Port Barton Things to Do

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Swimming wasn't advisable in the area when we went there because jellyfishes were just everywhere! So instead, we just checked out where they take care of baby sea turtles and just hang out at the beach with my son while my friends had their time spent at the bar/restaurant area by the beach.

And by the way, they charge an entrance fee of P50-/pax for those who are on day tour only.

Must see islands/resorts during island hopping:

- Coconut Garden Island Resort at Cacnipa Island
- Blue Cove Island Resort
- German Island
- Exotic Island

Snorkeling sites:
- Aquarium
- Twin Reef

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It was Charles' birthday so we decided to do something different, having already been island hopping, trekking through the jungle to find a waterfall and sunbathing, we thought we would go on a Mangrove trip! We were up early, although the boatman clearly hadn't set his alarm so was an hour late, but that was fine as it was nice to sit on the beach at 7am! The trip lasted about 2 hours in total and we were the only ones out there so the water was lovely and calm and the mangrove itself was eerily quiet save for the birds. We saw a couple of vipers sleeping in the trees and a beautiful Kingfisher as well as tiny tiny red crabs! There were mosquitos too and lots of little flying insects so make sure you have covered yourself from top to toe in repellent beforehand!

Some info for you on Mangroves:

A mangrove is a plant and mangal is a plant community and habitat where mangroves thrive. They are found in tropical and sub-tropical tidal areas, and as such have a high degree of salinity. Areas where mangals occur include estuaries and marine shorelines. Once established, roots of mangrove plants provide a habitat for oysters and help to impede water flow, thereby enhancing the deposition of sediment in areas where it is already occurring.

Mangroves protect the coast from erosion, surge storms (especially during hurricanes), and tsunamis. Their massive root system is efficient at dissipating wave energy. Likewise, they slow down tidal water enough that its sediment is deposited as the tide comes in and is not re-suspended when the tide leaves, except for fine particles. As a result, mangroves build their own environment.

Mangroves support unique ecosystems, especially on their intricate root systems. The mesh of mangrove roots produces a quiet marine region for many young organisms. In areas where roots are permanently submerged, they may host a wide variety of organisms, including algae, barnacles, oysters, sponges, and bryozoans, which all require a hard substratum for anchoring while they filter feed. Shrimps and mud lobsters use the muddy bottom as their home. Mangrove crabs improve the nutritional quality of the mangal muds for other bottom feeders by mulching the mangrove leaves.

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We were told it would be easy to find, that there were signposts along the way, "don't worry", they said, "lots of signposts!"...and yet, from the word go, we saw absolutely none! Did we go the wrong way? Most certainly! Were there many different paths to take? Absolutely! Yet every time we saw someone and asked the way, they all pointed us in the same direction! So how come we didn't find THE famous waterfall of Port Barton? I have no idea...sorry!

My best advice to you is hire a guy who will take you there!!! We thought after taking three 'wrong' turnings and finding no waterfalls that we would just turn back, but then we heard the trickling noise of a stream and that's where the last photo of the ones I have posted was. So I took a photo of the place you could find the waterfall, only to figure out when we got back that this was no where NEAR the same waterfall I had seen a photo of before our trek! Turns out Port Barton has several waterfalls...we just never made it to the big one!

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You don't come to Port Barton just to lie on the beach! You could do that anywhere! You come here to relax and take boat trips out to various islands nearby to enjoy the crystal clear waters they have to offer! Port Barton beach itself although quite nice is nothing very spectacular, so a trip out to the islands will be a huge treat to your eyes!

We only did one day of island hopping and went to three of them. The boatmen have certain trips you can choose from although they seemed perfectly happy to swap and change according to the places we wanted to see. We visited Exotic Island, Paradise Island and Double Island. Exotic Island was definitely our favourite and that's where the boys had a coconut opening competition. At Paradise Island the boatman suggested we each pay P50 as a contribution to the upkeep of the island. A family lived there and they gave us free coffee when we arrived! Double Island is being turned into a resort, so one day soon, this place is going to become a lot busier!

The cost of the day trip was P1000 for 1-2 people and P1200 for 3-4 people. We also gave the boatman a tip as he was really very good and had lots of stories to tell us.

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Port Barton is a protected area. As such, the marine life is abundant. The thrill of seeing tortoises and mantas that swim just a few feet away from the boat beneath the clear seawater adds to the enjoyment.

We saw 4 tortoises in a span of 1 hour just going around the bay. The corals are beautiful and plentiful. The water is very clear that you can see what's underneath several meters below.

You need a snorkel and diving mask or scuba gear to get really close. The best place to snorkel if you don't really swim well is a place where the water is shallow and where rocks and seaweed are aplenty. Such islands are found nearby. To rent a boat, you'll just have to ask either the pension house's staff or the locals.

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Port Barton has access to several different islands. Most of these islands have fine white sand. There's a particular beach that is about 20 feet from the next one that you can practically walk to and fro. some islands have rocks and weeds where fish and other creatures are found. Most islands are barely inhabited so you most likely have that island all to yourself.

To do this, you'll have to hire a boat.

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One of the best experience we had was fishing. The best time to do this according to my dad (who loves to fish and has been doing so for like 40 years) is during the 1st quarter and last quarter moon. We went fishing during a new moon but despite this, we caught about 2 kilos of fish. Would have been more though.

there are different species of fish that we caught. the most abundant was that of the lapu-lapu. First catch of the day? Mine!