Hats Off to Sombrero Island

The heat is on. It’s summertime and everyone’s wishing to get to a colder place. But the destination that really top off the list every summer is the beach. Why not? A beach is a right venue to play, to have fun and to bond with your friends, loved ones and family. Yet aside from those, it’s also a great place to have new friends and build memories as they say.

When I joined a climb to Mt. Gulugod Baboy few weeks ago I was thrilled that a side trip to an island named as Sombrero Island is included in our day trip. Although my main reason in joining the tour is to experience climbing, getting to an island for a quick beach getaway really made me excited.

 So after we spent half of our day climbing Mt. Gulugod Baboy, we are bound to binge ourselves with a quick escape to a beach. Being in the area wherein there’s a lot of beach activities to choose from, it’s a perfect treat to pass off the weariness we had experienced during the climb.

Sombrero Island in Batangas

Sombrero Island is located at Mabini, Batangas. It can be reached by boat from the shore of Anilao for about 30 minutes. The island has been named as such because it resembles a hat underwater.  A small stretch of beach can be found on this island. It has a pearly white sand with clean and clear water.

 Hence, this island becomes a favorite side trip among those who climb  the nearby mountains.

Boat rental getting to the island costs around PHP 2,500.00 which can fit for about 10 persons. Entrance fee to the island also needs to be paid upon arrival which costs PHP 150.00 per person.

It was already 1:00 PM when we finally boarded our boat going to the island. Everyone’s excited to kick off the summer; feel the sun and get into the beach.

The sun was on its peak when we arrived at the island. We settled in one of the shaded area; had a quick rest first before getting out and get sun-kissed.

There are also cottages available for rent if you wish to either have your lunch here or have a comfortable rest area. There’s a restroom too.

The island is just really a small one. The small stretch of the beach can be walked for 2 to 3 minutes or maybe less. The sand is white but not that fine. It has some small rocks that might hurt a bare foot when you walk through the shore.

It is said that Gorgonians, black coral shells, turtles, rays, grunts, jacks, snappers, and a great variety of soft corals are abundant on this island. From the boulder where I positioned myself, I can see the clear abundance of corals without even diving into the water or go for a snorkel. This only shows that Anilao is really rich in underwater which is perfect for a diving activity.

Some took a nap, some started to shoot and some went for a stroll, that’s the beach life.

Since we were just staying here for a couple of hours, I then took out my camera and started to explore the small island. I was joined by the photoholics CM, Dolor and Leah.

Both sides of the island are rocky, perfect for photo shoots and for these ladies that couldn’t help but had their poses in every step they had as we went for an island exploration.

Certainly, what really makes a beach getaway more fun is capturing the moments with your buddies through pictures. Unli pose?

These people are really camera addicts. But obviously, this made us all closer – through picture taking. Goofing around and making fun with all those pictures.

When most of the group were in the water already when we went back to our are having a swim; obviously having fun, we got envy and hurriedly joined them. I brought my underwater camera which made the photoholics more excited.