Coco Beach Island Resort: The Best of Puerto Galera

The end of summer is just around the corner. Rain showers and dark clouds start hovering the country, signaling another wet season for everyone. But just in case you are thinking of one-last-summer hurrah which won’t break the bank and just a few hours away from the metro, I’m highly suggesting that you go and visit the serene and lovely place of Coco Beach Island Resort at the other side of Puerto Galera.

Located at the north-western tip of Mindoro Island, Coco Beach offers a breathtaking view of Batangas Bay with a serenity of a real private island and an accommodation fit for a king. With its wide selection of rooms and amenities that families, group of friends, couples or even solo travelers could enjoy, Coco Beach also offers some astonishing activities that one or all could enjoy while staying at this heavenly side of the island.

Booking a room 

When my friend and I decided to visit Coco Beach, we booked a room through their website, www.cocobeach.com. The site came very handy with tips and suggestions on how to enjoy our stay here. The feel and service were also great that made everything hassle-free. Their sales team who handled my request was very friendly and made sure that everything went well and smoothly, which to my surprise was really good. I didn’t expect it, honestly, but it was a 5-star hotel kind of service that everyone should try.

For more convenience, Coco Beach also offers their Coco Express us, their very own service that transport guests from Manila or Batangas to their beach resort. The price for this one is a bit high, but I can assure you a total convenience – something that I would highly recommend to everyone. Coco Express includes land and sea transfer to and from the property, so this really saved so much time and effort on our end.

Our Den

So, just when you thought you had the best of Puerto Galera when you visited Sabang Beach with its white sand and wild party at night, Coco Beach offers a very unique and very local treatment that will surely change the image of Puerto Galera that you have in mind – it did on me.

Coco Beach takes pride of its tranquil home-style treatment wherein local (Mangyan) families serve as hosts of each guests in the hotel. Upon arrival, kids from Coco Beach and their mothers are on the entrance welcoming Coco Beach guests with music and festive feel. It felt really good to be welcomed that way. It was so homey, warm and just so mood-lifting. Foreign guests who were with us that time were all-smile upon getting on the island – a sign that they really liked how they were welcomed.

Our room, which is a Deluxe Room is located on the top of the hill. It was quite a trek, but I seriously think that we had the best room in the entire property. The view was superb, and the serenity – which what I really needed that time – was divine. I love how we were surrounded by so many coconut trees, and along the way were flowering plants that added such grandeur feel despite the simplicity of the whole place.

If you are wondering, our room has two single beds with hanging mosquito nets, which add drama to the room, an electric fan, a hammock at the balcony and own comfort room. There was an adjacent room, which offers the same amenities, but lucky us, the room was empty, so it felt like we own the whole space.

Our host family always made sure that we’re okay and visits or sees us every once in a while. They are like your long lost relatives who are very shy at first but still accommodate you and makes sure that you are 100% comfortable and convenient, well-fed and just enjoying life.

Food Binging

Don’t worry about your cravings, because here at Coco Beach, they offer a wide variety of dishes that you could indulge on. From our all-time favorite Filipino cuisine to Asian, American, and even some European.

Right now, Coco Beach Island Resort has 3 restaurants – the Carabao Restaurant, which serves comforting Filipino food. This is also the main restaurant of the resort. On its second level is the Barracuda Bar & Music Lounge that serves good drinks and music.

For some Asian dishes, Coco Grill Restaurant, which is located on the hillside part of the property called the Banana Village. The view from here was so spectacular that you could enjoy the ocean and on clear, cloudless nights, the serene coastal towns of Batangas. The Coco Grill Restaurant offers dishes from China, Indonesia, Cambodia, Lebanon, Malaysia, Japan, Thailand, India, Singapore, Vietnam, Korea & Brunei.

For some Italian – and this one I love the most – you should try Trattoria "Sotto Le Stelle". This is Coco Beach Island Resorts’ pizza house! Famous for their seven kinds of pizza and grilled chicken, guest could enjoy lunch or dinner here while being serenaded by the relaxing sound of the waves from the nearby sea.

Aside from that, during sunset, the view here was so heart-melting that you can’t take your eyes off of the horizon. SO LOVELY!

Coco Beach has also a revolving restaurant, which is located at the eastern part of the property, called Doña Lina Revolving Restaurant. This place offers three to five-course meal in the middle of the restaurant and attended by well-trained staff. But sadly, due to the recent typhoon, this place is still under renovation.

The Resort

From warm accommodation, cozy room and wonderful meals, Coco Beach Island Resort completes its stunning offering with its high-quality amenities that made our stay truly memorable and fun. From free island hop to inspiring shopping arcade and Cable Jeepney, Coco Beach filled our weekend vacation with so much love and comfort without even trying so hard.

For those who are still asking for other amenities, the resort also pampers their guest with their Behiya Spa, or ad extra adventure through their Coco Divers. Kids will definitely have more fun on their swimming pools, or maybe, just maybe, learn something new like creating a coco soap or just let them play at their playground.

Book worms and Movie geeks have a special place here in Coco Beach through their Coco Cinema and library room. And lastly, since they care so much about their guests, the resort has their own medical clinic just in case something unwanted happens.

See You Again – SOON!

We stayed here at Coco Beach Island Resort for 2 days and 3 nights. It was kidna bitin, given that there are so much more to learn and explore about this place. There are also a lot of food that we ought to try, but since we have to look good in camera, how I wish I could really stay longer and really fall in love with their food.

On our way back home, a little bird told us that the place will have an expansion and redevelopment to give their guest a more memorable stay. There’ll be more to expect in a few months after our visit, that’s why we should go back again and just feel the love and life that Coco Beach Island Resort has to offer to the world.