That's the overview of the Parola Beach from the lighthouse.
Parola is a Filipino term for lighthouse. Locals call this island “Parola” because of a lighthouse on top of it. But that lighthouse is not the only reason why the island is extraordinary. What makes it very interesting for travelers is its beautiful and unspoiled beach.
The lighthouse's view from the island's seasore. It's so teeny-weeny from here.
That's a closer look of the lighthouse. We're still in the boat when this was taken.
The Beach
Have you ever wished you have the courage to swim deeper into an ocean so you can see the beautiful world under the sea? Forget about daydreaming because the Parola Beach will make that dream a reality. You can do that even if you don’t have the courage to swim deeper into the sea. Besides, you don’t really have to do that.
This is how the beach looks like when you walk on the seashore.
Parola Beach can show you the world under the sea without the effort! Just have your goggles. Soak your head in the water and poof! The world under the sea will say “Hi” to you. That’s complete with the colorful and mysterious corals and fishes of different sizes, kinds, and colors.
Even kids who are about 2 feet tall can already have a good view of what’s under the sea. This is actually my most favorite part of the Parola Beach. It can be your favorite part too.
Sorry. I don't have an underwater camera. Hope to have soon. But this can give you an idea of what type of sand the under the sea has.
Another lovely site you’ll surely enjoy in the beach is the “floating” coral reef. I only tried once to step on that seemingly floating corals but that was so many years ago.
You might find some small fishes, sticking shells, crawling crabs, and other sea creatures playing on this floating coral reef. But be careful walking on here. It might hurt your feet so bad if you don’t have slippers on.
The sand here is also fantastic. I don’t actually call it “sand” because it is not made of fine grains that I usually see in many beaches of Sorsogon. You might think you’ll step on white fine sand seeing the island afar. But you are wrong. The “sand” of Parola Beach is like a collection of old shells, stones, and small corrals spread over to give you a good place for shell picking.
I find the sand very interesting but walking on bare feet can hurt too. Better have your slippers on when walking on the seashore. You can remove your slippers when you’re already enjoying the sea water because the sand in here is finer and good to the feet.
Where to Stay While at the Beach?
Unfortunately, you cannot find any cottages in the Parola Beach. We usually bring our own umbrella and picnic blanket when we visit here.
The locals here once built a small cottage made of coconut tree here. But it was destroyed by some typhoons. As far as I know, there is no plan to develop this place as a tourist spot. So don’t expect to find some good cottages here when you visit.
This is the floating coral's view from the seashore. Low tide.
The view of the floating corals during high tide.
This is the floating coral during low tide
Comfort rooms and shower rooms are not available also. I only see one family living in the island. Maybe you can use their CR or shower room in case of urgent nature calls.
Meanwhile, showering after the beach attack can be useless. You might get wet of the sea water again when you need to get back to your place, anyway.
Just have your shower at your staying place.
Speaking of staying place in Magallanes, I still do not know if there is a hotel or anything you can stay in the Proper. We stay at our aunt’s house when we go there. I’ll just update this blog if there are some hotels here.
Entrance Fee or Any Expenses?
Do you believe that the best things in life are free? I do believe that and the Parola Island and its beach are clear examples. Just look how lovely this island is, especially the beach. You can swim all you want without any cost.
But getting here will surely cost some small amount.
Just showing what the sand looks like.
How to Get There
Never expect to get any commercial boats for rent in Magallanes because you will not find any.
We were just lucky enough that my uncle, who is a fisherman, is living in one of Magallanes’s areas. They own a motor boat too. We just took care of the gasoline and my cousin took us there.
You can ask a local fisherman to take you to Parola Beach. Don’t worry because people here are hospitable and courteous. Just make sure to offer him a reasonable amount for their services.
Boats that can take you here look like this one.
Overall, Parola Beach is a great target place for adventurous travelers. Getting there is not that easy but once you’re there, you can surely say that all your efforts were already paid good enough.
I’ll be featuring the real “Parola” or the lighthouse in my next blog post.
I’ll also post a guide on how to get to Magallanes, Sorsogon.
It’s good that you took effort to write and share pictures about Parola Beach. I’m from Siuton but I have not been in this hidden and wonderful beach. As seen in the picture, its really worth-visiting.
Where is Suiton, is it in Magallanes, Sorsogon also? I’m not a native of that place but I love its islands and islets. Actually, I’m planning to write more about it but I can’t find the time to do it. At least, I already have some posts about Magallanes. Thanks for the comment!