Top Ten Affordable Beaches In and Around Cebu

Everybody likes white sand, but it will already be too long if it’s mentioned in the title. So, at our best to give you white or brownish sand beaches at an affordable price, we’ve rounded up ten beaches to visit in Cebu and neighboring islands surrounding Cebu. Affordable because we promise, though they’re white sand, you won’t have to spend more than Php2,000 on your hard-earned money. Majority are even for only Php500-Php1,000 or less.

10. Dalaguete Beach Park

Though there are a lot of nice beaches in Dalaguete, staying overnight can be a little pricey. But if a day tour is just fine especially with friends, the public beach park in Dalaguete is perfect for its imperfections. Entrance fee was around Php15-Php20 per person. But, not sure about the rates now, that was still way back several years ago. Don’t fret, it’s government-owned so the rates still won’t be that high.

9. Hidden Beach – Aloguinsan

Mocha-colored sand hidden from public view. Imagine walking a grassy path while uncovering branches covered in leaves to reveal the sun reflecting on the clear waters of this secret place. Hallelujah! From Cebu City, head for Pinamungajan by V-hire for Php100 more or less, from there negotiate with a habal2x driver for Php50 more or less, or if you have friends take the tricycle which is Php200 once again more or less. Cottage rents are for Php500 but can be used for overnight stays. Not luxurious but if you want adventure over comfort, this beach isn’t so bad. Watch out for stray dogs though because… what good is having fun, basking under the sun, when you soon realize your food is already gone. 8.  Tingko Beach Resort – Alcoy

Located at the South which is 2-3 hours away from Cebu City by bus, not only is Tingko situated near the highway of Alcoy for you to easily locate, it is also popular for its affordable price with an entrance fee of only P10.00 per person, decent cottages at P200, shower rooms for P10 per usage, parking fee (for those with private vehicles) of P50.

7. Island hopping from Mactan – be sure to include Nalusuan island

Island hopping rate can range from Php2,800 to Php3,500 or more, but this can be affordable when shared with a company of ten or more people. You will be asked to choose which islands to go and Nalusuan is highly recommended while Pandanon is also a good option. Though Pandanon island also has areas of white sand, more than half of the island is now occupied by the natives and their houses are not so pleasant to see. Not to mention the annoying sea food vendors who won’t leave you alone if you won’t buy anything from them. However, they know a little bit of Niponggo which is impressive. Sorry, enough about them, since you are island hopping, you shouldn’t miss Nalusuan island because aside from the clear waters, snorkeling (where fishes of different colors are plenty) can be so fun until you realize that the boatmen are already calling out because it’s nearly sunset and it’s already time to go. Sigh. Oooh by the way, if you are tempted to go in the resort, you have to bring not just extra cash, but extra, extra, extra cash. So better just go home or to another island if you still have time.

6. Lambug – Badian

This place is a little hidden but if you know where a certain golf course in Badian is located, then you’re almost there. If you want to make the best out of the trip, go to Kawasan to freshen up. Because the beach has free entrance but, there are no wash rooms. Though the people in the village could let you use their comfort room, prepare to shell out some pennies since they need the mullah due to this beach’s lack of visitors. However, if you’re planning for an overnight stay (tried it but beware because of some old legends in this area which I won’t share in this blog), there is also a good rest house with rooms priced at Php1,000. But to tell you honestly, it’s not worth it. Better go to Kawasan after soaking the salty waters, to preserve a little extra from your 1k budget and just head for home.

5. Bas Daku – Moalboal

Bas daku is a public beach resort. However, there are some residences nearby and it’s okay because this makes beach feel safe. Beware if you want to camp overnight though, theft is a common problem in the area (harmless thieves) but safe nevertheless, you or your companions just have to be on guard. Some natives also offer other island adventures, but could be costly if you travel with less than five members. Overall, it’s a great beach for a short stay on the weekend. 4. Carnaza Island – Daan Bantayan

This is also one of the Northern part’s assets. Most people from the city hasn’t explored this island yet, but there is actually a beach resort here and a helipad developed by the Osmeñas which is located kilometers away from the port. You can reach this island by dropping at Tapilon (before Maya) and find the port for the small boats going to Carnaza. Please note that boats are only up to 2 PM. This place is not guaranteed for overnight stay, however the people living in the area are happy to point to you where the resort is. But that will break the 2,000 budget promise.

3. Malapascua Island

Great for tourists because of its refined white sand. However, one must bear in mind that this island is a little isolated so expect a little inconvenience. But if you’re in for the beauty of adventure, this is an excellent spot. Located at the northern part, just take a ferry boat in Maya port, Daanbantayan after taking a Ceres bus. V-hires are also available but I recommend the Ceres air conditioned bus. You can relax while travelling and the price difference is totally worth it.   2. Bantayan Island

Still at the northern part of Cebu, this island is another paradise for friends who can chip in with costs especially for the room. If it’s a famiy outing, then it’s going to be costly. Going to Bantayan Island needs an overnight stay because of the long travel hours. Trust me, you won’t regret staying there overnight, in fact, if you have a budget to spend of more than 2k, I recommend to stay there in 3 days and get around the whole island. The island is pretty safe, like Sugar Beach for example, it is open but you can even sleep on the sand near the shore the whole night until morning. It’s a great experience. You can also go to Virgin Island if you want more adventure, but I recommend staying in Bantayan. It’s costly and the sand is finer in Bantayan resorts. You can go there by taking a ferry boat in Hagnaya port. Just tell the Ceres bus conductor and he will remind you not to get off in Bogo in case of over excitement. XD The bus will stop at a terminal in Bogo first, so most travelers will think it’s already Hagnaya port. Just tell the conductor if it’s your first time, to be sure.

1. Santiago – Camotes Island

There is no special reason why Camotes is number one. Actually, Malapascua and Bantayan Island are also a good spot for number 1. It’s just that Camotes has San Francisco with a public beach connected to Santiago Bay if I’m not mistaken, where you really don’t have to pay for anything. Not even any entrance fee. The white sandy shore is also very wide, and even if you have to walk on the furthest  water part of the beach when it’s low tide, the sand still feels good on your bare feet. Camotes also has some locations where it’s developed like Lake Danao and Baywalk area. Baywalk at night gives a slight feeling like you’re in Dumaguete but with a mixture of Camotes’ atmosphere. By the way, you can go to Camotes by taking a ferry boat in Danao port. At the port, you can travel through tricycles but mostly, habal-habal or motorcycles.   Another word of advice: Please bring more than Php2,000 when going to the islands mentioned. This is just in case of unexpected matters or prices that might have increased that I haven’t known. But for the beaches located in the South, 2k is more than necessary.   If you like this post, please share to your friends and plan your next weekend getaway. Enjoy and have fun. If you have positive or negative experiences, don’t forget to share below to inform other future travelers.