After paying a visit to Nagkalit-kalit Falls and Nacpan Beach, we were back at El Nido Sands Inn before three o’clock and had ample time to rest and prepare for our fourth day in Palawan which involved nothing else but a good swim at Long Beach in San Vicente. Around two and a half hours later, we got the ball rolling for our transit.
Accommodation
After transferring to a different van at a junction and traversing a hardly lit road which wasn’t paved all throughout and seemingly didn’t pass any civilization, we arrived at Myrla’s Garden and Cottages in Barangay New Agutaya a little over half past seven. I was starving and was very glad that in less than an hour we were already called for dinner; we had squid, fish, and chicken afritada.
Our visit to the archipelagic province wasn’t at the peak of the summer months and San Vicente wasn’t on the same level as El Nido and Puerto Princesa in terms of popularity so it wasn’t surprising that we were the only guests around (well, AFAIR). We karaoke~d until midnight (maxed it, mate!) and, thanks to GSM Blue and Red Horse, even danced the night away in the open air outside our rooms. Alak pa!!!
The 14-Kilometer Beach
Twelve hours after dinner and seven hours after the gyrating, we had dried fish and eggs for breakfast. And I just feel the need to say that before leaving for Long Beach, I had an acquaintance…
Long Beach was only 500 meters away from Myrla’s Garden and Cottages. We entered through a path which had a sign of an entrance fee but since no one was around to collect it, we just gave the payment to ourselves. #kurap The beach was as bare as a newborn’s butt cheeks; where we were, there were no establishments at all.
How annoying can it get when you anticipate a very sweet panorama shot only to find out that someone bombed it?
The place was deserted like a desert but there was a bamboo table and a suspended bench supported by tires. I’m no stranger to my companions so, for the very first time and for a change, I decided to strip down to swimming trunks. Life’s too short not to try on new fabrics for other people to see, right? You will always be judged anyway.
We lazed around, captured photos, and swam to the skies. The water was unbelievably crystal and overall the place reminded me of Nacpan Beach.
What if…I wear a fedora?
As far as our eyes could see, there were no other tourists who strut on the sugary white sand during our two-hour stay in Long Beach. Again, it could’ve been due to the off-peak season and the place not being as popular as other Palawan destinations yet. Also, given that Long Beach is said to be 14 kilometers long (allegedly making it the longest white sand beach in the Philippines) and has rocky headlands that interrupt the continuous expanse of its length, another possibility is that there were actually other tourists but they were in the other coves.
Monkey (D. Luffy) see, monkey do. The shot was blurry, though, as if MTRCB intercepted the shutter.
We had a very hectic schedule (artesta?) so we returned to Myrla’s at midday, just in time for lunch. Our ABS-CBN executive producer being constantly on the phone with a certain “Ms. Alma” instantly became a running joke since day one. At 3:00 PM, we were on the lookout for a bus going back to the capital.
Tips
Long Beach spans multiple barangays of San Vicente so should you want to explore its entirety and you know how to ride a scooter, well, you now know what you can rent.
While the part of the Long Beach that we were on had nothing was unspoiled, it wasn’t surprising that in reality, given its stretch, other parts of it already have beachfront resorts. As an emerging tourist destination, it could eventually become an alternative to Boracay.
San Vicente is where Port Barton, a known Palawan destination, is so if you’re traveling from Puerto Princesa to El Nido or vice versa and plan to drop by, you can kill two birds with Long Beach as the other one.
San Vicente has been made more accessible with the presence of an airport. Fly away!
