The Island of Siquijor is known nationally as the “healing island”, they say that the island possesses magic. I am nowhere near superstitious but I believe in energy and I felt a gravitation towards this island that I am yet to understand. Moreover, seeing its sunset for the first time is a prologue to the healing process that I feel like I have experienced.
Paliton Beach is a shoreline in San Juan, Siquijor known for its picture-perfect view of the sunset. Plenty of reviews about the island online point to the sunset at Paliton, and from the affirmation that it received from its visitors, I made sure that sightseeing on Paliton Beach was the main event of my first day on the island.
Upon entering the beach, we paid a 20 pesos environmental fee per person. From there, we rented a table by the beach for 150 pesos. If you buy from one of the food stalls, they have tables that you can sit on; you can also bring a chair or blanket to sit on the sand or just sit on the sand directly. We preferred to rent a table because we brought a lot of things and we wanted to guarantee a good view.
As mentioned, there are plenty of food stalls in the area. There are lots of choices such as barbecue and ice cream as well as drinks like alcohol and coconut juice. I dabbled a bit of dynamite as well, a street food made from peppers stuffed in cheese, then rolled into a spring roll wrapper, and then fried.
Aside from the food stalls are souvenir shops as well. Common souvenirs include shirts and bead jewelry. There are also voodoo dolls and other artisan items that I could not identify.
The beach offers an experience that you will remember and to reassure you, there are areas where pictures and videos can be taken.
They have a sandcastle that you can stand in front of and you can have the beach as your background. There is also a coconut tree tilted sideways that one can walk on and take pictures in. I was so excited to take a picture here, but once I got to the coconut tree, my fear of heights got the best of me. My legs were shaking as if all of a sudden, I forgot how to walk.
There are also plenty of swings to swing on, but they sway so high that if the coconut tree made me forget how to walk, the swing would definitely alter my brain function. The line was also very long for it, especially during the sunset hour and I just didn’t want to get in line.
These picture-perfect attractions are donations only and do not come at a specific price. There are donation boxes right next to these. The locals are also more than happy to take your photos which is perfect if you are traveling alone and don’t have anyone to take your photo. Moreover, the locals know how to take “human drone” videos when you get on the swing; they are actually very particular about the results which just shows the amount of effort it took for them to learn it.
The nature in Paliton is what I came here for because the rest of the elements in this place are not likely to take place if not for it.
The towering coconut trees growing from the white sandy shores were magnificent, they almost looked proud in their verticality. I feel like I went there at the perfect time because it was a sunny day and I got to see its green leaves in contrast to the blue sky. It’s like one of those default computer wallpapers that came to life.
The beach was at a great depth as well, although if you plan to swim further from the shore, the seafloor is rocky with a lot of seaweed. However, the sandy part of the sea is perfect on its own and does not have to stretch far across the sea to be beautiful. I really enjoy looking at horizons in the sea because I love testing how far my eyes can see; sometimes I even try to follow a wave from the horizon to the shore.
There are so many nice things to say about Paliton Beach, if I had to choose one that I think is the best (which I’m glad I don’t), it would be the sunset. When the sun was still a bit high, it was still too bright to see and look out into the horizon. During that period, it felt really good to be under its light. It looked like every surface was painted in gold undertones, like a filter, but it was real and I got to see it.
As the sun sank deeper into the horizon, its silhouette became more prominent until you could see its edges forming a perfect circle. The vast ocean looks like it’s trying to swallow the sun whole and the sun just melts into it as the waves carry fragments of the sun to the shore.
I think that the sunset looked very intentional. The coconuts stretching upward to the sun, the color of the sea and sky, the gusts of wind- these little details were so particular that it looked like someone put them there. This was definitely one of the best sunset experiences that I have ever had.
If you face the ocean from the shore and follow the trail on your left, it will lead you to stalls with food and drinks where people gather to start the night. We didn’t get to explore food choices because we came there for the drinks and we found a bar that served cocktails.
It’s a shame that I didn’t know the name of the place because I really liked it. They have a lot of cocktail options available for a good price and they have good seating as well. We chose to sit behind the bar and I enjoyed it because I got to see their process of making the drink. They were really fast and focused but seemed to have a lot of fun. The drink was really good and really strong, I was buzzing on the first one.
One drink and a good conversation was how we concluded the day. We had a lot to look back on because it was so eventful.
If I were to go back to this place, there are a couple of things that I’d want to keep in mind and I thought I’d share. These things are merely suggestions:
Be early. If you go there to witness the sunset, note that it is brief. The period from the golden hour until the sun is completely gone is less than an hour; you wouldn’t want to miss it, there is no encore. You could come another day, but it wouldn’t be the same.
Leave no trace. Being one with nature doesn’t involve leaving garbage behind. The beach is beautiful because it is kept clean.
Donate. The locals spend a lot of time and effort to make the place available for visitors; it deserves to be compensated.
Make sure your phone battery is enough. If you actually came early, chances are by the time the sun sets, your battery will be drained. I couldn’t find any charging stations nearby, so it would be better to go there fully charged.
Have a good time. Don’t hyper-fixate on taking good photos or having the best view possible to a point where it deters the quality of the experience. To be present in the moment, you actually have to live it.
