Cresta de Gallo

Cresta de Gallo is a curved sliver of white sand and low scrub lying in open water south of Sibuyan Island, uninhabited and almost unbuilt, its shape - a cockscomb, hence the name - visible in full only from the air or the approaching boat. The attraction is emptiness: a beach that runs the length of the island, water that shelves clear and turquoise, a shallow reef for snorkelling, and no shops, no power and no shade beyond what the scrub offers. Boats come from San Fernando on Sibuyan, an hour or more across water that gets rough easily, and trips are usually day visits with a packed lunch, though camping has been possible when the local government permits it. Access has been regulated at times to control visitor numbers and rubbish, so arrangements are made through the municipality or a boat operator. Sibuyan itself - called the Galapagos of Asia for its endemic species and unbroken forest - is the other half of the trip.

The landscape

• The sand spit - the island's curved white length.
• The shallows - clear turquoise water and reef edge.
• The emptiness - no buildings, no shade, no services.
• Sibuyan behind - the forested island the boats leave from.

When to go

March to May for the calmest crossing; the sea between Sibuyan and the islet is exposed and trips cancel readily. Day trips leave early and return by afternoon.

Practical notes

There is genuinely nothing there - bring water, food, shade and take all rubbish back. Boat hire is per group and the crossing can be rough. Check current access rules before planning.

Nearby

Sibuyan's Mount Guiting-Guiting and its forest trails; Romblon town lies across the water north.

Key facts