Panagsama Beach
Panagsama Beach
4.2
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Most Recent: Reviews ordered by most recent publish date in descending order.
Detailed Reviews: Reviews ordered by recency and descriptiveness of user-identified themes such as wait time, length of visit, general tips, and location information.
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4.2
69 reviews
Excellent
35
Very good
23
Average
5
Poor
3
Terrible
3
Eloise Q
Buckingham, UK14 contributions
May 2024 • Couples
We had an amazing time seeing the Sardines run and turtles at Panagsama beach! We paid £7 per person for a private tour with the company 'Friends Adventure in Panagsama' and it was soooo worth it! The price included a guide, life jackets, snorkelling equipment and safe locker storage for our bags. Our guide was absolutely brilliant! He took a float for us to hold on to while we looked down and snorkelled with the sardines, turtles and other fish. He also took our underwater camera and got some amazing photos and videos for us. I honestly can't recommend this enough- having a guide made this experience so much better for us! You can find them in one of the stores right by the beach or email/ Whatsapp them - 09051404162. friendsadventureinpanagsama@gmail.com
Written May 11, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
ddcool
Vancouver201 contributions
Dec 2024 • Friends
You do not need a guide at all here. We just rented gear (full face masks are available) and waded on in. Unfortunately we didn’t have water shoes and is extremely slippery getting in from the rocks on the shore. I wiped out and one of the locals told me there were a lot of broken bones caused by falls. Luckily I bounce well. We saw the sardines and about 4 sea turtles. Amazing. Not so amazing all the people, constant stream of guides diving down to take videos of their clients. Feet hitting you in the head. Flotation devices bumping into you. I would hate to be there in the high season. We also saw a blue starfish and 2 clown fish in their anemone. Morning is the busiest with tour groups. We also went later in the afternoon and there were less people but the water was much rougher.
Written December 13, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
nohassle1956
gulf shores386 contributions
Apr 2024 • Family
Nice beach. Although there is no sandy beach. The resorts are on a low cliff. Home to the famous sardine run. Home to a good number of turtles. The reef drop off is about 150 off shore. Nice place to snorkel or dive. The cliff is lined with resorts, restaurants, dive shops, stores etc. Nice place to spend a couple of days.
Written April 12, 2024
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Kozi Tsen
Tbilisi, Georgia8 contributions
Jan 2023 • Couples
5-6 years ago, it was not as crowded as now. Today, alot of people live almost directly to the path where tourists come and go. You can also see alot of trash by the side of the road, with noisy motorcycles passing by you while walking in the main street which is by the way very narrow if u drive a car. Over-priced snorkel gears rental, tours for island hopping costs 3,000 per boat which you have no option to join other groups. So if u are travelling solo, good luck!
When u arrive to the beach, there is actually no sand but a stretch of sharp dead corals. You must have your water shoes. Alot of plastic things floating on the waters, I even picked up a few. I hope their local government don't just sit around doing nothing. This place needs protection to be able to sustain the ecosystem under the sea!
By the way, from Cebu City, ride the bus Bato via Barili and get off at Gaisano Moalboal. From there, you can ride a tricycle for 50 pesos per person per way to Panagsama beach. Don't be fooled when they say that you will wait a very long time if you don't "pakyaw" ( exclusively paying for the tricycle). They will ask for double price sometimes triple!!!
When u arrive to the beach, there is actually no sand but a stretch of sharp dead corals. You must have your water shoes. Alot of plastic things floating on the waters, I even picked up a few. I hope their local government don't just sit around doing nothing. This place needs protection to be able to sustain the ecosystem under the sea!
By the way, from Cebu City, ride the bus Bato via Barili and get off at Gaisano Moalboal. From there, you can ride a tricycle for 50 pesos per person per way to Panagsama beach. Don't be fooled when they say that you will wait a very long time if you don't "pakyaw" ( exclusively paying for the tricycle). They will ask for double price sometimes triple!!!
