Panagsama Beach Moalboal: Everything You Need To Know. Cebu Philippines 2024
Moalboal is the adventure seekers paradise boasting a handful of the world’s best in-nature activities, from Canyoneering at Kawasan Falls, Scuba Diving, Free Diving and so much more. Panagsama Beach Moalboal is a must visit, best known for the Sardine Run - a famous gathering of millions of sardines that form a huge bait ball near the surface just 10m from the shore. But this is not the only thing you can do! There’s so much more to explore here, read on and start planning your trip.
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About Panagsama Beach
You may hear the locals calling the beach ‘Basdiot’ which means small sand. The beach isn’t the prettiest and is mainly rocky however that's not the reason to visit Panagsama, if you’re looking for a sandy beach try white beach up the road.
We recommend wearing water shoes when visiting, as the entrance to the water can be quite rocky and sharp. At high tide, the sea comes in leaving basically no beach but this will be the best time to snorkel.
Basidot Panagsama Beach vs Basdaku White Beach Moalboal
If you’re looking for a calm relaxing day on the beach then White Beach is far better for its white sand, blue water and good swimming. However, for the adventure lovers, Panagsama holds some of the best snorkelling in the world, millions of sardines, turtles and a variety of other fish & coral. The name Panagsama ‘Beach’ is slightly misleading, as there is not much of a shoreline but the beauty lies under the water.
Where Is Panagsama Beach Moalboal?
You can find the Panagsama Beach on the island of Cebu nestled in the town of Moalboal which is south-west of the island. Roughly a 2-3 hour drive from Cebu City or a 1 hour drive from Oslob. The best snorkelling place is located at the end of Panagsama road, near the dive schools, beach bars and restaurants.
How To Get To Panagsama Beach Moalboal?
Moalboal is easy to get to from Cebu City, you take a bus from the south terminal which leaves every 30 minutes (you can book here) and the journey will take roughly 2-3 hours. Alternatively a private taxi from Cebu City would be faster however is the more expensive option, we recommend the aircon bus as a middle ground and will cost you £2.86 each.
You can also book a day trip to Moalboal from the city but this will cost you due to same day transfer, food, guides etc. The rate for 1 person can be around £80-£120 for the trip but the more people that go the cheaper the rate becomes. In our opinion you need more than one day here in Moalboal to truly experience it, plus it’s a great area to stay in.
When you’re in Moalboal the beach is located at the end of Panagsama road. You can easily catch a tricycle if your hostel is further away or if you're near the sea you can walk to the front. The beach isn’t the most beautiful but you can find diving schools along the front and some have seating and a cafe looking out into the sea. We can recommend Junedive school as this is where we rented flippers for the day.
What To Do At Panagsama beach?
Snorkelling
The snorkelling here is some of the best in the Philippines, you can see healthy coral reefs, turtles and of course Sardines. We stayed in Moalboal for three nights and went snorkelling on all three days.
Restaurants at Panagsama Beach
Along the front you will find a variety of restaurants serving both Filipino food and western dishes. Remember you will pay more for a sea view or western food so consider this in your budget.
We can recommend Gia's Seascape Restobar bar for Filipino food we had a great chicken adobo here but if you’re looking for something more western the Greek on the main road is great, however it will set you back a fair few pesos.
There are also lots of cafes inside dive schools that often serve coffee right on the shore front. If you rent flippers or a mask these are a great place to spend your time because as we’ve mentioned, the beach isn’t the prettiest…. or comfiest.
There’s lots of diving to be done here. You can do you open water PADI course for £375, this is a great price and one of the best locations to learn with the thousands of fish.
Alternatively if you already know how to dive there are lots of tours for you to join. We recommend looking here: Savedra House Reef Dive Site. We have also heard Talisay Point is a great place to dive.
Underwater Mermaid Statue
Near the edge of Basdiot you can find the Mermaid Statue submerged underwater. If you are into freediving the mermaid statue is located around 6m below the surface. Bring along your underwater camera to snap a cool photo!
Sunsets at Panagsama Moalboal
The other popular thing to do here is checking out the sunset in the evening, everyone gathers on the beach and watches the sun lower over the mountains of the neighbouring island. So far Philippines has been the best country in the world we've been to for sunsets, the sky lights up golden & fiery red every night due to the surrounding islands. Good music playing in the bars, grab a drink with a friend and have a magical evening.
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Best Places To Stay In Moalboal
Moalboal has lots of accommodation to choose from, whether you’re looking for a dive school, a luxury resort or a budget hostel you’ll be able to find somewhere. We recommend staying close to Panagsama Beach or on Panagsama Road, this is where most of the restaurants are located as well as easy access to most of the island's attractions.
We use Booking.com and HostelWorld for all of our stays around the world!
Below is a list of top accommodations we recommend for Moalboal, Cebu:
Top Things To Do In Moalboal
We stayed 4 nights in Moalboal, this is enough time to visit the famous Kawasan Falls, see the Sardine Run and explore the coast. If you would like to head down to the South of Cebu to visit the islands waterfalls we would recommend staying a little longer. Here’s our highlights.
Top Pick: Kawasan Canyoneering
Jump from 10m and swim through a jungle canyon to the famous Kawasan Falls with its turquoise blue waters. Try and get an early spot to avoid the crowds.
Best Beach: Panagsama Beach
Although not a white sandy beach you can experience the sardine run, one of the only places in the world where you can snorkel with so many fish off-shore, plus you can see turtles!
Other Things To Do On Cebu
Essential Travel Items You Need
 | Lifestraw - Filtered Water Bottle Allowing you to fill up water whenever and wherever with peace of mind plus you’re helping the environment! |
 | Jungle Formula - High Deet Mosquito Spray The weak sprays will not work! Make sure to bring a high deet percentage spray made for the tropics. We also use Mosquito Wipes. |
 | Water Shoes - Lightweight with Protection Stay protected from Sea Urchins with these, also useful for snorkelling, waterfall hikes and more. We also love our Microfibre Towels and Dry Bag. |
 | Universal Travel Adaptor With Multiple USBs Life while travelling will never be the same again! Charge multiple devices all at once in any country... game changer. |
Top Tips For Travelling The Philippines
If you’re visiting the Philippines here are our top travel tips:
Book flights in advance - they can become expensive if you leave it last minute… oh and check your luggage allowance to skip expensive check in fees at the airport. Don't forget your Apple Airtags to track your bags
Bring a Lifestraw - allowing you to fill up water whenever and wherever with peace of mind plus you’re helping the environment! We also love our Water Shoes, Microfibre Towels & Eye Mask for travel days
Bring Mosquito Repellent with a high Deet percentage
Embrace the chaos and get stuck in the locals are friendly and love to help and share information about their home!
For a checklist of what's needed to pack for your trip, read: How to Pack for Backpacking to South East Asia: Backpacking Essentials and Accessories
We love our DJI Mini for all of our drone shots!
Final Thoughts On Panagsama Beach
Although this beach may not be the most beautiful it offers some of the best snorkelling and therefore is a must! You can spend the day here marvelling at the sea creatures soaking up the sun and enjoying some yummy food on the front...what's not to like?
Travel Tools To Help You Plan
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Thank you for reading and enjoy your Philippine adventure. Reach out to us over on Instagram @KateandMikesTravels. We always love to hear from people who read our blogs!
For our Filipino friends: Maraming salamat sa pag babasa, hangang sa susunod nating pag kikita, mamimiss namin kayo, mabuhay ang pilipinas! Salamat
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