Magpupungko Beach and Natural Pool of Siargao

March 1, 2015
Siargao is not only home to the best surfing spot in the Philippines but also one of the finest white sand beaches. One of the gems of Siargao is the Magpupungko Beach which is home to its natural pool where you can swim and snorkel even during high tide.



Magpupungko Beach (coordinates 9.87551N 126.11995E) is a white sand beach situated at Barangay Consolacion at Pilar, Surigao del Norte. Similar to Barangay Catangnan's Cloud 9 resort which is known as the best surfing spot, the Magpupungko beach is facing east towards the edge of the Pacific Ocean. But unlike, Catangnan, Magpupungko has a natural pool that protects its swimmers from the strong waves coming from the ocean.

The beach is only about three hundred meters and length with cottages and shower rooms. Access to the beach is Php 50 per pax. However, one notable area of the beach is a Magpupungko Natural Pool at its northernmost edge where sea water gets trapped at low tide and enjoy a jacuzzi-like natural pool with turquoise sea water flowing to it.

During high tide, the area is still protected by natural rock formations that surrounds it where strong waves are cut and the pool gets only above eight feet, just right for swimming and snorkeling.

How to get to Magpupungko of Siargao

Magpupungko Beach can be accessed via a habal-habal (motorcycle ride) to the town of Pilar at about Php 200 roundtrip from the town of General Luna where the famed Cloud 9 surf spot is located.

It is about 37.2 kilometers away from Catangnan or about an hour away.

The road passed Barangay Datu however is currently being constructed and is very muddy. Currently, only motorcycles and 4x4 are allowed to pass through the roads. There was a part of the road that we have to walk as the motorcycle could not make it with passengers on it.

An alternate route if you are bringing your own vehicle would be going around Siargao's western side at Barangay Sayak Airport and to the eastern towns of San Isidro then to Pilar which would double the travel time.

We have hired a habal-habal for Php 700 to tour us the whole day to Siargao Island from Dapa Port to Magpupungko and to Cloud 9 and to the island hopping port of General Luna and back.

For more information on our itinerary to Siargao and a detailed travel guide, you can refer to our article on Island Hopping Guide to Siargao Islands.

The trip to Magpupungko Beach of Siargao is part of our 7-day mapping expedition to the eastern seaboard of the Philippines; covering 13 provinces from Mindanao's Caraga Region to Eastern Visayas and Bicol which acquired over 500 waypoint data and covered over 2,700 kilometers of roads, trails and ferry routes. The data has been donated to OpenStreetMap Philippines and a GPS routable map of the Philippines is being compiled by Schadow1 Expeditions regularly to which it can be used for navigation assistance for tourism and humanitarian purposes.


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2015 East Philippine Seaboard Mapping Expedition Articles

• East Philippines Seaboard Mapping Expedition 2015 Part 1
• East Philippines Seaboard Mapping Expedition 2015 Part 2
• East Philippines Seaboard Mapping Expedition 2015 Part 3
• East Philippines Seaboard Mapping Expedition 2015 Part 4
• Portuguese Man-o-War on Island Hopping to Siargao
• Tinuy-An Falls - Multi-tiered and Widest Waterfall in the Philippines
• What is with this small paradise called Canigao Island
• The Magnificence of  Hinatuan Enchanted River
• Island Hopping Guide at Siargao Islands
• Magpupungko Beach and Natural Pool of Siargao Islands
• The Surfing Capital of the Philippines - Cloud 9 Siargao
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