Zamboanga Sta Cruz Island (pink Sand) Excursion
Zamboanga Sta Cruz Island (pink Sand) Excursion
By CTPH TOUR
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About
The Philippines is difficult to top when it comes to stunning beaches. Tourists and locals alike never run out of reasons to explore what our country has to offer, and National Geographic seems to be on the same boat. In fact, in the magazine's recently published 21 Best Beaches in the World list, Sta. Cruz Island in Zamboanga made the cut.
Dubbed aptly as the Pink Beach, Santa Cruz Island is covered in beautiful pink sand that results from all the crushed red organ pipe coral that washes ashore.
Lowest price guarantee
Ages 2-100
Duration: 3–4 hours
Start time: Check availability
Mobile ticket
Live guide: English
More
- pick up and drop off from hotel /residence to zamboanga city port area
- roundtrip motorboat transfer from isabela city to malamawi island
- Entrance Fees
- tour guide
- shed rental
- life vest and safety equipment
- Entry/Admission - Santa Cruz Island
What's not included- Food & Beverages
- Snorkeling Equipment
- Start:Multiple pickup locations offered.Pickup details
- Pick up location for group with pick up and drop off: Hotel Lobby/Airport Arrival Area/Guest’s Residence Pick up time: 7:00AM
Hotel pickup offeredDuring checkout you will be able to select from the list of included hotels.End:This activity ends back at the meeting point. - Not wheelchair accessible
- Infants must sit on laps
If you have questions about accessibility, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 20200P433- Confirmation will be received at time of booking
- Most travellers can participate
- This experience requires good weather. If it’s cancelled due to poor weather, you’ll be offered a different date or a full refund
- This experience requires a minimum number of travellers. If it’s cancelled because the minimum isn’t met, you’ll be offered a different date/experience or a full refund
- This is a private tour/activity. Only your group will participate
- All sales are final and incur 100% cancellation penalties.
- If you have questions about this tour or need help making your booking, we’d be happy to help. Just call the number below and reference the product code: 20200P433
From
₹10,248.23
per adult (price varies by group size)
Select date and travellers
Itinerary
- 1Great Santa Cruz Island is a small inhabited island in Zamboanga City in the southern region of the Philippines that is famous for its pink coralline sand. The island, located 4 kilometres (2.49 mi) 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 sand comes from the pulverized red organ pipe coral from eons of surf erosion mixed with the white sand.
About the operator
Don’t take it from us – here’s what people have to say about this operator:
- travelhog56780 contributionsTerrible!!! Waste of money! Not worth it!Waste of money!! It's not really an island hopping tour! It's just going to different places of boracay island. The few stops we went to, you can't even go swimming, it's rocky, shore full of boats, wavy! And also too many vendors selling stuff, even hair braiding (even if inclined, there's no time cuz stops are only 30 mins), vagrants offering to take your pics w/ your camera for a coin. The place where we had lunch, the beach was dirty, rocky, ppl permanently live there in shacks, children begging! The 2 places for snorkeling were disappointments, water current too strong, no corals, hardly any fish. Do not do this!! El Nido is a million times better!!Written 14 March 2025
- rynzeski0 contributionsAmazing viewsThe tour was excellent thanks to our tour guide that was very helpful and knowledgeable. The stops visited were very beautiful and enjoyed every minute of it. Do not hesitate to recommend this tour to anyone that is looking for an activity to do in Coron.Written 10 March 2025
- GuiGou830 contributionsOk for a couple of hours, no moreIt's ok to spend some time with kids during the day, but the fun options are limited and though we didn't expect there to be meals included, this was of very low standard. Kids above 10 years old will get easily bored.Written 10 March 2025
- teb0rg0 contributionsSo excitingIt's very good and nice place to hang out with friends and family so many nice place to take a picture with your familys or friendsWritten 5 March 2025
- Rinaeleven0 contributionsA fun way to spend a hot afternoonAstoria Waterpark Adventureland is a great place for families and visitors to break up the afternoon. There are 3 main thrill waterslides, a lovely kid zone and a lazy river. The staff are so incredibly friendly and hospitable, there was no wait times for rides and the slides are quite fun! You could easily spend a couple hours here in the afternoon as a way to break up your visit to Palawan.Written 4 March 2025
- Navigate529939840470 contributionsNot what we expectedIt was not what it says in the description. 1. The driver did not contact us and was late. We had to call the tour organizer to reach the driver. 2. The driver brought us to a shared boat, even though the tour description stated it was a private tour. The shared boat costs 350 pesos (approximately $4-5, we asked), while the private tour is 27 TIMES MORE EXPENSIVE! I'm not sure where the photos of canoes came from because we didn't see anything like that. After half an hour of complaining, they finally took us on a private tour. It all felt like a scam attempt. We managed to get the tour we wanted, and the fireflies were amazing, but after going through all this, we have a bitter aftertaste.Written 4 March 2025
