Every time I stand before a beautiful beach, its waves seem to whisper to me: If you choose the simple things and find joy in nature’s simple treasures, life and living need not be so hard. – Psyche Roxas-Mendoza

Are you yearning for a nippy beach getaway this summer? If you are living or working in the metro, the most common and nearest escape is usually White Beach of Puerto Galera. But, what if you don’t fancy large, noisy crowd and night life? And you just want a quiet, relaxing place where you can have a much needed dose of your vitamin SEA.

Well, there is this not so familiar piece of beach in Puerto Galera that is quite different from the usual Galera vibe called Talipanan Beach. It is the opposite of White Beach and Sabang Beach since it is hushed, fewer resorts, visitors and vendors. A much cleaner beach area (though a smaller stretch) with pebbled sand, Talipanan is a better place to loosen up a weary body and mind.

Talipanan Beach is also the home of the famous Luca Italian Restaurant. Prior to coming to Talipanan, Ive read a lot of positive remarks about this restaurant’s food. They specialize on Italian cuisines. Their pizza is such a gastronomic feast. At first, I thought it was really pricey however, after having a taste, I was pretty sure it was all worth the price.

Luca Cucina Italiana & Lodge – 09164175125; http://www.lucaphilippines.com

How To Get to Talipanan Beach:

Ride an air-conditioned bus going to Batangas Port. Bus terminals bound for Batangas Port can be found along Buendia, Cubao and Kamuning. Travel time is less than 2 hours sans the traffic.

Once in Batangas Port, proceed to Terminal 3 and find the ticket booth of the boat of your choice. There are 3 boats going to Puerto Galera:

• Galerian Shipping Lines. They have a direct stopover to Talipanan Beach but they first drop passengers in White Beach, followed by Tamaraw beach, and its last stop is the Talipanan Beach. Travel duration is 1.5 – 2 hours since it is not a straight trip.
• Minolo Shipping Lines. Ride the boat bound to Muelle. From there, they provide their passengers free shuttle ride going to Talipanan Beach. Travel duration is 45-60 minutes by boat and 20 minutes by van.
• Father & Son Shipping Line. They are bound to White Beach. From there, ride a tricycle going to Talipanan Beach. Sometimes, the boat passes through Sabang first. Travel duration is 1.5 – 2 hours by boat and 45 – 60 minutes by tricycle.

Where To Stay in Talipanan:

Amami Beach Resort: 09082068534 Bamboo House: 0917-5620992 El Canonero Beach Resort: 0906-4878397

Luca’s Cucina Italiana & Lodge: 09164175125 Mengie’s  White Sand Beach Resort: 0920-4032173 Mountain Beach Resort: 0917-5620842