Visiting the small but beautiful village of Port Barton is one of the biggest reasons to consider a trip to the Philippines. Along with some great island hopping and its laid-back atmosphere, one of the reasons so many travelers fall in love with it is its variety of nearby beaches, which you can visit without taking a tour. That’s why today we want to tell you about the best beaches in Port Barton. We’ll share which ones are the most beautiful, how to get to them, and how to make the most of your time there.
Keep reading and join us as we discover the best beaches in Port Barton.
1. White Beach
The beach in Port Barton that gets all the attention is White Beach, and for good reason. As its name suggests, it’s a white-sand beach lined with graceful palm trees, with calm, crystal-clear water.
The resort that used to be here is still abandoned, but a caretaker looks after the beach, so you’ll need to pay an entrance fee of 50 pesos per person.
It’s also very easy to go for a swim at White Beach. Whether the tide is low or high, unlike at many beaches in El Nido, you can take a dip without having to walk a long way out to reach deeper water.
If you get hungry, you can grab something to eat at the restaurant next door, or take a short walk to the impressive Jungle Bar Resto. Along with incredible views, they serve pretty tasty food. Another option is the restaurant right on the beach, which isn’t particularly cheap but is decent.
Hotels on White Beach: Jungle Bar Resto & Cottages and Green Hill Restaurant & Cottages
How to Get to White Beach
You have several options for getting to White Beach from Port Barton:
- By bangka: these traditional Filipino boats have a set fare for taking you from Port Barton to White Beach. You’ll pay 150 pesos per person each way. If you head to the beach in town, it won’t be long before one of these bangkeros approaches you, and the same goes once you’re on White Beach, where boats leave roughly every 30–60 minutes. You don’t need to arrange anything in advance; you can head back whenever you like until around 6:00 p.m., or even walk back. The ride to this Port Barton beach takes just 15 minutes.
- By kayak: if you’re active and feel like a scenic paddle, you can rent a kayak at several places on Port Barton’s main beach. Prices are around 500 pesos per day. It takes about 20–30 minutes to reach White Beach. Try to go early in the morning, when the water is calmer, and stay close to the coast. You can also combine your visit to White Beach with Coconut Beach, which we’ll tell you about later.
- By motorcycle: if you know how to ride a motorcycle and have a license to do so (you can find more information in Riding and Renting a Motorcycle in the Philippines), another option is to rent one to get to White Beach. However, it’s not something we’d particularly recommend, as the road is still in pretty rough shape. It’s full of potholes, and you need to be extremely careful, especially if it has rained recently, because it gets muddy and becomes almost impassable. Rentals in Port Barton usually cost 500 pesos per day. The ride takes about 30 minutes.
- By tricycle: you can try negotiating. A fair price might be 150 pesos for 2 people, but they rarely go below 100 per person.
- On foot: this is our favorite option, at least for one leg of the trip. If you set off early in the morning, before it gets too hot, it’s a pleasant walk, as the path runs close to the coast and you can enjoy the scenery along the way. Simply follow the road that runs past the Russell Place hotel; the pavement soon ends. The walk to White Beach takes a little under 1 hour, but keep in mind that you’ll reach Coconut Beach first, after about 40 minutes. From this beach, you can walk along the coast as long as the tide is low. That makes the walk a little easier.
how to get to white beach port barton
2. Coconut Beach
One of the beaches in Port Barton we love most is Coconut Beach, which, as you might have guessed, takes its name from an incredible palm grove. Located halfway between Port Barton and White Beach, this beautiful stretch of white sand usually has calm water lapping at its shores. It may not be as clear as the water at its neighbor, but it’s just as inviting for a dip after the effort of getting here.
All you’ll find on Coconut Beach is a family’s home and their adorable family of little pigs, which you can often spot walking along the beach, making for a scene that’s as surreal as it is beautiful. Since the family looks after the beach, you have to pay an access fee of 50 pesos. This payment also lets you enjoy the hammocks strung between the coconut palms.
A heads-up (because we’ve seen some nonsense on social media): neither Coconut Beach nor any of these beaches is a designated nature park. A family lives here with their livestock, which is still just that: “merchandise.” When the pigs aren’t roaming free, they’re kept tied up, and of course, they won’t always be wandering around freely and happily swimming in the sea.
It’s best to visit Coconut Beach at high tide, as otherwise a fairly rocky section is exposed and the beach doesn’t look as pretty. You can easily check tide tables by asking trusty Google for “tide Port Barton”.
How to Get to Coconut Beach
As with White Beach, you have several options for getting to this beach near Port Barton:
- Rent a kayak: rentals cost around 500 pesos per day in Port Barton. It’ll take you about 20 minutes from the main beach. We recommend setting off early and staying close to the coast. After visiting this beach, you can easily paddle over to White Beach.
