Port Barton, Palawan, Philippines
Rather than travel to the popular tourist destination of El Nido we took a chance via reccommendation. It certainly paid off. Though the town of Port Barton is a way off the beaten path and doesn't boast the same level of night life or as many activities as El Nido it is definitely worth the visit. We felt as if we had found a hidden gem after arriving by the ferry from San Vincente. We smiled ear to ear stepping off the boat onto the sandy shore of Port Barton beach. The stretch of beach boasts white sands and runs just over a kilometer. The beach is very quiet and is dotted with the occasional sun worshipper and boats for tours and fishing. The sandy shore also doesn't stop at the water's edge. It goes on and on. While Sarah ran the beach several times in the morning I would swim out in the calm bay almost 500 meters. The depth was almost three meters at that distance and still sandy on the bottom. The town itself is extremely small and easy to stroll through in less than an hour. While buying one our daily staples (mangoes - more on this in a later post) we found real chicarones - not the fake ones usually found in grocery and convenient store in the States. They did not disappoint. The town itself is home to quite a few ex-pats who have chosen a life in paradise. A couple we met at Mangrove Resort relocated to Port Barton from France and decided to open a store. Many excellent restaurants surround the beachfront and line the streets of the town. You can choose anything from local Filipino fare to pizza to some of the best French food we've had on this side of the globe. We now spend our time counting the days till we can return to Port Barton.