Jan’s Beach Resort: The Perfect Place to Unwind in Abra de Ilog
If there’s one thing that has remained constant with me throughout the years, it’s my love for places with a nice beachfront and a quiet ambiance where you can relax, reflect, and just soak everything in. Jan’s Beach Resort just fits that bill.
Jan’s Beach Resort is an Airbnb that offers a handful of cottages in Barangay Udalo, a remote area in the also-not-touristy municipality of Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro.
It is not for everyone — for one thing, it is off-the-beaten path, there is almost nonexistent mobile data, and there are limited commercial establishments available. But it is a haven for people like me who wants to get away for a few days and just enjoy the beach and nature.
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Our stay at Jan’s Beach Resort
I came here to stay during a 4-day long weekend with my boyfriend, my older brother, and sister-in-law.
Since it was a long weekend, we left Manila before dawn to secure a parking space in Batangas Port. From there, we took the 2-hour ferry trip to Abra de Ilog.
Once in Abra de Ilog, we took a 20-minute private boat ride to Jan’s Beach Resort. The caretaker, Ate Chanda, greeted us and took care of us during our stay in Abra de Ilog.
Accommodations
Jan’s Beach Resort currently has three accommodations to choose from (a fourth one is under renovation): two cottages including a guest favorite and a beach house.
Hali and I stayed at the beach house, which is a cozy, modern house with a fan room, a private bathroom, and veranda. Even though it is small, we liked the charming rustic aesthetics reminiscent of a traditional Filipino bahay kubo. I was initially worried about the lack of airconditioning, but since it was the ber-months our room remained cool throughout.
The better (in my opinion) accommodation is the Coconut Tree House, which my brother and sister-in-law booked. It has a better location, with a veranda that overlooks the beach, and is more spacious; the only caveat is that it has a separate outdoor bathroom. The bathroom is not exclusive to this cottage, so when there are other guests at the resort, it may be unavailable.
We all liked our cottages. Each one is a short walk to the beach, surrounded by trees and flowering plants, and — surprisingly — very budget-friendly too!
Food
The resort has a shared kitchen and a small sari-sari store. I usually don’t cook when on vacation, so we didn’t bring any food to prepare. Instead, Ate Chanda made us delicious, home-cooked meals.
I’m not exaggerating, one of the best things about staying at this resort is Ate Chanda’s cooking. Just tell her if there is any dish you prefer, and she can also give you options (fish, meat, vegetables). Sometimes fishermen drop by the resort to sell fresh bounty — one morning we watched we fascinated as large maya-mayas were brought to the kitchen.
In particular, we liked the batong isda, as well as sarsiadong maya-maya and another local fish I forgot the name of. We also bought fresh coconuts.
If you’re staying here, make sure to order the day’s freshly caught fish.
Things to Do
The great thing about Jan’s Beach Resort is that you don’t need to have an itinerary to stay here. It is located along a nice beachfront with soft sands, clear emerald waters surrounded by coconut trees. There are occasional rocks in the shoreline, but it is fine to swim and frolic in the water.
On a good day, the water is calm and it is nice to just float and forget your worries away. The gentle sloping beach also makes it a good option for kids.
From the resort’s beachfront, you can walk along the mountainside to visit Munting Buhangin, a small beach cove with a home reef, and the Turtle Sanctuary, which is basically a conservation site where volunteers protect and release baby turtles to the sea. A further walk will lead you to a long beach where the turtles leave their eggs and then to the Long Beach in Sitio Sigman, which is also a swimming and snorkeling spot.
It will take you about 30 minutes to walk from the resort to Long Beach, depending on your pace.
We spent half a day to swim and snorkel, though we only got as far as the Turtle Sanctuary. It was a rainy day and the waves were stronger that day, so we were careful not to stray too far and to watch each other.
Aside from the beaches, we also visited Agbalala Falls — one of the top attractions in Abra de Ilog. We had a nice time taking pictures and swimming at the waterfall. I liked that it involves minimal trekking (only a 2-minute walk from the registration area to the waterfall) and that the waterfall looked pristine.
