Malapascua Island

Malapascua Island

The name Malapascua means 'Bad Christmas' in Cebuano. Legend has it that it was so named because the Spanish first landed here one stormy Christmas Day in the 1500's. There is some debate about the name because although 'mal' definitely means 'bad,' 'pasco' means Christmas in the local language of Cebuano but 'pascua' in Spanish means Easter. So perhaps it was a stormy Easter after all. Today, Malapascua remains a beautiful, sleepy island, as yet unspoiled by tourism, with white sandy beaches, lush green palm trees and surrounded by clear blue waters.

There are no cars on the island and most buildings are only one floor high. The locals are friendly and like to say hello and chat. They may even invite you to their homes for dinner, or at least to sit down, join them singing songs and playing guitar, and toast each other with a rum and coke. Malapascua Island also called "Logon" is located 8 kilometers northeast of Cebu and 25 kilometers west of Leyte. It’s a beautiful island with magnificent, white beaches. This island is often compared to Boracay and still unspoiled by mass tourism. It's a paradise where time stands still, leaving you breathless as soon as you step onto this "Pacific

Island Dream". The exceptional long white beach is stretching out around the south-east coast of the island facing Cebu, Leyte and Biliran with its volcanic landscape. The other side of the island has a more panoramic rocky coastline and is an attractive alternative for the ever popular white beach. We stay in under Swiss management the Cocobana Beach Resort which is directly located on the beautiful, white beach. Here you have the possibility to follow a diving course (price is not included). In the resort you can rent dive and snorkel equipment and it's also possible to book a dive course.

You can experience a test dive. After the briefing you can make your first dive in shallow water. A new world opens before your eyes. You see a world with thousands of colorful tropical fishes and untouched coral reefs. Remark: People above 45 years of age need a doctor’s test confirming that their physical state is not a concern for diving. Malapascua Island has a big variety of landscape. All over the islands are sand roads that bring you over the hills to idyllic fishing- villages, deserted bays, mountains, forest with coconut trees, but most of all to serene, white beaches. These beaches are some of the most beautiful in the Philippines. 

With the help of our local guide we take a walk around the island. You can stroll over the sandy pads and experience how friendly the local population is and how they live. We make a visit to the light tower and enjoy the view over the Visaya Sea and the island.We take a walk over the many sand roads on the island. Relaxing on one of the white beaches or playing some beach volleyball without any cars on the island life is really relaxing which makes a is real holiday. We enjoy the beautiful sunsets with there breathtaking colors. After dinner we take a night walk over the beach and have some drinks in the local nightlife.