Dagmay Beach: Undiscovered Solitude in Northern Palawan, Philippines

Thinking of pristine beaches and great warm waters for swimming. Lots of sunshine to bask in. But, you don’t want large crowds, other tourists and the industry of travel that survives on these tourists. Well, in that case you should look at Dagmay beach, an off beat destination about 40 kilometers north of El Nido. A dirt bike or a 4x4 vehicle should be able to take you here over mountains and very bad roads and through remote villages, paddy fields and tropical forests.


Even the remote and insanely beautiful Duli beach is close by, but infrastructure is pretty limited here. There is only one place to stay here and then there are the houses of a few villagers. If you just want a good day trip, grab a dirt bike, fill it with lots of fuel and ride through the mountains to this beautiful stretch of yellow sand and spend the entire day here. If you wish to spend a longer time here, then you can stay overnight at the Verde Safari, a place run by an American who settled here a couple of years ago. They have rooms and tents for those who wish to spend nights here. They cook good food and have an adequately stocked kitchen. They have running water, electricity and some of the basic luxuries that are hard to come by in this part of the world.


According to me, this place is ideal to read a book, get a tan, laze around and be one with the nature. If you feel like doing more, you can go on a fishing trip or explore the hills nearby. Verde Safari also has a rock climbing wall for those who have that extra bit of adrenalin pumping in them. This is the place you want to be if you want some quality alone time. There is nobody to bother you here. To reach here from El Nido drive north towards Nacpan and Duli and then toward Dagmay. There are sign boards most of the way. The roads are bad and if you do get lost, ask the locals who are very helpful