Some people believe we tend to forget that maybe what we’re looking for is just right around the corner. But there are times that what you’re seeking is not in your own backyard. Sometimes, you need to go far and cross oceans and mountains to reach a piece of paradise. 📍Gumasa Beach
🇵🇭GUMASA BEACHES ADVENTURE PRIMER🇵🇭
✈️🛳🚌 How to get to the beaches of Gumasa, Sarangani Province:
⏺ Take a plane from Metro Manila to General Santos City (e.g. Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific).
⏺ Hail a cab that will take you to KCC Mall which serves as the terminal of vans bound for the town of Glan (travel time: 30 – 45 minutes).
⏺ Ride the commuter van and alight at the terminal in Glan.
⏺ Charter a tricycle that will take you to the beaches of Barangay Gumasa.
🏄🏝🚴 Sites to Explore/Activities:
Isla Jardin del Mar Resort
Gumasa Beach
Taban Beach / Pacquiao Beach
I first set foot in the municipality of Glan in July 2016. Visiting Gumasa Beach was included in my solo backpacking itinerary. The moment I got off the van at Bulaong Terminal from Lake Sebu, I immediately hired a tricycle to take me to KCC Mall where the terminal of vans going to Glan is located. 📍Gumasa BeachIt was not yet noontime but the temperature felt as if it’s already 12:00 PM. The van ride took roughly an hour before reaching the terminal in Glan. I had my brunch first at one of the eateries before hiring a tricycle that would take me here at Gumasa.The funny thing is, I only stayed for a few minutes at Coco Beach Resort. This is one of the most popular resorts in Barangay Gumasa facing Sarangani Bay. The reception area was asking me ₱100 (roughly $2) as entrance fee but I told them that I wouldn’t stay that long so they let me inside the resort for free. I noticed two kids swimming but aside from us, the shoreline was virtually devoid of tourists. I was actually surprised that a beautiful beach like this exists in this side of Mindanao. After all, SOCCSKSARGEN has always been known for its mountains and waterfalls. After taking a couple of shots, I signaled to my tricycle driver that it was time to go. I needed to be back in Davao City for my trip to Compostela Valley and Agusan del Sur the next day.By June 2018, I decided to go back to Glan with my high school friends. We were just right in time for sunrise when our plane landed at General Santos Airport. 📍Gumasa BeachBack when I was still researching for our itinerary, I was actually torn whether we should hike to Sanchez Peak or just chill out at the beaches of Glan. But because we didn’t get a decent amount of sleep since our flight was scheduled by dawn, we might not have enough energy to climb. Besides, we would have to carry our heavy backpacks of our belongings good for this one week of backpacking trip. So I decided to choose beachineering instead. 📍Taban Beach / Pacquiao BeachUpon arriving in General Santos, we hired a cab from the airport which took us directly to KCC Mall. It was almost the onset of rainy season but thank the gods we were given fair weather when we arrived in Glan. 📍Gumasa BeachWe had our breakfast first at the terminal before negotiating with one of the parked tricycles to take us to our destinations in this municipality. 📍Taban Beach / Pacquiao BeachWe traversed the steep road going to our first stop that day. This resort called Isla Jardin del Mar is located a few kilometers away from the famous Gumasa Beach.We parked near the reception area and I opened my backpack to change my outfit but to my dismay, I found out that my some of my clothes inside were slightly wet. My friends’ clothes were wet too. The cargo handlers at the airport who were assigned with check-in baggage must have laid our bags on wet freight vehicles. It must have been raining that morning, I reckoned. It was a good thing that I was able to put on the backpack’s rain cover. At least most of my stuff were still dry.We noticed some nimbus clouds which began looming over the horizon. A couple of minutes passed and the nice sunny ambience turned extremely windy. The place was not crowded with tourists but our photos didn’t look promising due to this sudden change in the weather.My attention was caught by this lake in front of the beach cottages of Isla Jardin. We walked across from the shore to see this lagoon up close.Okay, so this is a lagoon but this is not your usual type of saltwater lagoon with enticing turquoise water perfect for a dip. However, the view is still picturesque though. We took some shots then hurriedly boarded our tricycle and proceeded to Gumasa Beach.
