Riding the waves in the Philippines

Details

Category: What To Do

Published on Saturday, 21 January 2012 07:33

Although surfers have been enjoying Philippine waves since the 1960s, surfing as a sport has begun to increase in popularity only relatively recently. With over 7000 islands making up the archipelago, and a coastline over twice the length of the United States, the Philippines’ geography presents surfers with lots of choices.

Basically, there are two main areas: the east coast, on the side of the Pacific Ocean, or the west coast, bordered by the West Philippine Sea. Between these two, visitors will find a wealth of great surfing options of varying difficulty.

In general, the east coast offers more consistent waves, especially during the northeast monsoon season between November and April. The west coast, though it has somewhat more fickle surfing conditions, can still deliver an excellent experience, especially in the southwestern region off the island of Palawan. What’s more, waves are rarely crowded, accommodation is easy to arrange, and most local residents can speak and understand English. When you couple these great surfing breaks with the Philippines’ famous white sand beaches, what you get is an unforgettable vacation experience.

• < Prev
• Next >