The secret beaches of Sipalay

CEBU, Philippines - When it comes to beaches, Negros might not exactly top one’s list given that there are more stunning beauties like Coron, Siargao, and Camiguin, to name a few. Negros is at the top of any traveler’s mind for its charming heritage walks – and yes, for its array of sweets.   And why not?   Negros Occidental, in particular, is home to vast expanses of sugar cane fields.

Yet Negros Island is not totally devoid of its share of beaches, either. One may just need to look around hard enough to find its pockets of paradise, mostly tucked here and there, often at the end of the island’s many rugged paths.

On such piece of paradise is Sipalay, a small municipality south of Bacolod City. Sipalay joins Kabankalan right where Negros Occidental and Negros Oriental part ways. The town has vast expanses of white-sand beaches best enjoyed when the tides are low. More than this, its shore is strewn with small standing rocks that look like cupcakes garnished on top with the greenest foliage.

Because Sipalay is situated away from noisy crowds, the town is one of the best places to escape to, with a book at hand and a straw hat on the head.   While its beaches can be a bit elusive and time-consuming to get to, the way there is just as breathtaking as the destination. At certain points, it is lined by steeply falling cliffs ushering in a front-seat view of glittering sea waters, smatterings of islets, and, yes, even a promontory reminiscent of the ones found in Italy.