Wanna have a taste of a colorful summer? Take Zamboanga City’s the Pink Sand Beach at Sta. Cruz Island for this will definitely paint your ordinaryย vacation right!
The recently hailed as one of the top 10 best beaches in the world by NatGeoย and it is totally a must-see, must-visit, must-swim beach with your friends and evenย fambam!
People
During my stay of 4 Days in Zamboanga, Iย believe that most of theย locals can speakย and understand Tagalog and Englishย while it is mainly Chavacano, Bisaya, Tausug, and Yakan are their native tongue. It would be best to get a trusted tour guide along your way. And of course be always careful of your things, don’t be too flashy but still you can manage to stay cool as a tourist.
Going to Sta. Cruz Island
Our trip was arranged beforehand for it is advisable to book with City Tourism Office first because there areย limited number of person allowed to stay in the island in a day. Overnight stay is not allowed, only day tours.
Head over to Paseo Del Mar seaportย andย upon arrival, register at the log sheet, payย for the terminal fee, and the boat fee.
Before the passengers start to board the banca (boat), there is a short briefing about safety precautions and policies by PAMU(Protected Area Management Unit) of Zamboanga. Be reminded of such policiesย as “leave no trace”, “get nothing but pictures” and quite a few more to maintain the order and beauty of the island.
All passengers will be provided with life jackets and it is required to wear it. Also, notice anything on the bancas? It has no balancer so be careful inย boarding, it maybe shaky but it is rock steady when running. The ride is aboutย 20mins on a stable to mild sea current.
Stay at Sta. Cruz Island
There are a lot of trees around that you can stay underย its shade, lay your things and go ahead, take a dip! But make sure to keep an eye on your belongings while there are policemen in the area, be always responsible with your own belongings.
I literally died of colors and dreamed of riding at this boat in the water but there’s no one available to paddle for meย so I just managed riding like it’s in the water and of course, I took a lot of pictures on it.
Why Pink Sand Beach?
In the afternoon or if it’s a bit dimmer environment, you willย notice from afar that the sand is pinkish, for it is because of the presence of crushedย red organ-pipe coralsย washed ashore.
Expenses and Notes
Make sure you register ahead of time in your preferred schedule of visit because there is a maximum number of registrants per day of up to 400 only.
Terminal Fee: Php 5
Boat Fee: Php 1,000 (1-10 Person)
Note: You can wait and join on another boat, just give a fare share to a maximum of 10 person per boat.
Entrance Fee(Payable atย the Island): Php 13
Cottage Rentals:
Small(up to 6 person): Php 100
Large(up to 10 person): Php 200
Pavillion(up to 10-15 person): Php 500
For Reservations and Inquiries:
Contact No: 09272835684
UPDATE 04/12/2018:
Sta Cruz Island Reservations: 09777083194
iTravel Tourist Lane (Zamboanga Tourist Lane)
What to bring
- Packed Meals (lunch) or Snacks because there is no restaurant in the island although the locals may offer fresh crabsย and boil it for you.
- Drinking Water (In a water jugย or maybe water container with faucet)
- Sunblock
- Toiletries
- Brave heart with inner peace (bring it with you or possess itย when you’ve already stepped the island)
- Extra clothes (optional, so you can change after swimming, or go spontaneous)
- Dry bag (it’s recommended to waterproof your things)
- Pocket money
- Plastic for trash (Remember, leave no trace policy. So you’ll be bringing all your trash back to city)
