I’ve been craving for camping by the beach for a while. You pitch your own tent, sleep near the shore and feel the sea breeze — experience the bond with mother nature at its finest. Usually, beach campers choose public beaches as it’s the most feasible and affordable option. After browsing some candidates, we decided to go to a small cove in Nasugbu, Batangas where Calayo beach is located.
It’s a 2 and a half hour of drive from Batangas city, with more than average speed. The pavement was smooth, perfect for road tripping. It’s just very winding after you reach the cove areas of Nasugbu where famous luxurious resorts were located. Some to name a few are: Canyon cove, Kawayan cove, Terrazas de Punta Fuego, Hamilo Coast, Club Punta Fuego and many more. There were so many areas to explore, but we’ll leave that for our future trips for now.
Arriving at Calayo Beach
After passing by and resisting the temptations of some upscale resorts, our google maps app finally navigated us to a road going to Calayo beach area. You will be welcomed by barangay officers collecting environmental fees. They also offered a guide for free, and I insist you ask for one if you’ll be going for the first time.
We first knocked on Calayo Beach Resort’s doors but failed as the whole place was reserved for a company outing. Now, that’s one reason why you should book in advance. But it was okay for me as there were plenty other resorts that we can go to, plus they’re closer to the beach. By the way, the resort has a nice ambience, some cool nipa huts and a swimming pool.
Our tour guide accompanied us to the public resort. The camping around the area is approx P300 but if you’ll avail a room, then it’s free. The airconditioned rooms are around P2500 to P5000 on summer season. They have rest rooms outside so tent pitchers won’t have problems using one.
Impressions
If you’re used on private resort staycations, then you might be disappointed at first. The area is a fishing village turned into a beach resort. You’ll be passing by simple houses and small sari-sari stores. At the beach, there were small boats parked at the shore. But don’t worry as the beach has a long stretch of coarse-to-fine, brownish-white sandy areas.
The shore was generally clean on the time of our visit. Kudos to the barangay, that’s environmental fee taken into good use. The water was not turquoise as the light won’t reflect on a brownish sand off the shore. But if you’ll look closely, the water was clean and clear.
Take a dip and you’ll feel the softness of the sand beneath the water. There were no rocks, sea urchins and sea weeds. Now, that invigorating feeling compensates for the absence of turquoise color. It’s fun and safe to swim as the sea floor’s depth has a gradual slope. Life guards can also be spotted watching.
After pitching our tent and flying our drone, we witnessed the marvelous sunset. It’s beauty was amplified by the cove feature of the beach.
Loren Island / Pulo Island
Yes, Loren Island as in Sen. Loren Legarda’s island. It is also called Pulo or Pulo-pulo island by the locals. Early in the morning, I was capturing the beauty of the beach in the early golden hour as a boatman invited me to avail a boat tour going to Loren island. I was aware prior that there’s an island that can be visited from Calayo beach. But the budget was quite holding me back. From P1500 boat rental, I haggled and it went down to P1000 for two persons. If you’ll be travelling in group, P1500-boat can carry up to 15 passengers.
The boat ride to the islet took 30 minutes from Calayo beach. The travel was smooth because of the cove feature of the shore. Few meters away, we can see plenty of people already in the island. It was a long weekend after-all, the flock of visitors were expected.
Surprisingly, there’s a white sand area enclosed in a cave-like formation. It looked amazing together with the crystal clear, turquoise water. But we were dumbfounded by the large number of tourists that day. We can barely move in that portion and needed to transfer to a nearby shore which also features white sand beach, but with the presence of rocks and pebbles.
Flying at Loren Island
Looking afar, we settled down in an area where less rocks were present and abundant in shade. It is then we flew our drone and examined the island. Amazed, we saw a short sand bar in the islet. It looks cool but swimming at the sides of the sandbar would be unpleasant with the presence of sharp rocks.
It was fun but with the presence of large crowds, we were not that satisfied. Plenty of trashes left by other tourists can be seen. It’s sad that we didn’t see anybody cleaning knowing that there’s a P25/pax entrance fee to the island. So make sure to visit here, on Loren island, weekdays or off-peak season.
Commuting to Calayo
It’s relatively easy. Ride a bus to Nasugbu, Batangas. You can spot them at Buendia or Cubao where buses to and from Batangas can be found. There’s JAM, DLTB, Ceres, RRCG and ALPS. At the town of Nasugbu, ride a tricycle at around P200. Remember to get the number of the driver so he can fetch you back to town.
By car:
We just followed google maps but once we reached calayo, we turned right immediately instead of circling around due to a broken bridge. You can have an ocular first for you to decide, but the beach is still connected.
Tips & infos:
- Bring your own tent.
- There are lots of sari-sari store nearby. You can buy alcoholic drinks, hotdogs, tocinos around.
- Ice is scarce so buy along the way.
- Ask the barangay personnels at the gate to assist you.
- The rocks at Loren island are slippery, be careful.
- Sand’s color is whitish-brown, when wet, it’s dark brown.
2023 Update
Please visit our group for agents catering Calayo beaches. Don’t forget to check for legitimacy as 2023 summer is fast approaching and scammers are taking advantage of the season. Anyway, you can still book onsite but there are few slots specially on weekends.
Some of the most popular beaches in Batangas include:
- Anilao – known for its diving spots and underwater biodiversity.
- Matabungkay – a popular destination for swimming, boating, and picnics.
- Laiya – a long stretch of white sandy beach that is perfect for swimming and sunbathing.
- Calatagan – a beach town that is known for its clear waters and white sand beaches.
- Nasugbu – a beach town that is popular for its swimming and snorkeling spots. This is where Calayo beach is located.
These beaches offer a variety of activities such as swimming, sunbathing, diving, and snorkeling. They are also popular among tourists because of their beautiful scenery and peaceful atmosphere. Please check our other posts for reviews.