Interestingly, we were the only visitors when we arrived even though it was a long weekend, and it only made the experience much better.
Other spots you can visit near the resort: a river that is just walking distance where you can take a cold swim and a Mangyan village.
There are other tourist spots in Abra de Ilog, but a lot of them are scattered throughout the map. Also, as a somewhat lesser developed area, there are limited transport options in Abra de Ilog, especially at Jan’s Beach Resort in Barangay Udalo. You can either charter a boat to get to coastline areas or hire a multicab and ride across rough roads in the mountains.
Overall
Our stay at Jan’s Beach Resort is truly one for the books. I can’t stop talking about it for a few days after we got home and I was telling my boyfriend that we should plan another visit soon. A part of me wants to gatekeep this really, but if you’re here in my blog and reading this, then you deserve this treat. 🙂
Here is a short summary of our review:
- Location: Great location with a nice beachfront and is walking distance to other beach coves and snorkeling sites along the coastline. Take note that it is remote so there are limited establishments around and traveling to other places can be expensive, since you have to charter a private boat or multicab.
- Amenities: Beautiful cottages with fans; take note that there is no airconditioning. It was fine when we visited in August but possibly can be hot during the summer.
- Food: We love Ate Chanda’s cooking. Thank you Ate Chanda!
- Service: Jan, the Airbnb host, is very responsive and Ate Chanda took care of us for most of our stay.
This is truly one of the best Airbnbs we’ve stayed at and a fantastic place to visit in Occidental Mindoro.
About Jan’s Beach Resort
Jan’s Beach Resort is a beachfront resort in Barangay Udalo in Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro.
How to Get Here
Here are commute directions on how to get to Jan’s Beach Resort.
From Manila:
- Take a bus to Batangas Port (around 2-3 hours). From Batangas Port, board a ferry to Abra de Ilog (approximately 2-2.5 hours depending on the weather). The ferry will drop you off at the Abra de Ilog port.
- From Abra de Ilog port, you can charter a private boat (about 20 minutes) or a multicab (about 1 hour) to the resort.
Click here to advance book a ferry from Batangas Port to Abra de Ilog.
We recommend taking the boat to the resort on good weather, since it is a shorter, easier ride.
From other parts of Mindoro:
- You can reach Abra de Ilog by taking a bus or van from nearby towns like Calapan, San Jose, or Puerto Galera.
Travel Tips
Here are some useful things to know if you’re staying at this resort:
- Things to bring: Aside from your usual beach packing list, make sure to bring your own snorkel sets and fins since there are no shops where you can rent them. Also, bring enough cash.
- There is almost nonexistent mobile data at the resort, but there is a peso net nearby powered by Starlink — thanks Elon Musk! The power net signal does not really reach the resort so you have to stay outside to use it.
Book Your Stay Here
You can see Jan’s Beach Resort’s Airbnb listings here.
Here are the current rates (Updated as of our visit in 2024):
| Batangas Port to Abra de Ilog Port | Regular fare – P572 per person Terminal fee – P30 per person |
| Abra de Ilog Port to Udalo | Private boat – P1000 (good for 5 people) |
| Tours | Agbalala Falls: – Multicab transfer – P2000 – Boat transfer – P1500 |
At the time of our booking, we only paid around P1,000 for each night (P4000 for four nights including Airbnb fees). I can’t believe how cheap it is!
Please note that rates may change without notice. It’s best to ask the current rates to your host.
Did you enjoy reading this feature about Jan’s Beach Resort in Abra de Ilog, Occidental Mindoro? If you’ve been there, let us know your experience!
What to read next:
You might also be interested in these:
- Where to stay in Abra de Ilog: Jan’s Beach Resort
- Agbalala Falls
- Abra de Ilog Tourist Spots and Things to Do
You can also check out our guide on the nearby Puerto Galera.
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Katherine Cortes is a long-time backpacker and a freelance writer/editor. She likes beaches, snorkeling trips, and relaxing staycations (preferably with bath tubs!).
