Anyone who visits Bantayan Island would definitely agree and be left in awe of its stunning beaches and unending stretch of super clean white shore, be it on the public beaches, more so the exclusive ones, but even the shore behind those limestone rocks, everything is just so perfectly clean and fine. It's spotless!
At first, it made me ask myself how everything especially the beaches on this island is so clean and flawless. Are the beaches of this island naturally clean (weeds-free) or are the people and the Local Government Units helping each other hand-in-hand in cleaning and maintaining this piece of paradise? I found out the latter when we went out very early in the morning to watch the beautiful sunrise on the island. So with this initiative of the LGU plus the island's natural beauty, one could expect to see only the clean and shining beautiful shore of the island.
But in today's travel blog, I'm sharing the piece of paradise of the Island which we found interesting and intriguing - the Old Wharf of Baigad and the contrasting beauty of its adjacent beaches.
Baigad Old Wharf, Bantayan Island.
On our road trip to the island, since it was a Holiday, we observed that people are occupying almost all the beaches that we passed by except for this one particular beach of the quiet Old Wharf of Baigad.
There is nothing much that we could learn from Mr. Google about the Old Wharf, only that our Provincial Governor once ordered the demolition of this Wharf for the reason that a portion of it was built within the easement zone of the Barangay. Source This happened just early this year.
The abandoned structure from afar, the beautiful shore, the refreshing views of the coconut trees lining the shore, and the silence of the whole place were what made us want to check this spot.
The Wharf.
Once we got near, we could see clearly the broken structure with no roofs on it and the two huge signs of "No Trespassing". The first half of the concrete road going to the wharf was broken into pieces to stop anyone from coming and using the place.
Looking at it I was imagining how lively the Wharf had used to be. With the fishermen's daily docking on the port, the loading and unloading of island-hopping passengers (maybe), and the vendors waiting for the fresh catch. This one must be a very busy wharf way back then.
And since we could not get near the wharf, we stroll around the place which lead us to discover the unique and contrasting natural beauty of Baigad. Here's why and how.😉
Flawless, private, and exclusive Beach on the left side of the Wharf.
While facing the wharf, I could see in the corner of my eye the seemingly never-ending beautiful sight of the clean and white shoreline.
The wide and even shoreline,
We joyfully took our stroll as my baby keep running here and there. Aside from the pristine shoreline, the Palm trees along the seashore were gracefully dancing along the wind. We head going to the trees to take some shelter against the heat of the sun, but we found out that beneath these trees are the exclusive houses and resorts of the wealthy people of the island!
I took a sneak peek at one of the resorts, and my jaw dropped at how clean and fine the ground sand is! It was spotless! And as much as we want to take the shade off the trees, we couldn't, unless we want to get caught. Other coconut trees are surrounded or covered with nets which serve as a fence of the resort so outsiders couldn't trespass. Ahhh, How I wish to own one of these in the future.
Oops! No trespassing!
On our stroll, we also saw some locals cleaning the shore. I wonder if they are privately hired by the owners of those houses and resorts or were hired by the Local Government Units. Mhmm. What do you think?
Now it's time to see the other side of the beach.
The Beach of the Fishermen.
In contrast to the beautiful beach in front of the private resorts and houses, the other side of Old Wharf's Beach is evidently the life of the locals.
Unlike the clean and flawless shoreline on the other side and most beaches of the island, this beach part of Baigad is almost covered with the Brown seaweeds brought by waves. At first glance, the whole shore looks brown because of the scattered rocks and weeds. It's dirty and messy to be exact.
Despite its appearance, I saw the real island life, the life of the fishermen. This side of the beach is full of docked fishing boats which vary in their color, style, and size.
We also saw floating cottages made of bamboo of which I don't know what they are for. But for sure this is the other way for the locals in earning money. I tried to look around and search for some locals that I could talk to (I so love talking to locals during travel) yet I found none.
Owning the Beach.
We stayed on the beach for a while and enjoyed walking, running, and playing with our little one. Since no one was around, no other tourists were enjoying this part of the island which made it feel like we owned this whole paradise!
We had so much fun and would love to visit again this Old Wharf in our future travel on the island.
📍If you are also like us who love peaceful and serene beaches away from the crowds, and yet with a little history on the side, you might consider visiting the Old Wharf of Baigad, Bantayan Island. Here's how to get there:
📍From the tourism center of the island, Sta. Fe, ride a motorbike going to Barangay Baigad (travel time is 5 to 6 minutes only), you can ask the locals about the Old Wharf or you can simply navigate Waze. Landmark: Baigad Old Wharf.
Reminder:
Bring your own food and water.
Put your shades and hats on.
Leave no trace.
That's it for our visit to the interesting beauty and life of the Old Wharf of Baigad. Thank you so much for reading. Hope you enjoyed it. I wish you all safe and well always.
Don't forget to smile often!🤗😊😍
