There are many "virgin islands" in the Philippines. When the tourism office of a certain local government unit finds an island that has the potential for tourism (i.e. with white sand beaches, sandbar, or exotic flora and fauna), they often call it Virgin Island to attract tourists. That is if they're not yet exploited, not much explored, or uninhabited. I'm not saying that's a bad thing since most of islands in the Philippines have this undeniable allure. It's just that calling every undiscovered paradise island as "Virgin Island" leads to a lot of confusion as to where these islands are located. Anyway, that's just a minor concern.
Hello Hiveians!
This is my new series that would attempt to highlight the Philippines in the international scene even when we are on quarantine. If you haven't checked out the first post on this series yet, you can find it here:
Again, this will be mostly in a shorter format than most of my blogs, but not always be the case. If I feel like it, photos will suffice, but it will be very unlikely.
The Philippines is currently composed of 7,641 islands and I have shared only two so far. Expect that more of this will pop up in my post in the future. For now, let me share the beauty of the second island in feature.
Second Island: Virgin Island in Panglao, Bohol
It has been a long time since I visited Bohol, but I haven't shared everything about it yet. I guess it's time to showcase its beauty under this series. Let's see what this island has to offer. I hope you'll enjoy!
Virgin Island is located west of Panglao Island in Bohol. It is part of the greater Panglao Reef Flat in Panglao Bay. It's one of the three islands in the area. Pungtud Island is in the north and Gakang Island is in the south, while Virgin Island is in the middle of the two islands.
Virgin Island in Panglao is no more than a sandbar that would be submerged during hightide, but the white sand and crystal clear water is more than enough reason for you to visit.
If you're into swimming and water activities, it's best to visit the island during high tide. Walking in the sandbar would not be a bad experience either so may it be high tide or low tide, Virgin Island is worth the visit. Just rent a boat from Panglao; it is included in the island hopping package.
Those boats were rented by tourists who visited the island. It could get crowded especially during early noon to early afternoon.
Blue skies, white sand, and warm shallow waters are the main selling points of the island. No wonder tourists flock the area. It's really instagram-worthy.
In case you're wondering what those makeshift tents are, locals are selling banana cue, sea urchin, fresh buko or coconut juice, and abalone. They're a little bit pricey though, but they will surely satisfy your thirst, hunger, and curiosity.
Such a great place for summer! I hope I can visit another place like this after the quarantine.
Did I say crystal clear water?
Note: Succeeding photos were taken using a GoPro camera with a dome.
Watch out for my next post!
Note: Photos were taken by @legendarryll and used with permission.
Kim Ybañez
Welcome to Kim's small corner in Hive. He is a chemical engineer by profession, but a blogger by passion. He is a wanderlust and an adventure seeker. Join his quests as he visits secluded destinations, climbs mountains, tries new and exotic dishes, and explores his country (The Philippines) and the rest of the world even if he's still a poor corporate slave with tons of bills to pay and two siblings to support in college.
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