Thirty kilometres northwest of Puerto Princesa. Faces the West Philippine Sea. Consistent waves through Habagat; calm and clear through Amihan. Less crowded than the touristy stretches further north.
The island of Palawan
Palawan runs northeast to southwest between the South China Sea on the west and the Sulu Sea on the east — 425 kilometres long and only 40 wide, a mountain range down its spine rising to Mount Mantalingajan at 2,086 metres, mostly limestone. The reefs off the western coast are part of the Coral Triangle, which is why I came. Two seasons matter: Amihan from November to early May (the northeast monsoon — calm, clear) and Habagat from late May to September (the southwest — wind, sometimes rain). The beaches face the Amihan side; their condition tracks the calendar.
The beaches
Limestone cliffs shelter the cove from the strongest wind. Shallow reef close in — snorkelling water most of the year. Tide pools when the water draws out.
South of Puerto Princesa Bay, in Barangay Mangingisda — across the bay from Pristine, not down the coast from it. Bancas cross from the city's fish port to Mangingisda's own port in thirty to forty-five minutes; the long way is by land, around the south side of the bay. Sometimes called Isla Puting Buhangin — a long white sandbar, usually empty but for fisherfolk. The name is literal: "puting buhangin" is Tagalog for white sand. Rated 4.4 on Google from fifty reviews.
Volcanic black sand — the only one of the three with that geology. Magnetic minerals in the grain. South of Puerto Princesa; less foot traffic than the more developed beaches.