Blanco Beach Resort Malapascua

A small island resort with its own stretch of beach, a garden and rooms facing either the sea or the grounds. Blanco Beach Resort suits divers who want the water close, meals on site and enough space to slow down without turning the evening into a programme of organised fun.

The setting is practical as well as attractive: you can step from the resort towards the beach for a swim or snorkel, then retreat to an air-conditioned room with a balcony. Families are welcome, while couples can keep things simple with a sea-view double room, a meal by the ocean and very little reason to go wandering unless they feel like it.

You are on the beachfront at Brgy Logon, Malapascua Island, in the Philippines, with direct access to a small beach area where rocks form part of the shoreline. Snorkelling starts from the beach in front of the resort, so there is no complicated expedition involved: towel, mask, water, and off you go.

Bounty Beach and Logon Beach are both about 100 metres away. Chiringuito Beach Bar and Restaurant is roughly 50 metres from the resort, while Angelina Beach Resort and Italian Restaurant is about 100 metres away. The port is around a five-minute walk, which matters on arrival when your luggage has developed its own personality.

The transfer from Mactan-Cebu International Airport covers 137 kilometres, or about 85 miles. The resort can arrange a private airport transfer, and the route also involves reaching Maya Port before taking a boat to Malapascua.

For two, the Deluxe Double Room with Balcony and Sea View is the obvious choice when the room itself should keep the island in sight. The balcony gives you somewhere to sit with a drink or let the day finish properly, while the private bathroom, wardrobe and seating area cover the unglamorous but useful parts of a diving stay.

If you are travelling with family, the Family Room gives you the breathing space that a standard double cannot. Interconnected rooms are also available, making it easier to keep people nearby without putting everyone in one large sleeping arrangement. A sofa bed, dining area and private entrance add to the sense that some rooms are designed for more than simply dropping a suitcase.

Air conditioning is welcome when you return warm, salty and ready for a horizontal hour. A ceiling fan, mosquito net, soundproofing and a drying rack are also available in the accommodation mix. Daily housekeeping keeps the practical side moving, while free WiFi works throughout the resort, with a stated limit of 5GB and two devices per stay.

The on-site restaurant serves breakfast, lunch and dinner beside the beach, with the ocean doing its part of the room decoration without charging for a sea-view upgrade. The kitchen combines local and Italian cooking, so you can stay with island flavours or retreat towards something more familiar when the appetite has been working harder than planned.

Breakfast is served as a buffet, with continental, Italian, Asian and American options, as well as local specialities and breakfast to go. That gives you flexibility on a morning when an early start matters more than a leisurely plate of eggs.

For the gaps between meals, there is a bar, coffee shop and snack bar, along with a minibar and tea and coffee-making facilities in the accommodation. Room service and breakfast in the room are available too. Special-diet menus can be requested, and the restaurant can prepare packed lunches when the day takes you away from the table.

The beach is the main piece of leisure equipment here, and it does not need much explanation. Sun loungers, beach chairs and umbrellas give you somewhere to settle with a book, while the garden, terrace and outdoor seating provide alternatives when you have had enough sand in places sand should never reach.

Snorkelling is available directly from the resort beach, and water-sports facilities can be arranged on site. Boat excursions, walking tours and island activities offer a way to see more of Malapascua without turning the whole stay into a fitness challenge. Bicycle hire and bike tours are also available for exploring on land.

For the less energetic part of the afternoon, yoga classes and massages cover the obvious post-dive requirements. Treatments include full-body, couples, foot, head, neck, back and hand massages. A couples massage is the sensible option when both of you are carrying the same number of hours underwater in your shoulders.

The resort offers an airport shuttle, arranged on request, including private transfers from Mactan-Cebu International Airport. If you travel independently from Cebu City, the route runs via the northern bus terminal and Maya New Port, followed by a boat to Malapascua. The last boat departure is at 17:00, so arrival planning is not the place for optimism.

Check-in runs from 15:00 to 21:00 and check-out from 06:00 to 11:00. You need photo identification and a credit card at check-in, and the resort needs your expected arrival time in advance. Luggage storage, a tour desk, concierge service and an ATM are available on site, which is useful when the island timetable and your own timetable fail to agree.

Children of all ages are welcome, with cots and extra beds available on request according to the accommodation selected. The resort is non-smoking throughout, pets are not allowed, and 24-hour security, a safety deposit box and key access are in place. Free WiFi covers the resort, although the 5GB and two-device limit is worth keeping in mind if you plan to upload every dive before dinner.