A weekend getaway at Punta del Sol
By Raquel C. Bagnol
THE moment I stepped into the shores of Punta del Sol beach resort a few kilometers off Peñaplata at the Island Garden city of Samal (Igacos), an immediate transformation in my mood took place. It felt like taking off my old clothes, leaving it on the shore and donning on a new set to begin a new experience.
Wonderfully cool and relaxing, Punta del Sol is an ideal place to temporarily forget the daily pressures of life. This is how one could describe this resort that is slowly carving its own niche among the famed resorts in the island. The 20-minute boat ride via Wave Dancer (aptly named) from Sta. Ana wharf took us to this resort to spend a weekend away but not totally away from the city. It’s a place where one could think of nothing else but just relax.
My plan to take a dip in the sea (uh-uh, not skinny dipping) that night however failed because I was asked to be one of the judges of the Macho Gay and Mr. & Ms. Foundation contest of the Tribung Mindanao Mountaineering Club (Trimmoc) who spent the night there to celebrate their 16th anniversary.
It was nearly midnight when the show was over and the wind has risen, drowning my desire to go swimming (as if I know how to swim, the right term actually is wading). I sat for a long time at the wharf’s edge, my feet dangling above the crystal-clear waters as I gazed into the glimmering lights of Davao city from a distance. To my left is Kaputian and Talicud islands. I felt like being detached from life in the city and enjoying the chance to just look at it from a distance.
Punta del Sol comes with complete facilities to serve one’s basic needs like a restaurant, water sports, open cottages, overnight cottages for as low as P300, an apartelle priced at P1,500 a night and high-end suites at affordable prices. Rates for daytime visitors is P40 per person, while it’s P80 for overnight stay per person.
The resort restaurant offers fast food services to whet the appetite of its clients. Included in the menu are pancit bihon, panga and tuna belly, fried or buttered chicken, kinilaw (raw fish) and a whole lot more at wallet-friendly prices.
Punta del Sol’s charming manager Araceli A. Pe Benito goes a second mile to welcome guests and see to it that they feel at home and relaxed. Mam Celi said they also offer island-hopping package tours and cater to seminars, weddings and conventions at very affordable rates to suit the pockets of all.
For an experience you will surely treasure, take time to leave the routine of your daily life and sniff the salty tang of ocean air from the grassy shores of Punta del Sol, sit under the shade of trees in the green and neatly-manicured bermuda-covered lawns, go snorkeling, scuba diving or fishing or belt out songs from the karaoke machine inside the restaurant, and come away refreshed and recharged.
Getting there:
Visitors with cars can board the ferry boat at Sasa while for those who are ‘car-less’ (like me) can board the boat at Km.11 (Sasa) to Babac and take a motorcycle ride for P15 to Punta del Sol. Groups can call the management and arrange for a charter boat from Sta. Ana wharf. Very soon, mini-buses will be available to fetch visitors from the city and straight to Punta del Sol via the ferry. For information/reservations, you may call tel. nos. 301-4018; Cellphone No. 0917-7006253 or the Davao city booking office at tel. Nos. 221-2121; 305-3838 and 305-2020.
CONTACT INFORMATION
Punta Del Sol Beach Resort
Catagman, Penaplata District, Island Garden City of Samal, Davao City, Philippines
Telephone Numbers:
Resort - (084) 301-4018
Davao Booking Office - (082) 2212121
Fax - (082) 305-3838
Mobile - (0917) 700-6253
Email: puntadelsol_samal@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.samalislanddivers.com/punta-del-sol-resort.php












































































































































