Monday, July 26, 2010

Malapascua

Malapascua is a small island to the north of Cebu. I'd have bet a thousand pesos that 'mala pascua' meant 'bad Easter', but apparently the Visayans have decided that 'pascua' should mean Christmas, even though it means Easter in Spanish. The name comes from the Spanish sailors who arrived on the island one stormy Christmas night sometime in the 1500s.

Nowadays, Malapascua is a developing resort island, with a fair number of beachside hotels but still mostly rural. The beach is nice enough:


And you can go snorkeling:


There are some rather beautiful corals on the ocean floor and supposedly some manta rays and plankton-eating sharks, but I didn't see them.

For some reason, there are throngs of Germans and Austrians everywhere - to the point where the local guides are as likely to speak German as English.

2 comments:

cagayan de oro resorts said...

Honestly, my first impression in the island is primitive and unsafe. But once I set foot on the island, it’s the total opposite. The beauty of the island is simply magnificent and break taking, I instantly fell in love with the island literally. How I wish I could spend all my days there, but I have to face reality and go back to my life. That island left me a scar, and has always haunted me ever since. If opportunity presents, I will definitely go back there.

Josh said...

Great picture of you with the snorkeling gear. Did you get sunburned?