TBK tries the beach no one can pronounce - TAGKAWAYAN

Tagkawayan is on the West Coast of Palawan and is one of my favourite beaches in the Island. So much so that Chester and I went there 4 days dunning the other week! It is run as a Community Tourism Project ( like the Buenavista View Deck near Palawan) which means that the locals from the area near the beach maintain it. They do a great job as the photos I took last week will show. Each time you go you will see something different - like this swing I discovered recently ( not sure it can take 122kg so there is no picture of me on it!)

Down the far end ( where there were a couple of events when I visited with lots of families, team games and food and drink for all) they have a row of coloured deck chairs lined up looking out to sea. At the very far end is a rock where I like to sit and take in the beauty of the place and listen to the waves crashing onto the beach. Chester loves to dig and cover himself with sand !

There are several volleyball nets on the soft sand and a surf school where you can rent boards and have lessons. There are often quite big waves at the far end and you can see the locals and visitors surfing . As a word of warning there are sometimes sand flies so you need to take your OFF lotion and there are signs warning of Strong currents as you arrive at the beach.

From Puerto it is an hours journey even though it is only 38 km away. You head up the Great Northern Road from Puerto and turn left as if you are going to Nagtoban. However after the first school and shops you turn left and follow the sign for Tagkawayan. Its a long and windy road with some steep hills and descents ( my neighbour Andy told me he had to engage first gear when he left the place as the road was so steep). However the road is very pretty with the mountains and forests in the distance and towards the end you get a lovely view of all the bays on that coast as you descend to Tagkawayan beach which stretches out in front of you invitingly. I usually leave home around 8 am , arrive at 9 am, walk to the left hand end of the beach which takes about an hour and then have a rest before walking back. We then drive back towards Puerto but stop at the Golden Hour cafe ( about 10 mins drive after you rejoin the highway) for our meryenda ( snack). By the time we get home around noon its time for lunch and our afternoon nap.

The staff there are charming and always give Chester and I a warm welcome and the Pink Lemonade and Blueberry Cheesecake are delicious. They also serve a litre bottle of chilled service water- and you can sit in the beautiful gardens and watch the world go by! It costs just 260 pesos ( but make sure you take change as they rarely have any.). The place is a popular stopping point between Puerto and El Nido and favoured by Bikers ( of the motorbike and bicycle type) .

If you are into such things there is a bar at the left hand end of the beach and its a popular stopping point for people travelling between Puerto and the North Pole!

Guess who I saw having a drink at the TGIF Beach bar!

Sadly there is no food available but you can rent a cottage ( as we did back in April for Chester's birthday and have a barbecue or take your own food.

This is the Vlog we filmed at Tagkawayan when we celebrated Chester's first birthday there in April 2023.

There is a Sari Sari store as you enter the site ( which advertises that it is open 24 hours a day!) and on one occasion I got a bottle of coke and some snacks there which Chester and I sat and ate by the river which joins the sea at that end of the beach. There is a park there where you can stay and play in the river etc and a glamping facility at the other end of the beach.

The sand is white and warm and the sea is clear and shallow. One day I saw some little fish swimming near the shore and I have seen people fishing in the sea. There are lots of crabs and some stray dogs and Chester always has a lot of fun. Unlike Nagtabon they keep the beach very clean and if there are not too many people there I let him off the lead and he loves running up and down the beach and into the sea.

For those who cannot bare to be disconnected from our virtual world two of the sites at Tagkawayan have Wi-Fi which you will need some coins to pay for !

As I mentioned the locals keep the place very clean and are constantly trying to improve City Beach ( about half way down the gravel track after the road ends) with Christmas Trees, Decorations, and a new Bamboo Fence and signage. They even have a Christmas tree made out of recycled bottles, and a variety of Christmas Decorations. There are toilets on site ( just as you park on the left- not very well signposted- the gents is on the left and the ladies on the right and the sign in Tagalog asks you to remove your sandals before entering. )