amazing beaches (and biatches - but that's another story) that line the coastal roads as well as the component islands that make up the province (gilutongan, sta. rosa, pandanon, bantayan, camotes etc) and a lot of debate about which beach is the best. moalboal, badian, bantayan, malapascua, sumilon, san remigio all claim to have the best natural beach front. 

i've been to all these places but the best beaches are in san francisco, camotes.

imagine pristine, white, sugary sandy shoreline with waters shaded azure, green and pale blue. The other places have varying degrees of this "description" but what sets the beaches of Camotes apart from the other places is an adjective that is sadly missing in their description: virginal.

a bitch and his boys :)

one still gets a sense that Camotes is largely untouched by the commercialism that pervades most of the beaches in Cebu with resorts jostling for space and the horrendous practice of putting up artificial cement barriers that stretch to the sea to distinguish one resort from another. nobody seems to care that this is illegal in the first place.


there are three major beaches in San Francisco, Mangodlong, Santiago and Bakhaw. We stayed in Mangodlong (by default) but we were able to visit the other two. Santiago bay is a gorgeous stretch that is right smack beside the town - imagine attending Sunday service with a gorgeous view of the beach.

unfortunately, we visited Santiago towards the early evening and it was already low tide, everyone got wiped out and slept a couple of hours after our Bukilat cave trip. nevertheless, it is still a nice place for a photo op and a quiet stroll along the shore.

of the three beaches, Mangodlong is the least ideal for swimming with its pebbly coarse white sand. What makes it interesting is the coral outcrop a few meters from the shore that formed natural islets. the resort owners built cottages on these islets where you can enjoy your meals surrounded by the sea.

the only black mark for this particular spot is the neighboring resort that built the awful cement barrier that marks the "boundary" of the resort.


i would personally recommend that you stay in Santiago bay as there are more (cheaper) options for places and restaurants. mangodlong is a good take off point but hardly a place i'd go back to.


if mangodlong is a disappointment, wait for the next post where you get to experience paradise on earth in bakhaw. stay tuned!