Punta Piapi Beach - Going the Road Less Travelled (Davao del Sur, Mindanao)

Have water and sand. Will make beach. Or so it seems.

One of my favorite moments is discovering unheard-of places like Punta Piapi, a fishing village at the eastern coast of Padada, Davao del Sur, located some 2 hours south of Davao City. County Piapi has this bucolic atmosphere and unfazed by the dizzying turn of events; this strip with little hint of commerce.

From the highway, I took a detour eastward until I reached the coast. The road was craggy, the road dusty, and there's lush coconut plantation everywhere. I saw a motorbiker haul away sugarcane plant to be fed to livestock, for cows, carabaos or goats. I turned left, northward, and found shanties lining the coast; colorful bangkas (outrigger boats) were docked facing the sea. There's hardly a beach strip.

I turned around and went southward. Roadside blocks looked colorful as they lead to more thatched houses rising on stilts. Finally, I found an elevated platform that looked like a jetty - beautifully piled stones make this makeshift fort. Towards the east, the Pacific looked vast and endless.

Further south, there are houses turned into stilt-standing cottages seemingly floating on waters. Two of these "resorts" are Napere Beach Resort and L. Razonable Beach Resort. There should be affordable fees if you wanted to use these cottages. But to be honest, the narrow strip of dark, but fine-sand beach was the more acceptable option for swimming. And it's for free.

The road is flanked by hill on the west and the sea on the east. Just between that is my free spirit.

This is the Eye in the Sky!

Napere Beach Resort has cottage on water. At its background is another resort, L. Razonable Beach Resort with better-looking huts on water.

Little strip of beach beside the stone jetty.

Just across the jetty is this tree-lined shed with benches. You can park your vehicle here.

Sugarcane for livestock.

The way to Punta Piapi Beach, eastward.

Houses and docked boats.

Colorful roadside rails.

A sari-sari store looks like a complete one-stop shop. It even has firewood on sale.

The road back to the highway.