Best Places For Water Activities In The Philippines

 

By Catalin Geangos

If you love going to the beach, boat riding, tide riding, jet-skiing, snorkeling, swimming, and other fun water activities, then the Philippines is heaven on earth for you. This is no exaggeration, the Philippines is home to 7,640 islands that are spread across 300,000 kilometers. From rainforests to lakes, white beaches, shipwreck sites, marine parks, and more, the Philippines has it all. It is a great place to express your adventurous spirit. So in this post, you will discover the best places for water activities in the Philippines.

Best Places For Water Activities In The Philippines

Due to its abundance of water, it is no surprise that the Philippines is a place where you can practice many water activities. But the vast tropical islands mean that a lot of tourists would like to know the best places for watersports in the Philippines.

Read Also: Philippines 2-Week Itinerary

That is exactly what we will discuss today. Fasten your seatbelt and get ready to be taken on a journey to the best places for water activities in the Philippines.

Boracay

If you are looking for the best places for watersports in the Philippines, then allow me to introduce you to Boracay. This Island, with white sand beach, is the very best and has all the accolades to show for it.

In 2012, the International Travel Magazine officially awarded Boracay the title of the Best Island in the world. In 2014, Boracay would top the list of the Best Islands in the World, publish by Conde Nast Traveler. It didn’t end there, In 2016, Boracay also tops the International magazine’s list of the Top 10 destinations to watch. If all these are not enough to convince you, then we don’t know what is.

This Island is the very best in the world and that is why it is a famous retirement destination for foreigners. Boracay doesn’t disappoint when it comes to watersports. After all, it wouldn’t hold those accolades if it did. There is an endless abundance of amazing watersports you can do.

Water Activities in Boracay

Scuba Diving, Island Hopping, Helmet Diving, Stand-up Paddle Boarding, Parasailing, Snorkeling, Jet Skiing, Paraw Sailing, Banana Boat Rides, Freediving, UFO and Rides, Wind Surfing, and Mermaid Swimming

Manila

Speaking of the best places for watersports in the Philippines, let’s dive into its capital, Manila. Manila is one of the best tourist destinations not just in the Philippines but in all of Asia.

Each year, the historic city welcomes over 1 million tourists. With major shopping malls and supermarkets, Manila tops the list of the best shopping destination in the whole of Asia.  Some of its major tourist destinations include the Cultural Center of the Philippines Complex, Malate, Rizal Part, National Museum Complex, Manila Zoo, Ermita, Binondo, and the Walled City of Intramuros.

Aquatic Sports in Manila

Manila is a beautiful destination for Water Sports. Manila water tours are one major destination and tourists go there to enjoy some amazing beach resorts or to lay down on some cool beaches, among them being Anilao Beach, Pagsanjan, SanJose, waterfall exploration, and more. The water sports to enjoy in these regions include cliff jumping, scuba diving, white water rafting, swimming, and more.

Subic (Zambales)

Many years ago, Subic used to be famous only for the fact that it houses the U.S Navy Base Subic Bay. But fast-forward to now, and it is one of the best-known tourist attractions in the Philippines. It no longer houses the U.S Navy Base but it is home to so many tourist activities and water sports. 

The waters of Subic Bay are deep and protected. The land area is deep and is surrounded by highlands. They are lots of water sports activities that take place there. The Networx jet sports and the Lighthouse Marina Resort partner together to offer amazing sports activities.

Subic Bay has a lot of activities that one can even get confused thinking of which to engage in. If you want something electrifying, you can go jet skiing or hit one of those bandwagons and inflammable boats. For a more relaxing experience, you can engage in activities like paddle boarding and kayaking. There is a coast guard restriction that allows only a limited portion of the bay to be explored. 

Another fun activity you can do in Subic Bay is Wreck Diving. Subic has one of the largest collections of shipwrecks due to a war that occurred in 1898. 

Water Activities in Subic Bay

Flyboard, Parasailing, Bandwagon, Inflammable Banana boat, Jet ski, Kayaking, and paddleboarding, and more.

Best Beach Resorts in Subic

Subic has many exquisite and 5 stars resorts but we will narrow down a shortlist of “the best beach resorts in Subic for you”.

We have The Lighthouse Marina resort ACEA Subic Bay, Mangrove Resort Hotel, Segara suites Subic, Kamana Sanctuary Resort and Spa, Subic Coco Hotel, Subic Bay Yacht club, and Camayan Beach Resort Hotel.

Coron

To complement our list of the “best places for watersports in the Philippines” is Coron—the third-largest Island in the Calamian. The tropical island is most famous in history as the home to several shipwrecks of WW II. This happened in 1994 when a fleet of Japanese ships sank in the harbor where they were hiding after being raided by the US Navy. The areas of the shipwrecks are currently well preserved.

The site continues to be named by many media bodies as the top dive spot on the planet.  But shipwreck isn’t the only thing the Island is known for. The Island has several exciting sites like its crystal-clear lakes, limestone Karst landscapes, and shallow-water coral reefs. You can also find many tiny white sand beaches, usually surrounded by wildlife and limestone cliffs. In terms of watersports activities, the options are exciting and they include:

Water Sports in Coron Island

Forbes Traveler Magazine named Coron one of the top 10 best scuba diving sites on the planet. It watersports activities include Scuba diving, snorkeling, Parasailing, Kayaking, and Island Hopping

Camsur Watersports Complex

It would be very controversial to come up with a list of “best places for watersports in the Philippines” without mentioning the first world-class watersports complex in the Philippines. Yes, you heard it right, this is where world-class sports first began. And it’s not just the first in the Philippines but first in Asia too. 

