Entalula Island is the best beach island in the Bacuit Bay group of islands in El Nido, Palawan. It is a small, secluded area with limestone cliffs protecting the beach.
It is a private island owned by El Nido Resorts, but a small portion of the beach can be publicly accessed by island-hopping tourists from El Nido town.
The beach has sugar-fine, white sand that could very well match Boracay’s famous sand. I'm glad they decided not to build a resort on the island to maintain its pristine charm.
The best part of the Entalula Island experience is that you can request the resort to arrange lunch or dinner there for you. That way, you get to enjoy the beach privately and you can savor the time spent with your group or just your special someone.
Balesin is a forgotten island. This used to be a popular beach escape during the Marcos era. All developments stopped at one point in time and the island became less accessible. There were only two ways to get there: via a 4-hour boat ride or a cost-prohibitive charter flight.
The Balesin resort was not well-maintained and the food needed a lot of improvement. Soon, the island resort was forced to cease operations. With its halted development, the beauty of its beaches became the centerpiece again.
Balesin’s beach is safe for kids because it slopes gradually. I was actually able to visit the place before it closed down. I remember hopping from one secluded beach cove to another on foot. It was very relaxing -- all I did was lie down on the beach and enjoy nature’s splendor.
