Panagsama Beach in Moalboal, Philippines, will probably stay in our memories until we die. The reason is simple and incredibly beautiful. It was our first time seeing a sea turtle and a famous sardine run.
During our five days in Moalboal, we returned to this beach daily, excited to witness one of the best sunsets on Earth and swim with millions of sardines.
Panagsama Beach is undoubtedly a must-visit place for every traveler exploring Cebu Island. This guide provides all the essential information you need and our honest review.
Key Highlights
⭐️ Best time of day to visit: snorkeling: high tide, sunbathing: low tide, sunset 🌅
⭐️ Best months to visit: December – April
⭐️ How to get there: group tour, private driver, scooter
⭐️ Snorkeling and diving: great for both
⭐️ Parking: free
Quick Overview
The tide is one of the most critical factors in genuinely enjoying your time at Panagsama Beach. Low tide is perfect for sunbathing on a narrow stretch of sand but unsuitable for snorkeling. If you don’t have your snorkeling gear, you can rent one for a small fee in one of the street stalls.
On the other hand, the high tide is excellent for snorkeling, but sunbathing won’t be possible due to higher water levels. The beach will be flooded without the space for your towel.
The beach is easily accessible. If you are coming on a scooter, remember there is not much parking space. However, during our stay, we never saw this place crowded.
The beach is relatively small and narrow, surrounded by a few palm trees and restaurants where you can always grab food and cold drinks. However, visibility underwater wasn’t perfect all the time. There were days when visibility was lower due to some pollution.
The water is also perfect for swimming, and there are no dangerous rip currents. Diving is one of the best ways to enjoy the sardine run. You can rent the gear and a guide in one of many dive centers that are around.
Where to stay
The best area to stay in Moalboal is close to Panagsama Beach. One main road leads to the beach, where most restaurants, bars, and accommodations are located. If you want a peaceful night, consider choosing a hotel not too close to bars.
We loved the atmosphere of the bars because there was live music each evening and happy hour with the low price of our favorite cocktail: Amaretto sour.
Best hotels around Panagsama Beach
Check availability
Where is Panagsama Beach
Panagsama Beach Moalboal is situated along the southwestern coastline of Cebu Island, around 90 kilometers south of Cebu City.
How to get there
By scooter
If you’re not staying nearby, the best way to get to Panagsama Beach is by scooter. If you can’t rent a scooter at your hotel, you can find many rentals on the street. The price for a scooter for one day is around 450 PHP.
Hire a trycicle
A tricycle is a widely used form of public transportation. It consists of a motorcycle with a sidecar attached. It’s usually cheap and perfect for 2-6 passengers.
Prices are negotiable. You can also hire a tricycle with a driver for a whole day and explore the island.
Hire a private driver
You can also get to Panagsama Beach by private car, which is the priciest option but super convenient. It’s a great choice if you’re traveling with lots of luggage or little kids and want to avoid the hassle of multiple transfers.
TIP: Read our detailed guide about how to get from Cebu City to Moalboal.
Entrance and parking fees
Entrance fee: no fee
Parking fee: no fee
Google Maps pin for the parking area
The beach is open 24/7, and the best part? There are no entrance or parking fees!
What to expect
As I mentioned already, Panagsama Beach is narrow and short. The best time to visit is during low tide. The beach is underwater during high tide. Plan your visit accordingly.
TIP: Always check the tides before your visit.
Remember to bring sunscreen. The sun is strong, and there is little space to hide in the shade. Access to water is pleasant and gradual. The famous sardine run is usually around 12 meters from the shore, right in front of Marina restaurant.
Turtles come during high tide as the water level rises, and turtles can feed on seagrass. If you can’t find them, check for the group of people, there might be a chance they found turtles.
We have never seen this place overcrowded. Sometimes, more people were in the water than usual, but this was because tour boats brought tourists to watch sardines and turtles. They all left in less than one hour and usually arrived around the same time of day.