This amazing 6-hectare complex is situated in the Provincial Capitol Complex, Pili, Camarines Sur, Cadian. Its state-of-the-art facilities and amazing environment have been a source of attraction to guests. Its pulling force is so powerful that it draws in visitors by the thousand. The Camsur Watersports Complex has favorable weather conditions. This makes it possible for one to ski all year round.

Aquatic Activities in Camsur Watersports Complex

• Cable Skiing: Cable skiing is similar to water skiing. The skier is pulled by a cable above his head which is usually suspended at 10 meters above the water. Its powers come from a speed electric motor with a seep of 20-65 km/h.
• Wakeboarding: Wakeboarding is one of the fastest-growing sports and it’s being recognized globally. It consists of snowboarding, water skiing, and surfing techniques. The rider rides a board with a non-release stationary binding for each foot as he stands sideways.
• Kneeboarding: Kneeboarding is a watersport where the contestant is towed on a convex, buoyant, and hydrodynamic-shaped board at moderate speed behind a cable or motorboat. In Kneeboarding, the rider sits on his heels on the board and straps himself to the deck. 
• Water Skiing: A rope is attached to a powerboat at one end and the other end has a handle fitter which can be held by the rider. Beginners begin with two skis and are pulled by the boat driver at around 20-35km/hr. As they begin to gain more confidence and experience, they travel between 35-55km/hr. By balancing their weight on the various sides of the ski, skiers can easily control their direction 
• Wake Skating: In Wakeskating, the rider isn’t bound to the board which makes it unique from most of the watersports activities on this list. In a similar manner to skateboarding, the board is coated in grip tape, and riders can afford to wear shoes. Wakeskating and wakeboarding adopt a similar design of manufacturing boards from fiberglass or plywood.

Davao Talikud Island

Davao Island is one of the best places for watersports in the Phillippines. The Island is located 50 km away from the city town. Davao is designed for you to experience maximum excitement. They are a lot of professional tour guard firm who will see to it that you enjoy the most of your time there.

For fun activities, you can try out the Subwing, or go on jet skiing and explore the turquoise water. If you are not in the mood to stay on the ground or water, then you can take to the sky in a beautiful parachute.

Water Activities in Davao Island

They are four major watersports activity you can engage in while in Davao Island. They include Banana boat riding, Parasailing, Jet-skiing, Subwing, and more. 

Bohol Island

The Philippines have over 6,000 islands and Bohol is the 10th largest of them all. You know what that means right? It means that Bohol will be full of fun and exciting things to do. Without a doubt, Bohol is one of the best places for watersports in the Philippines. It has lots of tourist attractions and many waterfalls and rivers to explore.

There are many things one can do on Bohol Island. They include renting a boat for Island Hopping and snorkeling in crystal clear water. You can also explore the waterfalls, white sand beaches, watchtowers, bridges, whales, dolphins watching and visit the Chocola Hills, one of the top Bohol tourist spots.

If you want something of a wild adventure, you can go check out a python named Prony, which is the largest in captivity. Bohol is also known for the Philippine tarsier, the smallest primates on the planet.

Water Activities in Bohol Island

Stand up Paddleboarding, Diving, Snorkeling, Kayaking, Banana boat ride, Fly-fish ride, and Rafting, Island Hopping tour, and private underwater river ride.

Batanga

Officially recognized as the province of Batangas, Batanga is one of the most famous tourist destinations in the Philippines. The proince has so many diving spots and beaches including Laiya, Punta Fuego, Matabungkay, Sampaguita and Ligpo Island, Sombrero, and Anilao. 

The city of Batangas has the 2nd largest international seaport in Phillippines. The waters of Batanga are part of the Verde Island Passage which is at the center of the world’s marine biodiversity. Batanga is one of the best places for watersports in the Philippines and its watersports activities include.

Water Sports Available in Batanga

Scuba Diving, Snorkeling, Underwater photographing, and Kayaking

EL Nido

El Nido is one of the best tourist attractions in the Philippines. It has an amazing and splendid natural environment and ecosystem. It is very famous for its beautiful and mesmerizing beaches. If you are a beach lover, then this is one destination you want to go to.

It has some of the best beaches in the world. This is no exaggeration. It is currently ranked as the 4th most beautiful beach in the world by Conde Nast Traveler. Cable News Network has even officially pronoun it the best Island and beach destination in the whole of Philippines. El Nido is one exciting place to go, and one of the best places for watersports in the Philippines. Watersports activities in EL Nido includes:

Watersports Activities in El Nido 

Scuba Diving, Snorkeling, Boat Tours, Parasailing, Kayaking, and more.

Iloilo

Iloilo is another destination that made our list of best places for watersports in the Philippines. It is famous for its many old beautiful architectures, Spanish colonial Churches, and having the oldest Golf Course and Country Club in South East Asia.  It is also home to many natural sites as well as parks

Water Activities in Iloilo

Sailing, Suba Diving, Dragon boat ride, Snorkeling, boat tours and more.

Conclusion

We’ve come to the end of our list of “best places for watersports in the Philippines”. It might be that easy to travel around freely due to pandemic restrictions. When you have the luxury to travel, ensure you visit some of these places. They are great destinations to spend your vacation.