- Rent a motorcycle: this also costs around 500 pesos, but please be extremely careful when riding because the road is terrible.
- Walk: it takes about 40 minutes from Port Barton. Try to set off nice and early to avoid the worst of the heat, and bring water. You can also walk from White Beach; just follow the shoreline. There’s a short rocky section that’s easier to navigate if you’ve brought water shoes, but it’s not particularly difficult.
- Boat: the fare is the same as for White Beach, 150 pesos per person each way.
- Tricycle: as with the previous beach, you can take a tricycle for around 100 pesos per person. It’s easier to negotiate because it’s closer than White Beach. If you’d like a contact who charges this rate, leave us a comment and we’ll share ours.
If you’re combining White Beach with Coconut Beach and don’t want to walk both ways, one idea is to walk to Coconut Beach and then take a boat back from White Beach.
3. Pamuayan Beach
The previous two beaches are little slices of paradise, but Pamuayan is pretty wonderful too. It’s the least-known of them all, so you’re unlikely to run into other travelers like yourself.
It’s a very long stretch of golden sand, with clear water and beautiful palm trees like the one in the photo, creating a truly picture-perfect scene. Pamuayan Beach feels a little more intimate than the previous beaches, since the tide leaves little sand exposed and you’ll need to “retreat” to the various tiny stretches of beach. Unlike those beaches, though, the water is a little shallower, so you will have to walk out a bit if you want it to reach your neck. Honestly, that’s a small price to pay when you’re somewhere so beautiful. Still, we recommend visiting at high tide.
Unfortunately, the “leaning palm trees” (marked that way on Google Maps) didn’t survive a typhoon and ended up in the water. They still make for a picturesque spot, but obviously it’s not as beautiful as it used to be.
The most beautiful part of Pamuayan is toward the south, meaning you turn left once you come off the path. In our opinion, the best stretch is past the huts at Evio restaurant, where you can grab something to eat or drink. From around 2:00 p.m., a family usually sets up to fry banana cue, sugar-coated banana skewers that are wonderful.
⭐ If you arrive at low tide, be sure to look at the sand. It’s common to find lots of starfish, which is why it’s also known as Starfish Beach.
It’s in a village of the same name, which is also home to Pamuayan Falls, featured in our guide to Things to Do in Port Barton. So don’t miss the chance to visit both attractions—you won’t regret it!
By the way, some island-hopping tours from Port Barton end their day at this beach. So, if you enjoy solitude as much as we do, we recommend visiting before 1:00 p.m., when the first boats usually start arriving.
If possible, bring coconut oil to prevent bites from sandflies, because we saw quite a few on our last visit.
How to Get to Pamuayan Beach
You have several options for getting to this beach in Port Barton:
- Rent a motorcycle: the road is in good condition until you reach the turnoff. The waterfalls are to the right, and Pamuayan Beach and the village are to the left. From there, it’s a dirt road that’s usually fine unless it has rained heavily. Keep in mind that motorcycle rentals usually cost 500 pesos per day. The ride takes about 20 minutes or less.
- Take a tricycle: you can negotiate a ride there or arrange for the tricycle to take you and wait for you. Prices are around 150 pesos per person.
- Walk: it took us a little under 30 minutes, and you really can’t get lost. Just keep in mind that on the way back (if you return around noon or midafternoon), there may be no shade at all and you’ll melt along the way. Bring water, and if you want to shorten the walk, there’s a shortcut here.
- Kayak: you can also kayak here from town and combine Pamuayan with Starfish Island (the sandbar that’s also visited on Island Hopping in Port Barton). If you’re a skilled paddler, you can even make it to Long Beach on Cagsalay Island.
4. Itaytay Beach (Port Barton’s “town” beach)
How could we put together a list of the best beaches in Port Barton without including the beach in Port Barton town itself? Although it’s not the prettiest or the most pleasant for swimming, it’s definitely a fantastic option for spending a few hours and, above all, enjoying a spectacular sunset. We don’t know what it is about Port Barton, but an evening rarely goes by without the sky turning striking colors and treating you to a beautiful sunset.
Itaytay Beach, the beach’s official name, is a long stretch of light golden sand. Dotted with hotels and bars, it has plenty of stretches with shade where you can escape the sun, but our favorite part is in front of the old Deep Moon Resort.
If we had to name one drawback to Itaytay Beach, it would be that the water isn’t very clear. That doesn’t mean it’s dirty, but it is choppier and therefore less inviting. Also, with tourism in Port Barton on the rise, there are lots of boats moored here early in the morning and in the afternoon, when they’re not out island hopping.
In our guide to Where to Eat in Port Barton, we recommend a few bars on Port Barton’s beach where you can enjoy an epic sunset.
A very special phenomenon also often occurs at this beach: bioluminescent plankton. So be sure to head down to the shore at night, somewhere with little light, to see if it’s happening.
