FROM a copper mining town, Sipalay City is now transformed into a beach haven where locals and tourists drive south from the provincial capital of Bacolod to have a feel of the beautiful beaches and floating isles of this city.
One of the great activities, when you visit this southern belle, is to do some island hopping and enjoy the view of the rugged terrain of the land from the sea.
Punta Ballo Beach
The Punta Ballo Beach is a stretch of white sand lined up by a number of resorts. One of these resorts is the Artistic Diving Resort, which gives a beautiful view of the sea from the hillside. Just below the elevated villa bungalows is the restaurant, offering Filipino and international cuisines. Right near the beachfront is the swimming pool with a bar. And like most resorts in Sipalay, they arrange for island hopping and boating services. They also have diving courses for beginners and certified divers.
Poblacion Beach
Just within a distance from the city center is the Poblacion Beach. This is the closest and most accessible. Close to the beach is the Jamont Hotel, which has value-for-money accommodations and great amenities. Its restaurant, La Veranda, opens to a pool and the beach front. More than that, the hotel offers guests direct flights on their private aircraft that flies from and to El Nido, Caticlan, and Dumaguete.
Campomanes Bay
Before you head to Campomanes Bay, make a short stop at the tiny Maasin Island just at the southern mouth of the bay. The island has a cave where you can just walk through from one side of the island to the other side then snorkel around it. There are also many snorkeling and swimming areas in the bay. One of those is Eva’s Point where many corals and fishes abound. There are sunken warships that can be explored in the area by diving. Another resort to visit in this area is the Bugana Beach and Dive Resort. It’s an elegant resort that has provides a bit of privacy and opens up to a beachfront.
Sugar Beach
Another stretch of beach in Sipalay is Sugar Beach or Langub Beach, which is also filled with rows of beachfront resorts. The only way to get there, however, is by boat - that degree of difficulty somehow keeps the beach not as crowded as the popular beaches in the country. The northern part of the beach has rock formations that seemed to have a scene straight out of a painting.
Tinagong Dagat
One of the poster images of Sipalay City is the Tinagong Dagat, which is a great area for boating and island hopping. The hills seem to be floating above the sea, which is a beautiful sight. Then beneath those seas are even beautiful corals and marine life.
Now, you have to head over to the south to see for yourself why Sipalay City is named the Jewel of the Sugar Island.
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All photos are by this author. Claire Marie Algarme blogs at http://firsttimetravels.com. Follow her as @firsttimetravel on Twitter and Instagram and like her Facebook page First-time Travels blog.