Photos of Maniwaya by The Manansala Portfolio. Palo Maria Beach is a stretch of white sand beach in Maniwaya Island, accessible from Buyabod Port via motorized banca, and it takes about 30 minutes from said port to get there. The island is also accessible from Brgy. Mangayao, Gen. Luna, Quezon taking about an hour by boat. Many visitors during the last Lenten season came from Quezon and just finding beach spots to their liking anywhere on the island.
Maniwaya is still untouched by commercial developers so the bigger number of visitors just come by to spend the whole day swimming and exploring the shore - and maybe taste the bibingka, rice cake, or agar-agar seaweed jelly that the local inhabitants make. Such seaweeds naturally grow in certain areas around the island.
About two miles away from the northeast coast of the island is a circular sandbar, called Palad, that appears during low tide. At high-tide it also attracts swimmers who have fun diving from boats just maneuvering around it. Palad, palm of your hand, not unlike a mirage, is a curious spot in the middle of the sea to wonder at.
The white-sand beaches of Maniwaya island is the closest such beach you can hie off to from the Metro. Palo Maria Beach (Resort), has a Facebook page that could be contacted for more information.