Recommended hotels in Port Barton: Ausan Beach Front Cottages (right on the beach), Sol’s Inn and Valerie Lodge
5. Long Beach
If you have plenty of time to enjoy Port Barton’s beaches, another option is to head to the neighboring town of San Vicente and spend the day on Long Beach. As its name suggests, it’s an incredibly long beach. No less than 14 kilometers of uninterrupted white sand, which have earned it the nickname “the Boracay of Palawan.”
Take a look at Things to Do in San Vicente, where you’ll find information in case you decide to stay in the area for at least a couple of days—there’s certainly no shortage of beautiful beaches!
Recommended hotels in San Vicente: Club Agutaya and Sunset Beach Resort
How to Get to Long Beach from Port Barton
You can get to Long Beach by bangka, although it isn’t very cheap. All agencies have set a price of 5,500 pesos (round-trip) for a boat carrying up to 6 people. If there are more than 6 of you, you’ll pay 600 pesos for each additional person.
Some hostels also run day trips to this beach that include Bigaho Falls, which are on the way.
If you’re an experienced motorcycle rider, you can also rent one and ride here. The road isn’t 100% paved, but it’s doable. Allow between an hour and 15 minutes and an hour and a half. The good thing is that you’ll see some lovely scenery along the way.
There are also companies that will take you for 500 pesos per person one way or 800 round-trip. Depending on sea conditions, they’ll take you by land or by sea. If you need a contact, write to us and we’ll share one.
6. Starfish Island / Luli Island
This small sandbar fairly close to town is another option to explore if you’re looking for beaches in Port Barton. It’s usually visited on island-hopping tours, but there are often other boats like yours around, which makes the experience less enjoyable. So, if you want it all to yourself, all you need to do is rent a kayak and start paddling. It’ll take about 20–30 minutes, and you can feel like a true castaway.
Keep in mind that on Starfish Island, there’s absolutely nothing, not even any shade. So bring everything you need to stay protected.
⛔ As its name suggests, Starfish Island (its real name is Luli Island) is surrounded by starfish, specifically chocolate chip sea stars (named for their little brown spots, which look like chocolate chips). Please don’t take them out of the water or touch them. These animals die from suffocation or stress.
After Starfish, you can head to Pamuayan Beach if you like, and if you feel like paddling farther, to Long Beach on Cagsalay. If kayaking isn’t your strong suit, don’t worry; you can add this beach to your island-hopping tour.
Other Beaches Around Port Barton
There are many more beaches between Port Barton and the San Vicente area that you can visit if you’re up for exploring by motorcycle. However, we only recommend doing this if you’re experienced, and a dirt bike is your best bet, as the roads aren’t paved.
For example, you could head to Nao Nao Beach (the next one after Pamuayan, about 45 minutes from Port Barton), Erawan Beach (home to the impressive Bato ni NingNing viewpoint), or stop by Bokbok Beach, Secret Beach, Canipo Beach, or Binga Beach (Boding Beach), among many others.
Some of them also have places to stay where you can get away from it all and enjoy a different kind of experience. Most offer boat pickup from Port Barton. Take a look at:
Tips for Enjoying the Beaches in Port Barton
- The best months to see Port Barton’s beaches at their finest are December through May. This is the dry season in Palawan. Still, if you’re thinking of traveling from June to November, there’s no need to worry; that doesn’t mean rain is guaranteed. The chance of rain is higher, but it doesn’t usually rain all day. Also, the risk of typhoons in Palawan is almost nonexistent.
- As anywhere in the world, Port Barton’s beaches can look more or less beautiful depending on the weather when you visit and in the preceding months. The water may be choppier, there may be more seaweed, or even more trash washed in by the tide. It’s important to understand that nature changes.
- You may sometimes encounter sandflies on Port Barton’s beaches. These tiny sand flies, known locally as nik nik, bite almost without you noticing, and you’ll start feeling the bites at night. If you spot them, you can keep them away by applying coconut oil or repellent. If you’ve already been bitten, you can ask at the sari-sari stores (the small shops in town) whether they have “calamine,” a cream that really helps soothe the itching.
- At certain times of year (usually between December and March), you may see jellyfish at Port Barton’s beaches. Although they aren’t dangerous, they can give you a mild sting. Just be careful.
- Almost none of the beaches (except the one in town itself) have restaurants or bars, so don’t forget to bring water and something to snack on.
Map of Port Barton’s Beaches and Recommended Places to Stay
Here you can clearly see the beaches in Port Barton we’ve covered in this guide and our recommended places to stay nearby:
You’ve probably made it this far because you’re planning a visit to this village in Palawan. If so, don’t miss our Port Barton Guide, where you’ll find all the information about this wonderful place.
If you have any questions or suggestions, we’d love to hear from you in the comments!
