And yes, You Read it right! it's a PINK SAND BEACH !!
Welcome to Pink sand Beach of Great Santa Cruz Island of Zamboanga in the southern region of the Philippines it is well known for it's finest pink coral line sand. The island, located in south of downtown at the Santa Cruz Bank in the Basilan Strait, boasts the only pink sand beach in the Philippines. The color of the pink sand comes from the pulverized red organ pipe coral from eons of surf erosion mixed with the white sand.
Sta. Cruz Island of Zamboanga City is one of the most visited place in Philippines. This is where the Pink sand beach can be found, the attractiveness of the island is mainly due to its unique pinkish sand, a shade that is a result of the combination of the beach’s natural white sand and the powdered of the rare red Organ-pipe coral.
The place is serene, and absolutely unedifying beautiful. There are red corals in the waters around island. As those red corals age and die they are crushed form sand mix with white sand and that is pink to be equal. It is that simple, but it is so very beautiful.
The water is clear and you will definitely enjoy it.
The public beach is a bit small, but it is far from being crowded. The best time to visit is early in the morning when the current isn't too strong for swimming. However, boats traveling to the area still ferry people to the island until midday, but tourists could only stay on the beach until around 4 pm.
One of the wonderful and very romantic beaches here in the Philippines, Santa Cruz Island of Zamboanga City. It's pink sand is so charming and enchanting. The place is so refreshing, the breeze is so cool, and the sea water is so blue and cold.
The only way to go to the Island from the City Proper is to coordinate with the Department of Tourism Office of Zamboanga located inside the Lantaka Hotel by the Sea of the Valderrosa Street. Roundtrip cost is roughly about P800.00-P1,000.00 for the exclusive rental of the motorized boat with Police escorts.
NOTE:
Unhappily though, recent activities of illegal coral reef
mining have wiped out most of the Great Santa Cruz Island's vast and beautiful
coral reef population. All that's left are the dead skeletons of what once were
glorious shells and coral reefs. The numerous colorful fish and rich marine
life is no longer there, but some adventurous fish life still comes to visit
along with the well-guarded human visitors. No matter, the beach and water is
still a thing of beauty, and well worth your endeavor. Thankfully, the thieves
of nature cannot cause the same damage to nearby Little Santa Cruz Island because
it is a guarded military installation, and the coral reef there is still
healthy, and a possible source for restoration of the big island. Please help
us restore the stolen beauty of the once spectacular coral reef of the Great
Santa Cruz Island.