⏰⏳ SAMPLE DAY TOUR ITINERARY:
6:00 AM ETA General Santos Airport
6:30 AM ETD for KCC Mall
7:30 AM ETD for Glan
9:00 AM ETA Glan
9:30 AM ETD for Isla Jardin del Mar
11:00 AM Gumasa Beach
3:00 PM Taban Beach/Pacquiao Beach
4:30 PM Head back to town proper
5:00 PM ETD for General Santos
💰💶 ESTIMATED BUDGET (for a solo traveler): Php 1,300 – 1,500 (exclusive of airfare)
***Expenses may vary depending on personal consumption of food and other necessities. If traveling alone, you will solely shoulder the tricycle tour rates.
We were so glad that the passing clouds didn’t rain on us and ruin our pictorial. The clouds finally cleared up the moment we reached one of the resorts here at Barangay Gumasa.Our tricycle driver made us choose from the resorts dotting Gumasa’s coastline. They all share the same shore anyway so it wouldn’t make a difference.We parked outside the reception area of Coco Beach Resort then paid the entrance fee before heading to the beach.I beamed a smile as I felt a familiar feeling the instance I stepped on the fine white sand of this beach. It’s been almost two years. Nothing has changed. Gumasa Beach is still the same piece of heaven I visited back then.Compared to what this place looked like during my first visit, the coastline of Gumasa Beach was cleaner back then. That’s because the tide was low this time so pieces of clutter were visible carried by the waves which made the shore murky. But the beach was still beautiful nevertheless.What makes Gumasa Beach stand out among other beaches I have been to is the quality of its sand. It’s so fine that it feels as if you’re standing on concrete flooring. You wouldn’t have a hard time running on the sand. Its turquoise water is also to die for.We captured some shots first using our cameras before my friend started setting up his drone.It felt so good to back. At least this time, I was not alone and we got all the time in the world.The three of us were the only people playing along Gumasa’s coast. It actually didn’t surprise me. After all, the town of Glan is probably one of the most underrated tourist attractions in the country.I was thinking whether I should take a swim but I couldn’t afford to waste a change of clothes because it was just our first day and we would be exploring Mindanao for eight days. We just concluded our visit at Gumasa Beach with a few more drone shots before leaving this resort.
📜✏️ Tips/Reminders:
📌All the beaches mentioned above are located in Barangay Gumasa. They share the same shoreline facing Sarangani Bay. You can use Google Maps to guide you in knowing the beaches’ distance from each other.
📌Some of the famous resorts along Gumasa Beach are Coco Beach Resort, Rosal Beach Resort and White Haven Beach Resort.
📌Expect rain during monsoon season (June-February).
A few hundred meters away from Gumasa Beach, I chanced upon a beach which is connected to Coco Beach Resort (I got my Google Maps open as our guide). We decided to stop by a small store along the road where we bought some snacks. We asked the vendors if we could enter the beach area behind the store. We paid the entrance fee and they opened the wooden gate for us.This view from the small store will welcome you. We asked the owners of the store for the name of the place. “Pacquiao Beach,” they said. They seem to be the caretakers of this beach. Curious, we probed whether this is owned by Manny Pacquiao but they’ve got no idea. I double-checked Google Maps and it registers “Taban Beach” as its name.This side of Glan is also facing Sarangani Bay since Taban Beach shares the same coastline with Gumasa. The two beaches also have the same quality of sand. Taban Beach though was filled with garbage and seaweeds as this place is not yet developed compared to the beachfront of Coco Beach and its neighboring resorts which is relatively clean and maintained by the resorts’ staff.We would have wanted to explore more and walk farther but it was almost lunch time. I was looking forward to having a decent meal in General Santos. I just couldn’t feel satiated with the chips and biscuits we bought from the store. So we bid goodbye to the caretakers and traveled back to GenSan where we took a bus to Davao City since we would be exploring the city of Samal the next day.
***For other destinations in SOCCSKSARGEN, you may visit this link.
