North Pandan Island is in the South China Sea which lies off the coast of Sablayan, Mindoro Occidental in the Philippines. The island features an unspoiled white sand beach and excellent dive sites, including the famous Apo Reef.

North Pandan Island offers a vast stretch of beach with pristine white sand, much like the more famous Boracay Island. The island has shallow, temperate waters and secluded lagoon which are good for swimming and snorkeling. Inland, the landscape consists of lush forest where some rock formations can be found, such as the Spanish Nose, a particularly strange rock that looks like a face with a prominent nose.

There are many excellent dive sites around the island and it is the home to the famous Apo Reef National Park. The park is the sanctuary to a variety of marine creatures. There are also interesting undersea caves and shipwrecks that may be explored by divers.

Diving at North Pandan Island

For divers, North Pandan Island is one of the best places to explore a diverse marine of eco-system.
•  With 40 km of corals, Apo Reef can take a couple of days to explore. Sharks may be sighted here also.
•  Another popular dive site is Coron. With hundreds of islets and Busuanga Reef, it can take 4-6 days to explore. There are some World War II wrecks in its waters.
Visibility is best at the dive sites from March to June, when the waters are relatively calm. Other popular activities on the island are snorkeling, sunset cruises and bird-watching. There are also facilities for other sports at the resort, including sea kayaking, table tennis, and volleyball.

Getting There

The island is accessible by boat from Sablayan, Mindoro. To get there from Manila, take a Batangas-bound bus. From the Batangas Pier, take a bus to Wawa Pier, then take a San Jose-bound bus which stops at Sablayan. The entire trip to the island from Manila takes about 11 hours.

Accommodations:

The island’s only resort, North Pandan Island Resort, provides rooms with their own bathrooms and some budget quarters with shared bathrooms. It has a bar which is lighted by solar power at night, but in the rest of the resort gas lamps are used. Filipino and French food are served.