Please keep in mind the tiny jellyfish. We didn’t see them but felt a few stings—nothing painful, dangerous, or concerning.
The Beach faces west, making it a perfect place to watch the sunset. Grab a cold coconut at one of the restaurants or bars and wait for the show.
TIP: Always wait 15 minutes after the sun sets below the horizon. The sky will be painted in more saturated colors.
Each sunset we witnessed was absolutely insane. If you don’t believe us, check the photos we took.
Beach Facilities
As mentioned, many restaurants are located around Panagsama Beach. Public showers and toilets are unavailable, but customers can use the toilets in the restaurants.
If you don’t have your snorkeling gear, you can rent it in one of the many nearby street stalls.
Sardine run
The Moalboal sardine run is an unforgettable experience, with millions of sardines swimming just 15 meters from Panagsama Beach.
It might feel overwhelming at first, but once you dive in, it’s truly breathtaking. You can swim through massive schools of sardines—it’s absolutely epic!
Best of all, it’s free to enjoy. If you’re not a swimmer, guided tours are also available to help you join the adventure.
Snorkeling vs diving at Panagsama Beach
Don’t know if you should snorkel or dive to see the turtles and sardines run? Don’t worry, we will explain everything in detail.
You don’t need to pay for a dive when watching the turtles. Snorkeling is perfect for this, as turtles feed on seagrass close to the water’s surface. All you need is a snorkeling gear and patience.
But if you want to enjoy the sardines run, we highly recommend a diving experience. You can get around the schools of sardines and even under them. You will also be able to swim through them and explore coral walls. It’s completely different than snorkeling.
Snorkeling is also great if you don’t like diving or want to save money. The only disadvantage is that if you want to swim around them underwater, your breath hold is limited, and you can’t stay long. But this is a great opportunity to practice your ability to hold your breath.
We highly recommend renting freediving fins to maximize the time spent underwater. They are much longer than basic fins and will help you swim faster.
TIP: Cebu is home to many incredible waterfalls, so we highly recommend adding Dao Falls and Montpellier Falls to your itinerary.
Best restaurants around
Panagsama Beach Moalboal offers many great places to eat. You can find everything in the area – local Filipino food and western kitchens, such as pizza or burgers. Many bars have happy hours in the evenings and offer discounts on drinks.
Shaka – tasty and refreshing smoothie bowls
Hungry Monkeys – incredible Filipino meals
Smooth cafe – the best place to spend a lovely evening listening to live music with a cocktail.
Betsy’s grill – they are known for their amazing burgers and ribs, but it’s often full
Other must-visit places nearby
Osmena Peak
Osmena Peak is the highest point on the island. We hiked it before sunset, and it was wild! The hike takes only about 20 minutes, and you can enjoy 360-degree panoramic views of Cebu.
If you don’t want to go alone, you can join a day tour and enjoy Kawasan Falls canyoneering and hike Osmena Peak.
Kawasan Falls Canyoneering
One of the highlights of our Cebu adventure was the Kawasan Falls canyoneering. We had a great time exploring the canyon. We highly recommend booking a tour for this experience. Hotel pick-up, drop-off, and lunch are included in the price.
Lambug Beach
Lambug Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in Cebu. You can get to the beach in only 30 minutes if you have a scooter.
Lambug Beach is on a private property, therefore you need to pay a little for entrance and parking, but it’s certainly worth it. You can relax all day on clear white sand, and the water is perfect for swimming.
Best time to visit Cebu
Dry season: December – April
Rainy season: May – November
The best time to visit Cebu island in general is definitely during the dry season. Days are sunny and there’s almost no rain. March till May are becoming too hot and humid so it might be slightly unpleasant to travel around the island.
The wet season brings many dangerous storms and typhoons. Bad weather conditions may cause the sea surface to be rough with many waves. And that’s certainly not great for snorkeling. Visibility gets worse as well.
When coming after the monsoon season, there’s a chance the water flow in waterfalls will be too strong and they might be closed.
