☆This is probably the only guide you find out there with details and options for a boat/floating cottage ride to Puting Buhangin/Sandbar/Little Boracay/Starfish Island in Calatagan, Batangas. To find out the directions, please scroll down.
Little Boracay ☆ Sandbar Driving Distance From Manila
If you visit or live in Manila, you probably want to see the best beach in the area.
There are SO MANY beaches to chose from. Determining the best one for you can be a challenge.
During the research on beautiful beaches near Manila last year, I have come across some pictures of a Sandbar somewhere in Batangas here and there. It seemed like a drive away from Manila, but I could not figure out where it was. I had no clue on how to even find this place since the photos of the sandbar were named with many different descriptions and nicknames. None of them lead me to the exact location.
Then one day in January this year, I saw this photo taken on Starfish Island by A Momma Abroad, an expat blogger in Manila. It provided a key piece of information that became a clue: Calatagan.
Puting Buhangin Calatagan ☆ Little Boracay
Fast forward 8 months, when we were staying at Matabungkay Beach Resort, I realized we were really close to Calatagan where the sandbar was located. As I researched, I was able to find Burot Beach, which looked really lovely. Unfortunately, though, I learned that it was closed to public.
When I zoomed into Burot Beach on Google Map, I saw “Puting Buhanging” right above Burot Beach with a photo icon. I clicked on the icon and bunch of photos of the sandbar named Puting Buhanging popped up! They were the photos I remember seeing a year ago.
Bingo!
If you would like to do your own research online on the sandbar/Starfish Island/Little Boracay/Puting Buhangin or whatever you call it, make sure you type in “PUTING BUHANGIN CALATAGAN” or “PUTING BUHANGIN CALATAGAN BATANGAS”. The direct translation of “Puting Buhangin” is “white sand”. If you just put “puting buhangin” you will pull up all sorts of white sand beaches that exist in the Philippines. You’ll be confused.
*Please note that Puting Buhangin Calatagan is different from “Burot Beach”, “Munting Buhangin” or “Puting Buhangin, Pagbilao, Quezon” that you would probably pull up in online search.
By now you might be wondering when you will find out how to get there in this post.
The directions to Puting Buhangin come after the photos. If you’re ready to learn about the options to get there, scroll down all the way now!! I hope this post will help you figure out the way to get there.
PHOTOS OF LITTLE BORACAY
☆MORE RECENT PHOTOS AVAILABLE☆
Starfish Island & Little Boracay Sandbar Calatagan
Updated in March 2021
If you have the time, please enjoy the gallery of photos of Puting Buhangin aka Little Boracay. It was the day when a big typhoon was passing above the Luzon island towards Taiwan, so it was a very rainy weekend. Fortunately, we didn’t get rained on, but if the sun was out, I am sure the sand and water would have looked even more amazing! Nevertheless, we had a fabulous time!
How To Get To Puting Buhangin ☆ Sandbar
There are several ways for you to get to Puting Buhangin. There are 2 parts to it.
PART 1: Manila To Calatagan
You might wonder where in Calatagan you need to go. That depends on which boat tour you will chose. Please see the options under Part 2 below.
We drove our own car to Calatagan Public Market by following Google Map. It was straight forward. Thank you, Google Map!
If you need to use public transportation, there are many websites and blogs that explain how to get to Calatagan by public transportation. Here are a few that I found.
The Poor Traveler
Little Boracay Calatagan
PART 2: A Boat Ride
I will provide several options where you can find a boat tour from Calatagan to Puting Buhanging Island. You will rent a floating cottage or balsa as locals call it.
Option 1. Calatagan Public Market
This is the one we chose. It seemed the easiest for us at the time.
I followed the direction I saw on Burot Beach Getaway website.
Basically the direction said
1. Go to the Calatagan Public Market.
2. Find a tricycle driver and ask about Puting Buhangin.
3. Pay 100 Pisos for a tour guide fee.
In short, you go to a person who knows another person who can take you to your destination.
So we did.
One tricycle driver let us follow him in our car and took us to a very narrow dirt road where only one car could pass at a time. In my head I started to think “holy crap, what did I get my family and myself into!?”
As you already know, it was all fine in the end. We were happy with the tour.
We arrived at a house with a sign that says “seaweed farm and resort”. The tricycle driver said that was it. One young guy who spoke pretty good English came out and said we could rent his family’s balsa/floating cottage. We parked our car in their yard. His mother came out and talked about the rules to go to Puting Buhangin: No trash to be left behind. Then we followed the young guy to the shore to get on the floating cottage. Photos taken at the boat dock and on the boat will be available later. Please scroll down to see them.
