Magallanes is a paradise yet to be discovered. That is why you can never have the easiest road to here. But definitely, going to Magallanes is a great adventure.

From Manila, you have to go to Legazpi by either bus or plane.

If you’ll be in plane, you need to be at Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA). You can choose either Cebu Pacific or Philippine Airlines to bring you to Legazpi. The trip will be around 45 minutes. The fare is around 2,000 pesos. You can get better deal if you book early.

Meanwhile, if you’ll be in a bus, you can find the buses to Legazpi in Ermita or Pasay. That will depend on what bus company you choose. Don’t worry because there are a lot of buses going to Legazpi from Manila. However, choosing the most convenient can be difficult. The most recommended buses are Cagsawa Tours and Penafrancia Tours.

The fare is around P 700 for the air conditioned bus. But you can be most comfortable with those asking for about P 1,000 since they have CR and better space. Ordinary buses, meaning not air conditioned, may ask 50% cheaper fare. However, your comfort and safety might be compromised. Just book your travel early so you can make sure to get the best bus you can with your budget.

Most buses from Manila stop in Tabaco City, Albay. But you can always get off in Legazpi City.

From Legazpi City, you need to go to Sorsogon City.

You can find trips to Sorsogon City at the Legazpi City terminal station in Tahao Road. You can take a tricycle from the Legazpi City domestic airport or you can take a jeep if you’ll ride a bus.

The tricycle fare ranges from 30 pesos to 50 pesos. Meanwhile, the minimum jeepney fare is 7.50 pesos. Make sure to ride the Tahao Road jeeps or any jeep that will pass the terminal. Just ask the driver if he’ll be passing the terminal and ask him to take you there.

When you’re already in the terminal, look for the Sorsogon buses or vans. The bus will take about 2-hour ride from Legazpi to Sorsogon City. But the fare is only about 40 pesos. Taking the van will be a shorter ride but the fare is about 60 pesos.

Get off the bus or van when you’re already in the Sorsogon City.

In the Sorsogon City, look for the Magallanes jeepney terminal. Make sure to ask at least three persons just to make sure you’ll be directed to the right place.

Before riding the jeep, make sure that it has a signage saying, “Magallanes.” That means that the destination is Magallanes.

You might need to wait for some minutes, about 20 minutes, before the jeep finally starts running.

The jeepney ride to Magallanes is about two hours. The fare is more or less 50 pesos. Just ask fellow passengers for the right fare because the fare depends on the gasoline price, which is very inconsistent.

The driver will just tell you if it’s already in Magallanes.

Look for a similar signage in this image.

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.