Sarangani Province Beach & Island Hopping

Sarangani Province curves around the southern coast of Mindanao like a protective arm, its shores facing the Celebes Sea across Sarangani Bay — one of the richest fishing grounds in the Philippines and a designated protected seascape. While the province is most associated with Manny Pacquiao (who represented it in Congress), it has beaches that rival anything in Palawan for quality and far exceed it for solitude.

Gumasa Beach in Glan municipality is the province's centrepiece: a long arc of fine white sand with water so clear you can count the fish from the shoreline. The beach operates at a fraction of the capacity of tourist-heavy Philippine destinations — families set up in the shade of coconut trees with almost no one else in view, and the sea is calm enough for children. The guide knows which section of the beach has the best snorkelling access to the reef that runs parallel to the shore.

The boat portion of the day visits Tinoto Beach, a sandspit that appears and disappears with the tide, and the marine sanctuary zone where the reef fish density reflects the protection the area receives. It is a world away from the fish markets of General Santos — though the freshness of the grilled seafood lunch served at the beachside restaurant is a reminder of how close you are to the tuna capital. Sarangani is a province that rewards the traveler willing to go a little further than the standard Mindanao itinerary suggests.