Bonbon beach: Romblon’s hidden paradise

Posted on June 1, 2019 | Julie J. |

Last Updated on September 25, 2023

If you’re looking to enjoy picture-perfect, deserted beaches away from tourists, then Romblon is the right island for you. The beaches here are amazing, the people are super friendly, and best of all, you can easily end up being the only one on the beach. One of the island’s most famous beaches is Bonbon beach where the sand is white and the water crystal clear.

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Table of Contents hide

Bonbon Beach – Paradise on earth

What to bring to Bonbon Beach

Other beaches in Romblon

Other things to do in Romblon

Where to stay in Romblon:

How to get to Romblon and Bonbon Beach:

Bonbon Beach – Paradise on earth

I had arrived in Romblon the night before and couldn’t wait to get to Bonbon Beach. I left my hotel early, headed for the main road and caught a tricycle. I got dropped off directly in front of the beach’s parking a lot, and to my surprise didn’t get over-charged by the driver.
The parking lot was empty, only a few students were there, cleaning the area. Once I crossed the parking lot, I arrived at a nice beach, clean and also empty. I couldn’t believe no one was there. I walked for about 500 meters to reach the iconic Bonbon Beach.
On the way there, along the shore, there’s nothing, no buildings, no houses, no boats… only the beach, with the sea on one side and a forest on the other.

You’ll know you’ve found Bonbon Beach once you see the sand bar leading to Bang-og Island, an uninhabited island. The sand bar appears at low tide, early in the morning. I was there at 10 am, and it was already gone (it also depends on the phase of the moon). If you don’t have electronics, you can walk then swim to the island. Be careful not to get stuck there, the water can rise pretty fast. The current on the right side of the sand bar is strong, so don’t swim on this side.
Bonbon Beach is one of my favorite beaches in the Philippines. It’s rare to find a deserted beach that’s cleaned regularly. There wasn’t one piece of trash. The beach is gorgeous, the sand white and thin and the water crystal clear.

What to bring to Bonbon Beach

You should pack some snacks and sufficient water as once you’re there, you won’t find any shop.
If you want to cross the sandbar, a dry bag can come in handy.
Don’t forget to pack reef-safe sunscreen. You can easily find shaded areas on the beach, but when you swim or are on your way to Bonbon beach, the sun can be strong.
A plastic bag to put your trash in. The closest trash bin is back at the parking lot.
There’s no reef nearby but if you have snorkeling gear, bring it along, the water is so clear, the visibility is excellent. You might spot some colorful fishes swimming around.

Other beaches in Romblon

Next to Bonbon Beach is Margie’s Beach and then Tiamban Beach, my favorite, you can easily cross the rocks that separate them at low tide (morning) it gets more complicated in the afternoon. Bring snacks and water because there is truly nothing on these beaches except one or two houses.

A little bit farther south is Talipasak Beach, mostly owned by San Pedro Resort, you’ll have to pay a small entrance fee if you want to enjoy this beach, but on the other hand, you’ll have access to a restaurant, a bar, and sunbeds.

Each of the beaches mentioned above is accessible by public transportation.

On the east coast, you’ll find Lamao Beach, with a resort and restaurant of the same name (800 pesos for a fan room), you’ll have to charter a tricycle to get there or walk a bit from the main road.

If you’re a group, it could be nice to hire a boat for the day and just go around the beaches and to some of the deserted islands nearby like Cobrador Island.

Other things to do in Romblon

Romblon is also famous for its marble, if you want you can arrange a visit to one of the marble factories. Romblon Town is worth a visit, check out the market, the cathedral, and the old houses.

You can also take a hike in Fort San Andres and enjoy the nice view from up there. The fort was built in the 17th century by the Spanish. You can climb to the roof and watch the sunset from there. The climb to the top is not hard, but there’s a lot of stairs.

If you have rented a scooter, you can drive to the Agpanabat Turtle Sanctuary and snorkel there, The visibility is amazing, and there’s a lot of beautiful corals. To find the sanctuary, look for a place called Raggae Vibes, south of the island. You can rent snorkeling gear there.

Where to stay in Romblon:

Many resorts are scattered along the coast ranging from 800 to 3000 pesos a night; they usually fit 4. Be careful, some of them don’t have a restaurant, and are pretty far away from one.

The closest hotel to Bonbon Beach is Bon2beach Guesthouse.

I stayed two nights in Dream Paradise Mountain Resort (800 pesos for a fan room), in the middle of the rice fields, only 10 minutes walking from the main road where you can catch a tricycle to go to the beach (20 pesos to Bon Bon Beach).

View from my hotel room Romblon Island Dream Paradise — View from my hotel room in Dream Paradise

For travelers on a budget, a good option is to stay in Romblon Town, the city is worth visiting, you’ll have a lot of cheap options for food, and you can easily take a tricycle to reach the beaches (they don’t cheat you on the price, so it’s really cheap). Cheapest hotels are not on the internet so you might better check when you get there, just ask around. I stayed one night in Marble Room for 300 pesos.

If you like diving, Three P Resort offers accommodation and macro diving, book ahead for the diving, they get easily booked up. You can also check out Romblon Fun divers and Inn.

If you want to treat yourself check out Tinaoog Beach Resort, an eco-friendly resort with its own private beach and located in a super quiet and private area.

Be careful not to get mixed up between Romblon Province (Tablas, Romblon, and Sibuyan Islands) and Romblon Island (locals would say Romblon, Romblon to designate the island

How to get to Romblon and Bonbon Beach:

Boats depart daily from San Agustin in Tablas, the first one is at 6 am (ferry boat) and the last one at 1 pm. The ferry continues to Sibuyan.

You can also arrive from Batangas (Manila).

To get to Bonbon Beach, you can walk from town (3 km) or take a shared tricycle from anywhere on the main road. You can also rent a motorbike in town for around US10 a day, make sure to ask for a helmet.

The neighboring island, Sibuyan, is also worth a stop. Famous for its lush fauna and flora, Sibuyan is perfect if you love nature.

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