Visiting Maniwaya Island Marinduque | Holy Week Summer Escapade Series

The Province of Marinduque is synonymous to the celebration of the Filipino Holy Week because of the Moriones Festival. But aside from this, the province shelters some islands and islets that hold some beautiful white sand beaches and Maniwaya Island is one of them.

Maniwaya is actually an island barangay just less than an hour boat ride from the mainland Municipality of Sta. Cruz. The white sand and cool water of the island is most sought after by the locals and some guests to ease the scorching heat especially during summer.

A week before the celebration of the Lenten season, our team decided to chill and beat the summer heat in Palo Maria, a resort in Maniwaya Island.

For our convenience, we rented a private motored-boat in Balogo, Sta. Cruz for only  Php 2500.00.

First Impression

To be honest, the beach of Maniwaya is a little above mediocre beach destination compared with other marvelous beaches I’d have seen in the different parts of the Philippines. My rating? 7/10!

Though Maniwaya looks common  (in my own opinion), it deserves commendation for being so clean with course to fine sugary white coral sand  and clear turquoise water that can actually rival the overcrowded and overrated beach resorts of Batangas. (To which I will 100% choose the beaches of Marinduque over Batangas)

--Every place of destination is beautiful, 

it just need a good representation.--

The beach of Maniwaya Island

To where we stayed, Palo Maria Resort, the electricity is only provided for a few hours at night and shall be off after dawn.  We had our lunch and dinner grilled just at the back of the nipa cottages. 

The only thing I didn’t like was that they have no sink, light and water by the grilling station or at least a kitchen where you can prepare your food. Worst, you have to fetch your water beside the shower area which I felt psychologically unsanitized, but who cares we were hungry!

With this, the owner allowed their guests to use their dirty kitchen including their gas stoves, frying pan, and other kitchen utensils for cooking with a minimal user fee of Php50. But I felt it should be free! And if in case you failed to bring some ingredients or food, the owner has a little store that sells some basic necessities from canned goods, noodles, soap and shampoo, cooking oil, softdrinks, etc. But I warned you that goods’ prices were way above the Milky Way.

--Life is FREE! Take it or someone will!--

Type of accommodation in Maniwaya Island in Palo Maria

When it comes to accommodation, they have nipa-type cottages and rooms. For 9 pax, we rented a single room for Php 1500.00, where we placed our valuables for safety. Then we put up our personal tent where we spent the night. You can also rent their tents for Php 300.00 each.

Other than Palo Maria Resort there are also other beach resorts you can choose from once your boat docked in Maniwaya Island.

We Love the Beach and So Does the Carabao!

The moon shone full bright that night that we decided to lay down on the therapeutic sand of Maniwaya. We were having the best of our night counting the stars of the clear and cloudless sky until a solo wandering young carabao appeared on our feet, hitting or playing on the cool water of the beach. Initial reaction? Yes we FREAKED OUT, shouting over our lungs thinking it was a monster transformed into an animal. But after a few minutes, we realized that this water buffalo was just like us, trying to chill and beating the heat of the night. Wow that carabao got class!

Seems like our friends had the best summer escapade in Maniwaya Island. (L-R) Oghee, Malou, Ruth and Cynthia

How to Get to Maniwaya Island?

From Manila (Buendia or Kamuning Cubao), there are buses (JAM or JAC) that would take you directly to Lucena, Quezon, the fare was roughly P200.00-Php250.00. If the bus did not proceed to Dalahican Port, you can ride a tricycle (Php30.00/pax) to the pier.

There are two major shipping lines that can take you to Balanacan, Marinduque, one is Montenegro and the other one is Starhorse, the fare is just Php 260.00 plus a terminal fee of Php 30.00. Ferry schedule bound for Balanacan is almost every three hours that starts at 12 midnight and the last trip at 4:00pm

At Balanacan Port, jeepneys and vans wait for passengers bound for Sta. Cruz, fare was Php 80.00. Reaching the town proper of Sta. Cruz, there are tricycles bound for Buyabod that are located just in front of the DepEd building, fare was Php 15.00 each. Motorized boat at Buyabod Port leaves for Maniwaya Island at 10:00am, fare was Php 70.00. The boat from Maniwaya Island returns the next day to Buyabod Port at 7:00am.

What's NEW???

You can also check the newest accommodation on the other side of Maniwaya Island, the Marikit-Na Beach Resort. The whole house can accommodate at most 30-40 persons.

Contact Ron Montes for details at +63927.8789.782 or +63921.9785.565

Marikit-na Beach Resort is the newest and grandest accommodation that you can find in Maniwaya Island, Marinduque. 

(P.S.Our sincerest thanks to Ms. Ali Manalo and family especially to Nanay Meding for cleaning our everyday mess in their humble home in Balogo, Sta.Cruz. We are grateful for your hospitality .)

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