Masasa: An Off-the-Beaten-Path Beach

When I first heard about this place, I thought it was somewhere in Quezon or Zambales but I was surprised to know that it is just in the province of Batangas. I never really expected that much because I thought that it's just an ordinary beach but I was wrong. It may not be as fascinating as Calaguas or as massive as Caramoan but it has that certain charm that will simply leave any person that appreciates nature and beaches in awe.

Masasa beach is located on the southern portion Tingloy, the town that wholly comprises the island of Maricaban. Going on a day tour is possible if you have only one day to spare but make sure that you hire a boat that will take you to Masasa and will bring you back to Mabini. This is actually what we did because we've learned that regular boats bound for Tingloy leave the ports of Anilao and Talaga at 10:30 am while return trips are scheduled at 6:00 am from Masasa and 9:00 am from Tingloy. That means staying there overnight is the only option if you plan to take the regular boat schedules but do take note that there are no resorts or cottages near the beach so having a tent is a necessity.

The group met around 2am at Cubao and by 5am we were already in the intersection of Diversion Road and the National Highway in Bolbok, Batangas City. The travel time usually takes 1.5 hours but it was extended to 3 hours because Ian thought that there are buses bound for Batangas City at the Araneta Center bus terminal. We took the bus bound for Naga and just asked the driver to drop us off at the Turbina bus station in Sto. Tomas, Batangas so we can transfer to another bus to Batangas City. At the Diversion Road, we took a jeepney ride bound for Talaga, Mabini and less than an hour later we were already in Talaga port. Ian had already planned to cook food for us so we bought fresh fish and other ingredients from the nearby flea market and minutes later we're on-board the boat to Tingloy. It was still early in the morning so it was actually a smooth 45-minute boat ride and upon reaching Tingloy we were amazed on how clear the water is even at the port. We weren’t really expecting it to be that clear because we always have this notion that ports are usually dirty and are full of trash but this one is truly an exception.

Before taking the tricycle to Masasa, we found out that Tingloy is a marine protected area which is the reason why the beaches around the town are still unscathed.

And so we finally reached Masasa beach after that 15-minute trike and a 10-minute of downhill walk. It wasn’t actually love at first sight. At first we were welcomed by a lot of dead corals at the shore and there were some locals who were collecting these in sack containers which I’m guessing will be sold in exchange for money. We kept on walking and finally found an empty area beside the rocks where we decided to settle in for the day. What I’ve noticed from the beach is that there are parts that are still left intact and there are parts that were obviously quarried. What’s surprising though is that the virgin part of the beach has the powdery white sands that are seemingly comparable to that of Calaguas and Boracay!

Aside from the fine white sands, stunning rock formations near the beach are also abundant which makes it unique from the other beaches that I’ve been to. Most of them can be scaled without the need to use any hiking gears and some even have cemented stairs so it’s actually easy to climb these rocks if you want to have a panoramic view of the sea with the mountains of Mindoro in the background.

And since its summer, who could resist the inviting waters of the beach? At first I hesitated because I’m still recovering from my recent sunburn in Calaguas but in the end I just gave in to temptation. Woohoo for beaches and to hell with sunburns!


Having been to Masasa, I would say that it could definitely rival the most popular beaches in the country had the area been kept in its pristine condition but still I have high hopes for this place. There’s no doubt that hauling of the sand and coral fragments is damaging for the island and if the local government can find an alternative livelihood to the coral stone collectors then I bet Masasa can quickly recover and make a name of its own as one of the finest beaches of the Philippines.

How to get there:
Take a bus bound for Batangas City/Pier early in the morning and ask to be droped off point at Diversion Road in Bolbok, Batangas City (2 hours travel time). It is best to leave around early in the moring as the buses are not allowed to unload passengers in this area during normal hours. Take a jeep bound for Talaga or Anilao, Mabini and alight at the Talaga Port or Anilao Port (45 minutes travel time). Regular boats bound for Tingloy leave ports of Anilao and Talaga at 10:30am while return trips leave the port of Tingloy port at 9:00am (45 minutes travel time). If you want to hire a boat, you can contact Kuya Jhamil ay 0916-478-5241. Upon reaching Tingloy, take a tricycle to Masasa Beach (15 minutes travel time).