The ride was about 15 minutes. It was a calm and safe ride on the shallow water. The floating cottage had a flat fee of 3,500 Pisos. There was no time limit.
There are many tricycle drivers. You may or may not meet the same guy we met. You’re likely to be taken to a different company for the floating cottage and your experience may be different. My guess is that different tricycle drivers know different floating cottage companies. I assume that depending on who you ask, you will be taken to the place where those drivers get commission or have connection.
Option 2. Manuel Uy Beach Resort
According to the article on Calatagan Batangas Tour Guide by The Poor Traveler Blog, to go to the sandbar, “the cheapest jump off point is Manuel Uy Beach Resort, where you can join a group tour”. The pricing is very reasonable.
Manuel Uy Beach Resort is 15 minute further south from Calatagan Public Market by car. I am not sure where you can park your car or where you need to go to make a payment or find a floating cottage. The specifics were lacking online. However, if you could take a chance and not pressing on time, it may be a good option.
Manuel Uy Beach Resort Facebook
The Pinay Solo Backpacker Blog
Option 3. Kuya Rey’s Boat Rental
His Facebook page looks comprehensive and easy to follow. If you would like to book a floating cottage in advance to go to Puting Buhangin, he might be a good one to try. If you go to his Facebook page, there are many photos of his clients during the boat trip to the Starfish Island/Puting Buhangin. His number is listed on the Facebook page. I couldn’t tell where you need to go in order to meet him or use his service. You will have to call him and find out.
Kuya Rey’s Little Boracay Boat Rentals Facebook
Option 4. Stay At A Resort That Offers A Tour – RECOMMENDED
Some resorts in the area offer a boat tour to Little Boracay. If you stay there, you can book tours through your accommodation.
CRUSOE CABINS ☆ NEW! (Added on March 2021)
Crusoe Cabins A Beautiful Beach Resort in Calatagan
Crusoe Cabins was a fantastic resort. We all had a great time. It took us about 20 minutes on a boat to get to Sandbar and Starfish Island from Crusoe Cabins. Please visit the blog post to learn more abut the resort.
Ybonita Farm & Villas
I met a family on the island who were there with Ybonita Farm & Villas. Later it also dawn on me that Amber of A Momma Abroad wrote about Ybonita Farm & Villas in January 2019 and she did go to Starfish Island (it’s the same island as Puting Buhangin) through Ybonita Farm & Villa. You can read her blog post here.
Stilts Calatagan Beach Resorts
Stilts is probably the closest location to the sandbar. If you stay there, you can join their tours. You can find their rates here.
Other Recommendations
Last year we stayed at Amara Residences in Nasugbu, Batangas in October. Amara Residences is about 2 and a half hours south of Manila by car. We really enjoyed our stay at the hotel and playing at beaches in Punta Fuego (15-minute drive from Amara Residences) and Natipuan Cove (5-minute walk from Amara Residences). The Amara Residences Hotel came with the access to Punta Fuego Club, which is a gated community for the residences and hotel guests. I recommend both Amara Residences and Punta Fuego Club Hotel for nearby vacation destinations from Manila. For more information, please click on the hyperlinked words above.
Epilogue
Even though we live in the Philippines, the tropical paradise with gorgeous beaches, I find it very hard to figure out the economical way to visit beautiful beaches that seem to exist in the country. Maybe I need to find good tour packages that include flights, transportations and accommodation instead of trying to book flights and hotels myself.
Traveling within the Philippines is luxury for us. For a family of 5 to travel to an island beach resort in the Philippines, the cost can be equivalent to that of all 5 of us traveling to Bali in Indonesia or Puket in Thailand from Manila. Especially now that we need to seriously save up some money for our children’s college education, it’s a tough balance. I’m quite happy in Manila, but I hope to get out a bit more and see other islands during our time here.
Thanks to my husband’s cousin, John, who came to visit us all the way from the U.S. and gave us the opportunity to explore the area near Manila. He brought us to the wonderful adventure in the Philippines by visiting us!
RELATED POSTS
Starfish Island & Little Boracay Sandbar Calatagan
More photos taken at Starfish Island and Little Boracay Sandbar (Added on February 2021)
Crusoe Cabins A Beautiful Beach Resort in Calatagan
Crusoe Cabins: a comfortable lodging near Sandbar in Calatagan.
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