- Jet315681482250 contributionsCustomer service was not greatThe cable car was great and the experience of the zip line was awesome but the staff on the zip line were poor. I had to wait to launch as someone was on lunch and at the take off platform, I felt I was interrupting the staff’s very noisy screen time - they totally ignored me whilst I waited for guy to finish lunch. At the other end they didn’t speak to me at all just unhooked me so again felt the customer service was very poor. Maybe the culture needs to be more customer focused and less screen time ??Written 26 February 2025
- 695katarinar0 contributionsBest way to spend your transit and learn moreWe would like to leave a review of our tour around Manila historical spots during our transit. The tour was amazing! Our guide, Mr. Brian, was an incredible guide and person. He shared stories about the history of Manila and the local culture, and answered all our questions. We really appreciate his expertise and are so glad that we took the tour. Our short stay in Manila became great because of this tour, and we fell in love with Philippines' remarkable and unique culture. Thank you very much for this experience! And we felt really safe during the tour which is really important for me when I travel. We will definitely recommend Mr. Brian and this tour to all our friends and social media subscribers! ❤️❤️❤️ Yours sincerely, Katerina and Nikolay (Kate and Nick)Written 24 February 2025
- Go101713607950 contributionsParadise Found – A Must-Visit in the Philippines!Coron Island is simply breathtaking! From the crystal-clear waters of Kayangan Lake to the hidden beauty of Twin Lagoon, every spot feels like a dream. Island-hopping tours are a must, offering a mix of pristine beaches, stunning limestone cliffs, and some of the best snorkeling and diving spots, including historic WWII shipwrecks. The marine life is incredible, and the scenery is straight out of a postcard. The locals are friendly, the vibe is laid-back, and the sunsets are unforgettable. If you're looking for a mix of adventure and relaxation, Coron is the perfect destination—I can’t wait to go back!Written 18 February 2025
- Cholo G0 contributionsDon’t Settle for Less, This is the BestBest thing in Boracay. Private place with no peddlers (which is the worse thing about the island). Pure relaxation. Don’t settle for less.Written 17 February 2025
- Thorne19700 contributionsHoping to see Whale SharkAlthough the staff are friendly and helpful, I feel they are now clutching at straws to keep this business alive. They said there is a 50/50 chance of seeing a Whale Shark, when realistically it’s like a 5% chance. This is now peak season for the Whale Shark and they have seen 3 since December 2024, none in January and a sighting, no interaction ( snorkeling)with it on 9th Feb 2025. I fear the feeding of them in Oslob has destroyed the natural behaviour of the Whale Sharks that used to frequent Donsol. It is a sad decline of industry in the area. Until the feeding of the Whale Shark stops, I do not believe they will return here.Written 16 February 2025
- 141jocelynf0 contributionsPerfect Day in Coron!It was amazing in every way! All stops were fun and beautiful. Hard to choose which of the stops was the best. The crew were professional, informative and always went above and beyond. Highly recommended, must do excursion if you're in Coron!Written 12 February 2025
- aaliyahxianejanr0 contributionsunforgettable experienceThe Hot Air Balloon Festival was an unforgettable experience! 🌅🎈 The sky came alive with vibrant colors as dozens of balloons floated gracefully at sunrise. The atmosphere was electric, with live music, food stalls, and excited crowds capturing every moment. Whether you’re there for the breathtaking views, the unique photo ops, or just to soak in the festive vibe, it’s definitely worth the trip. Plus, watching the night glow event, where balloons light up against the evening sky, was pure magic! ✨ A must-visit for adventure seekers and dreamers alike.Written 7 February 2025
- Nicole C0 contributionsLack of communicationBeware. The listing says pick up in Palawan but not where. I was staying in Puerta Princessa and gave them my hotel info for pick up. They didn't message me until the DAY BEFORE to say they didn't do pick up to my location and obviously I couldn't find a way there last minute. No offer/way to cancel for refund at that point either. I should have realized that my location would be too far for pick up, but I've been on other tours in Philippines that had long drives for pick up so when I didn't hear anything from them about the distance of my location I assumed it was OK until they messaged me the day before. Since they waited until the day before, I also couldn't plan an alternative and wasted a day of my trip.Written 4 February 2025
- M2040LCmariac0 contributionsFirefly Watching in BoholWe had an amazing Rio Verde Firefly Watching cruise. Best time to do the cruise is at dusk or early evening. It is a very short cruise but well worth it. We were told noises from clapping our hands motivates the fireflies to show up & shine brighter! All guests had fun doing so. Hard to get good photos though since it’s in the evening.Written 2 February 2025
These reviews are the subjective opinions of Tripadvisor members and not of Tripadvisor LLC. Tripadvisor performs checks on reviews as part of our industry-leading trust & safety standards. Read our transparency report to learn more.
No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!
Tet Yu
Philippines
Is the sand pink all year round?
Thank you!
Planning to visit nextweek
Written 3 November 2019
Hi, just wondering in which month will the sand becomes pink? Or is it all year around? Thanks
Written 29 May 2019
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*Likely to sell out: Based on Viator’s booking data and information from the provider from the past 30 days, it seems likely this experience will sell out through Viator, a Tripadvisor company.