Nestled in the sparkling waters of the Pacific Ocean, a two hour boat journey from the mainland, are a group of islands whose white sand beaches beckon the traveler. These are the Calaguas Islands in Camarines Norte province. Daet, the capital of the province is your starting point to get to the islands. From there you go to the fish port at Vinzons where you can catch a boat as your last step to reach the islands.

The main island in the group is called Mahabang Buhangin (in English -Long Beach). This beach is covered with some of the whitest, finest sand that you will find anywhere in the world.

Long Beach and the other islands in the Calaguas Islands are not covered in fancy resorts. In fact, there are none. The accommodations consist of native style bamboo huts and tents. Many visitors to this backpacker’s paradise eschew even these and decide to spend the nights under the twinkling tropical stars.

Nightlife in the Calaguas Islands consists mainly of sitting around the campfire on the beach admiring the fireflies that light up the night and chatting to other campers.

Some of the activities available are swimming, snorkeling, trekking, mountain climbing and bird and butterfly watching.

The Calaguas Islands in Camarines Norte are a remote and beautiful backpacker’s paradise that are hard to reach but well worth the effort.

Photo from: skyscrapercity.com