Sumilon Island Things To See and Do

Shifting white sandbar. Let’s do this first as this is one of the things that Sumilon prides itself to having. This area is the northwestern corner of the island just a few meters from the western dock. And yes its beautiful and quite a different place to be. The waves and the current keeps pushing the white sand in this area depending on the season, so that at times there is more white sandy beach to the northern side nearer the cottages and sometimes there are more to the western side towards the dock. No you won’t actually get to see or feel that anything is shifting (unless probably if you used a time-lapse camera for a day or two) but you’ll just be surprised on return that the sand is not anymore the same shape, whether low tide or high. This place is such a photo-op thing it makes the ‘real’ and ‘permanent’ white beach area of Sumilon wanting hehe.

Swimming pools. I better make that plural! There is actually just one swimming pool near the pavilion. Its big enough and infinity pool enough, with a big tall and real tree growing in its very middle. This is one of the nicest places to relax or romp around for kids of all ages. However, if you go about a level down, there are two mini-pools that are supposed to be jacuzzis. Since I never experienced the Jacuzzi thing happening, I might just as well call them lazing pools. Hey, mind you, beside each of those two little pools are resting areas fenced so you won’t fall many meters down below to the water, and they are nice breezy viewing decks too!

Lazing around. You can do this virtually anywhere in the island, your choice of comfort or crudeness! Easiest is your veranda. If you have a cottage, then you have one fine veranda with a view. But don’t fret if you’re just on a day tour as there are other better places to do just that. Care for a hammock? There are those on the grassy greens just across the path from the cottages at the edge of this rocky island, overlooking the emerald green waters. Lounging chairs, sunning beds and even wooden benches are available too. You just take your pick all amidst trees and/or shrubberies.

Payag-payag and Island Massage. Let’s explain this a bit… “payag” in bisaya means a ‘little house’. By repeating the word, you make it even smaller! So a “payag-payag” is a little “little house”. More of like ‘waiting sheds’ really. But these are made of bamboo posts and cogon grass roofing, not by the side of a road but atop a rocky ledge overlooking the eastern dock, the sea and mainland Cebu beyond it. One of those payag-payags has been designated as the massage area and is now aptly named “Island Massage”. Great place to just sit around, read a book, have a massage or even snooze the day off!

Pavilion. Aside from the dining area, this big expanse of a roof with no walls also has lounging areas where you and you group can comfortably sit around, have your favorite drinks or do just about anything you can. Nearby is a pool table. Yep, billiards for those who want to hone their cue skills or just enjoy a game or two! Over at the western side of this pavilion is “the bar”. There are tables and chairs out in the open and the bar is actually a separate little hut from the pavilion, though its just about two or three steps away. Take your pick from refreshing shakes, sodas to beers, cocktails and drinks on the rocks. Of course they have finger foods and snacks to go with your drinks. And this area is also by a ledge with a very good view of the sea and the beach.

The beach. That’s many meters down from the bar and the pavilion via winding concrete stairs lined with multi-colored flowers of bougainvilleas. Crews told us there is a path going down for those who can’t or don’t climb stairs, but we did not have to look for it as we found the stairway to be just fine. Now now… if you have been around the beautiful beaches in this country, and if you have seen the shifting sandbar first, this beach is really nothing much. But what’s beautiful is they left it as is without so much sprucing anything that the leaves just scatter with the wind, some rocks here and there and the huts are literally just bamboo posts benches and tables plus the simple thatched nipa roofing. They look rustic as if you chanced upon make-shift fishermen’s rest huts. You would think you were in a desolate barrio at some remote island instead of just a few meters down from luxurious accommodations. Especially that there’s a nearby lagoon.

Oh yes, the lagoon. Parallel and almost the length of the beach area is a natural lagoon. It probably formed through the years with sand being pushed higher and higher by the waves. Plus, rainwater probably cascading from those rocky ragged cliffs, so the mini-lake eventually formed. Whether those were introduced by the resort, or they just suddenly appeared… there’s a lot of fish in this lagoon. Fish-feeding is one fun activity. You bring bread stale or not from the restaurant, then start throwing them in crumbs down to the ‘freshwater’ fish. Fun that the bigger ones sometimes just spring upwards and quickly grab the morsels to the probable dismay of the little ones hahaha. I tried throwing out one whole bread and oh my, what a funny sight. I could imagine many people tossing or trying to grab a giant balloon hehehe. The bread eventually went soft and them fish started taking smaller bites… until one greedy footlong charged in to gobble the whole thing. Kids will surely have fun in this area.

Kayaks. We’re still in the lagoon. Yes you can kayak along this placid little body of water. The resort provides them for free. Nice to slowly paddle around especially going towards the eastern end where the water is darker green and foliage is thicker on both sides. Birds, bats, dragonflies, etc. also circle around the area that it looks like you are in an enchanted forest of mangroves and other trees. Who knows, while in there, you might just encounter some other creatures like snakes or spiders jumping at you from those trees... or some other being from deep in the lake suddenly gnawing at your paddle or even your kayak itself! Wouldn’t that be exciting? Duuu…!

That cottage in the picture above is the resort's dive shop where you rent gears for snorkeling and/or scuba diving. Yep, the use of the catamaran and speedboat too.

Ah eh.., there is one other exciting activity on the island, but let’s do that in the next installment as this is getting long, aight?!

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