When I think of the beach, blue water, white sand, and waves crashing on the shore come to mind. I was thus surprised when my host in Leyte took me to Tulaan Beach, which looked like a lake. Its gentle waves reminded me of tiny, barely noticeable folds of silk.

Tulaan’s gentle waves. Biliran province’s mountains are visible in the distance.

Tulaan’s shore

Tulaan Beach is in Babatngon, Leyte, just 30 to 40 minutes away from Tacloban, the provincial capital. Most of its waters are surrounded by land, which can explain their lake-like calmness.

Tulaan’s waters are encircled by part of Leyte and Biliran.

Tulaan Beach, like Can-uba Beach in Bohol, is a pebble beach. But while Can-uba’s pebbles are more white and brown, Tulaan’s are mostly gray marbled with white.

Tulaan’s gray pebbles

One of Tulaan’s pebbles that caught my eye

Usually, my partner Rem and I make mandalas from shells and pebbles on the sand of beaches we visit. We made mandalas with particular intentions like peace of mind or safe travels. For this pebble beach, though, I tried to make a Zenlike pile of stones and pebbles. I only managed to make four tiers, though. When I sat down in front of my “tower,” I closed my eyes, basked in the sun and gentle breeze, and allowed the calm of Tulaan Beach to enter me as well.

My “Zen” pile of stones

The word “tulaan” in Tagalog means to recite poetry. Its root word “tula,” means poem. Indeed, Tulaan’s calm waters and smooth marbled pebbles are like poetry.

How to get to Tulaan Beach:

From Tacloban Central Terminal, ride a van to Babatngon. Get off at Babatngon’s town proper and ask a habal-habal  (motorbike) driver to take you to Tulaan Beach.

Where to hang out and sleep at Tulaan Beach: you can rent a cottage for PhP200. For an overnight stay, you can rent a house good for 8-10 people for only PhP700. Contact person is Ate Nene at +639394074141.

Nearby attractions: Tulaan Falls is around an hour’s trek away. Busay Falls is just 5-10 minutes away by motorbike.