The view from Marina del Sol Resort completely wowed us. It was totally unexpected. Visiting the resort was really not in the itinerary for PHILTOA’s Northern Palawan tour, but when the owner found that we were in the area, he made an effort to connect and invite us inside his own paradise.

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The resort is located on the fringes of Busuanga’s Puerto del Sol Bay, hence its name. There’s also a resort named Puerto del Sol Bolinao, but the owner said that it has no connection with them. Its full name is really Puerto Del Sol Resort & Discovery Dive Center (old name, before they rebranded to Marina del Sol), quite a mouthful.

A beautiful lady toured us around the resort (I think she’s the owner’s daughter).

They have a total of eight cabanas scattered about the hill overlooking the bay. They’re classified into three groups; the Suite Villas (which has its own open-aired pavilion), the Standard Cottages and the Aircon Cottages. Rates range from ₱2,800.00 to ₱4,200.00.

Should guests wish for a full-board meal, they can just add ₱1,500.00 per person.

I love Marina del Sol’s rooms. They looked very Mediterranean with its rough white walls complemented with all sorts of sea-inspired relief designs. The roofs are made of cogon, marrying it seamlessly with the local bahay-kubo design.

But these are definitely not your typical bahay kubo. The rooms are very spacious and feel extremely comfortable even without air-conditioning. The design is minimalistic, but the numerous knick-knacks make up for it, adding warmth and making the room more interesting.

Marina del Sol’s toilet and bath is something else too. It is spacious, as in very, very spacious. Its design is totally different from the usual comfort rooms in hotels and resorts. It even has a sitting area with a view of the bay. Just wow.

The lady then led us down more steps and we emerged into their open-aired restaurant. With really no spare time on hand, the only thing we were able to try was a cold glass of water.

From the restaurant, the curving, irregular-shaped pool of Marina del Sol can be seen. I’m not sure if you can consider it an infinity pool, but it does look out directly to the waters of the bay. I like how natural it looks with its unfinished pebble floor.

Further down is the resort’s bamboo wharf for guests wanting some island adventure and diving sessions. Marina del Sol is a dive resort after all. And apparently, they are one of the pioneers in Busuanga.

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Overall, I really liked Marina del Sol’s vibe. With the way its cabanas are designed and their hillside placements, it’s probably one of the most unique resorts this side of Palawan. The only downside is that they have no beach area, but I guess that can easily be filled in through the numerous island hopping adventures in Coron.

Marina Del Sol Resort & Discovery Dive Center ►ROOM RATES
Address: Brgy. Concepcion Busuanga, Palawan
Contact Number: (0977) 201-2223
Email: info@marinadelsol.ph
GPS Coordinates: 12.025758, 119.983611