Bonbon Beach

Bonbon is Romblon island's postcard: a curve of fine white sand west of the town, backed by palms, and at low tide a sandbar that emerges from the water and runs several hundred metres out to the small islet of Bang-og, so that visitors walk across the sea with water on both sides. At high tide the bar disappears entirely and the beach reverts to ordinary swimming. Romblon province is best known for marble - the quarries and workshops in town cut and polish it, and the stone shows up in everything from church floors to souvenir mortars - and the island's compact size makes the beach an easy add to a day of town, marble shops, the Spanish-era Fort San Andres above the harbour and the lighthouse on the point. Ferries connect Romblon to Batangas, Mindoro and Panay, which makes the province a natural stop for anyone island-hopping between Luzon and the Visayas rather than a destination in itself.

What you actually see

• The sandbar walk - the low-tide crossing to Bang-og.
• The white curve - palm-backed beach west of town.
• Romblon town - marble workshops, fort and lighthouse.
• The tide swing - the bar appearing and vanishing.

When to go

November to May for calm seas; time the visit to low tide for the sandbar. Weekends bring local families; weekdays are quiet.

Honest expectations

Facilities are basic - a few cottages and stalls. The sandbar is a tide phenomenon, so mistimed visits see only a beach. Getting to Romblon means ferries, which weather affects.

Nearby

Romblon town's fort and marble shops, Tiamban Beach and the ferry links to Sibuyan and Carabao islands.