Written January 1, 2023
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Faithalicious_x
London, UK740 contributions
Jan 2020
As others have mentioned, it’s not really a beach - rather a patch of sand by the water. It’s somewhere where you can cool off in the Moalboal heat. You can however go out into the water and see the sardines, and if you’re lucky a few turtles. The coral is pretty much bleached though. If you see a turtle then it’s definitely worth it!
We found that the area between Chili Bar and Veranda Kitchen was a good spot for the underwater activity if you swim out about 20m until the cliff edge underwater - this is where the sardines hang out. Life jackets can be hired for 100 pesos, as can snorkel/masks.
We saw a good amount of sardines at 4pm or so and then saw two large green turtles at the shore at around 5pm.
We found that the area between Chili Bar and Veranda Kitchen was a good spot for the underwater activity if you swim out about 20m until the cliff edge underwater - this is where the sardines hang out. Life jackets can be hired for 100 pesos, as can snorkel/masks.
We saw a good amount of sardines at 4pm or so and then saw two large green turtles at the shore at around 5pm.
Written February 10, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Jens
Sydney, Australia7 contributions
May 2022 • Friends
I truly love Panagsama because everything from diving to yummy restaurants and bars is just a stone’s throw away from your accommodation. It is a great base to see and experience other attractions too like magnificent waterfalls, whale sharks and mountain treks with jaw dropping scenery. When you’re there drop into Genevieve’s Garden Bar on Panagsama Road and ask for Genevieve Yburan. She provides very reasonably priced accommodation and guided tours too.I was there in April/May 2022 and I couldn’t believe the transformation from my last pre-Covid visit in 2020. Panagsama Road now has so many new, and very tastefully done, bars and restaurants.
Written June 18, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Mark
5 contributions
Jan 2020
Tourism can ruin places that are not prepared for it and this is one place. It is an aggressive, dirty and unfriendly place with hundreds of young spitting Filipinos hawking. Dirty and trashy streets where they seem to drive at you when you walk. It is the least friendly place I have traveled in the Philippines. It is swarming with young westerners and I can't imagine why they are here or why I am here. Since I arrived everyone shouts as I walk offering overpriced scooters and cyclos and other "things" and in the meantime I am blasted all around by small scooters with broken exhausts to make them sound like big bikes driving at top speed and tooting to get out their way and blasting music everywhere. Some restaurants are good others truly awful and western prices. I can't wait to leave.
Written February 8, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Fr B
Cagliari, Sardegna, Italy70 contributions
Jan 2020
We went to moalboal pretty much to spot turtles and we did so by the first 10 minutes in the water. It's pretty funny to me that locals are offering you a boat to spot turtles when in reality you can simply walk in the water for 20 meters to see them.
they do that for asian tourists that dont know how to to swim but in reality you dont really need much swimming at all. the beach itself it's nothing special, moalboal little center it's pretty dirty but who cares about that when you can swim with amazing turtles literally next to you. Stay here for 1-2 nights only and move elsewhere after it.
they do that for asian tourists that dont know how to to swim but in reality you dont really need much swimming at all. the beach itself it's nothing special, moalboal little center it's pretty dirty but who cares about that when you can swim with amazing turtles literally next to you. Stay here for 1-2 nights only and move elsewhere after it.
Written January 25, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
Edi R
1 contribution
Jun 2022
we went to moalboal to snorkel and see turtles, and that's exactly what we got. even though panagsama isn't the most beautiful beach, it tops everything with the school of sardines and the many turtles. with a little luck you might even see a whale shark.
Written June 19, 2022
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
高展斯
Shenzhen, China45 contributions
Jan 2020
The sardine run here is the real show-stopper, and I'd go back just for that. We also saw a fair number of turtles. The beach itself is nothing special and mostly stones rather than soft sand. This is a place for snorkelling and diving.
Written February 15, 2020
This review is the subjective opinion of a Tripadvisor member and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
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