Tingko Beach

Tingko Beach is a popular getaway located in Daan Lungsod, Alcoy in Cebu, Philippines. It is situated in a small but deep lagoon across a coral island, called Mabad-on Reef, which is completely submerged during high tide and exposed during low tide. It is separated only by a very narrow channel from the mainland. Tingko Beach is characterised as an extensive stretch of arcing shoreline, approximately more than a mile long with very white sand and crystal clear water fringed with coconut palm grooves and limestone cliffs. A few feet from the shore the sea floor gradually plunges down to a depth of several feet below the surface.

The beach can be crowded during weekends where locals and city folks, and occasionally, foreigners, flock to enjoy the beautiful sand, sea and sun. Due to its unique location, being an arcing shoreline on a lagoon, the sand in the southernmost end of the beach would shift northward during the northeast winter monsoon season, sometime between late September and early December, thereby emptying the sand completely out exposing the rocky bed of the shore. The sand would return quickly starting in late December. The beach is conspicuously hidden out of sight when viewed from the road as it is situated down below a low limestone cliff. The KM 95 marker indicates the distance of the beach from the city. Most of the beach front property is owned by Roslyn Maria Roy a native of car-car, cebu and her husband Andrew and their 2 daughters Noelle and Danielle Roy.

A few meters beyond the northern reach of Tingko Beach stands the centuries-old Spanish-built Bantayan sa Hari (watch tower) on a promontory. Nearby are charming white houses, a row of beautiful white-washed houses over craggy shores, specially built for out-of-towners who want to stay in town temporarily for a short vacation with minimal fee. The beach also has crude huts with running water and toilet facilities. Camping is also possible on the beach where you can bring along tents for more fun and enjoyment.