Jagnaya Beach

After my daytrip at Guiuan, Eastern Samar my uncle and I stayed for the night at one of his sisters house in the town of Salcedo. They told me stories of two magnificent beach spots in Salcedo, Eastern Samar. First was the Jagnaya (pronounced as Hagnaya) Beach and the second was what my aunt would call the Hundred Islands of Eastern Samar. Especially the Jagnaya Beach because my aunt said that it has a cave opening fronting the Pacific Ocean and has a “swimming pool” near the entrance. Unfortunately, due to time constraints I was not able to go there.

Fortunately, tropical storm Pedring got me stranded in Eastern Samar. I wasted no time and excitedly called my uncle, fortunately he too wanted to go to any of the two said beaches. That day we left for Salcedo from Balangkayan and arrived at almost night time.

After a night without electricity, we were on our way to Jagnaya Beach. When we arrived in Jagnaya, the gate where we should pass to the beach was closed! There was no way I’m going to allow this to stop me! I followed the barbed fence hoping that it would end somewhere until I saw someone biking and asked for directions. Eureka! He knows another way to the beach!

How to get to Jagnaya Beach

      Tricycle to Salcedo

If you’re coming from Tacloban, Leyte ride a Van-vans or Duptour vans going to Guiuan and tell the driver to drop you off at the waiting shed in Salcedo going to Jagnaya. Estimated Travel Time is 2hrs 30mins to 3 hours. Estimated Fare is 120 Pesos/person. First trip is 5:30AM and Last trip is 5PM. Van leaves every 30 minutes even if it is not full. Waiting shed is on the left side of the National Hiway.

If you’re coming from Guiuan, Eastern Samar go to the Transport Terminal and ride the tricycles going to Salcedo. Tell the driver to drop you off at the waiting shed going to Jagnaya. Estimated Travel Time is 20 minutes. Fare is 25 Pesos/person. They are available from 6AM to 5PM. Once the tricycle is full it leaves for Salcedo. Waiting shed is on the right side of the National Hiway.

If you’re coming from Borongan, Eastern Samar go the Transport Terminal and ride the jeep going to Guiuan. Tell the driver to drop you off at the waiting shed in going to Jagnaya in Salcedo. Estimated Travel Time is 3 hours. Estimated Fare is 100 Pesos/person. First trip is around 7AM and last trip is 3PM. Once the jeep is almost full it leaves. Waiting shed is on the left side of the National Hiway.

Arriving at the waiting shed you have 2 options, either you walk or you wait for a tricycle and negotiate to take you to the baranggay of Jagnaya.

         Waiting Shed to Jagnaya

Tricycle Instruction

Wave at a tricycle driver and negotiate on how much it will cost to take you to Jagnaya Beach. According to the caretaker of the gate the tricycle costs 50 Pesos. I also heard that you should be a minimum of 3 pax. Do not forget to negotiate the time he will be picking you up in case you still want a ride back. Get his number just to have a communication with your tricycle driver.

Availability of tricycles are from 6AM to 6PM.

If you’re coming from Guiuan, maybe you can negotiate with your tricycle driver.

Walking Instruction

Walk away from the National Hiway, you’ll be passing by a town and eventually you will be walking in a road in the middle of the forest. If you encounter a fork on the road always take left. This is about 3-4 kilometers of walking, about 1 hour walk according to the locals. Ask if you are unsure.

Better bring food, drinks and flashlight when doing the walking. You might walk at night due to too much enjoyment in Jagnaya Beach.

Other Details

• The cave is called Locsoon Cave.
• There are no near sari-sari stores in Jagnaya, be sure to bring your food and drinks. There are sari-sari stores near the waiting shed beside the National Highway. Please throw your trash in the proper disposal sites.
• There is an entrance fee of 5 Pesos per person when you pass by the gate. It’s much nearer than the one I went in to.
• Best to visit the beach and cave during low tide.
• You can camp at the beach in Jagnaya.
• According to my uncle there is a jeep going to Jagnaya only one trip per day. He was not sure of the schedule though.

Satellite