Paliton Beach

Paliton is a short crescent of white sand backed by coconut palms on the western shore of Siquijor, and its main claim is geography: it faces west across the Bohol Sea toward Negros and Apo Island, so the sun goes down over open water and the beach fills for that hour and empties again afterward. The rest of the day it is one of the quieter beaches on the island - clear shallow water, good snorkelling at the rocky southern end where a small drop-off starts, palms for shade, and none of the resort development that has taken the rest of the San Juan coast. A small chapel stands on the rise above the sand. It gets called Siquijor's Little Boracay, which oversells it: the sand is fine and white but the beach is a few hundred metres long, and there is nothing built on it beyond a couple of vendors selling drinks in the afternoon.

What you actually see

• The palm crescent - white sand under coconuts.
• The sunset line - open water west toward Negros.
• The rocky south end - snorkelling where the reef drops.
• The chapel - the small building on the rise above.

When to go

December to May for calm, clear water. Late afternoon for the sunset crowd; mornings for having it nearly to yourself.

Honest expectations

It is small, and the Little Boracay tag oversells it. Facilities are minimal - no restaurants on the sand, few toilets. Sunset hour brings vehicles and a crowd to a narrow parking area.

Nearby

San Juan's resort strip and the Old Enchanted Balete Tree are close; Cambugahay Falls is on the southern loop.