Summer is finally here! If you’re looking for a private beach escape away from the huge crowds that’s relatively near the metro, this vacation home might just be for you.
ABOUT TIRTA SHORES
Tirta Shores is an Airbnb rental beach house with a private 38m beach shoreline located on the sandy shores of Lian, Batangas. A 2.5-hour or so drive away from manila, one can enjoy the entire cottage that faces the beach, giving guests a perfect view of the relaxing ocean and majestic sunset.
Situated along Mountain Dew Beach, the villa is located in the more quiet and not so crowded part of Barangay Matabungkay, Lian. Guests will feel like having the beach all to themselves. The 3-bedroom rustic beachfront property can house up to 12 people max and is perfect for families and barkada outings. Here, you can have fun stand up paddling (SUP) and kayaking at the nearby mangroves; go island hopping, swimming and snorkeling; enjoy a good outdoor barbecue; catch the gorgeous orange sunset; and even end the night with a campfire and s’mores.
It’s also a plus that you can buy or pre-order the catch of the day with the help of the caretaker for that complete beach outing experience. To help you plan your beach getaway, we put together a list of activities that’ll make your stay extra sulit!
TIRTA SHORES
Mountain Dew, Lian, 4216 Batangas, Philippines
FB: Tirta Shores
IG: @tirtashores
Mobile: +63 917 589-8259
AIRBNB: @TirtaShores Private 3BR Beachfront House Batangas
HOW TO GET THERE
Tirta Shores is about 2 to 2.5 hours away from the metro. The best and fastest way is thru the scenic Tagaytay route where you can rest and have a coffee or a meal halfway going to Lian, Batangas.
Check-in time is at 3 pm & checkout time is 12 noon.
PARKING
The whole property is more or less 2000 sqm with a beachfront of about 38 meters. There’s plenty of parking space and even a basketball court for the boys. The owners wanted to provide their guests a private beach experience with the caretaker’s quarters separate from the beach house.
THE BEACH
Lucky for guests, the vacation home is located beside the sea, allowing easy access to the beach.
The beach is protected by a natural breakwater about 500m away, making the water very calm and safe for kids to swim in.
The sand… Kids can enjoy catching hermit crabs by the shore.
Aqua shoes and life vests of different sizes you can barrow.
There are 3 kayaks and 2 SUP boards that guests can use free of charge.
You should check out the nearby mangroves less than 5 minutes away from the shore via kayaking or SUPing. The best time to visit is either early in the morning or late in the afternoon to catch the sunset.
The stunning sunsets look magical on the water, so be sure to bring your cameras for those breathtaking photos. But of course, put your phones and cameras in water-sealed bags for safekeeping.
The waters are very calm and just knee-deep by the mangroves. It’s very safe for non-swimmers and life vests are not needed for this activity.
Explore the outskirts of the mangrove forest and observe the unique underwater habitat.
To complement the private beach experience, they also have other outdoor activities such as kite flying, volleyball, and even board games available.
Don’t you think that the most magical moment of the day is during sunset? Another way to experience the golden hour in Tirta Shores is by gathering around the colorful beach chairs with a drink in hand.
THE ROOMS
The small private beach house can house a max of 12 pax. We liked its very chill rustic beach vibe and the beautiful tree integrated into the facade.
(Daytime vs. Sunset) Plenty of space and seating for guests to “tambay” and chill. The expanded porch facing the beach will give you front seats to the majestic sunset of Batangas.
Air-conditioned master bedroom (2nd floor) with queen bed good for two.
Private bathroom with shower and toilet. (Full Bathroom 1)
Air-conditioned Bedroom 2 (second floor) with 2 bunk beds and a sofa.
Air-conditioned Bedroom 3 (ground floor) with 2 bunk beds.
Living room (ground floor) with a pull-out bed and awesome beach view, a perfect hangout spot when it’s still too hot outside. (Electric fan only)
The common bathroom is located inside the house on the ground floor. (Full Bathroom 2)
This is located outside with a separate shower and toilet, perfect for taking a bath after your outdoor water activities. (Full Bathroom 3)
Outdoor shower area to rinse off the sand.
THE KITCHEN
Their kitchen is fully equipped with pots, pans, plates, knives, chopping, and tableware.
Almost everything you need for cooking.
Bonding time in the kitchen…
We loved the addition of the coffee machine and blender for making shakes!
Pantry to store your food, fridge for drinks and fresh produce, and drinking water dispenser.
They have a freezer located behind the bar for frozen meat, ice cream, and ice.
Lian is a fishing town. The locals are mostly fisherman who go out to fish daily.
You can ask the caretaker to source the local fresh catch of the day from the nearby market (lobster, crab, shrimp, uracha, shellfish, blue fin, lapu-lapu, tanigue, pompano, mayamaya, and more) for you. They have a grill perfect for your barbecue. You can also ask them to buy charcoal if you forgot to bring some.
Look at that! Fresh and live lobster!!!
“Lobster na tunay” was what our caretaker wrote when we chose from the list of seafood we wanted.
It was our first time preparing lobster. It was pretty hard but very worth it!
Even the shrimps were very fresh and big!
We also brought bbq, isaw, and liempo from Manila and had them grilled here.
Let’s eat!
ACTIVITIES
Island hopping via bangka (Php 5,000) will take you to two snorkeling or swimming sites of your choosing. We left around 8 am and went back around noon just in time for lunch.
Our first spot was the white sand and clear waters of Matabungkay. It’s a great spot if you want to swim around! Our boat docked far from the shore, although there’s no actual sand bar and the water levels differ during high tide or low tide.
It’s very child friendly with its clear white sandy floor with no corals in sight, but of course, I’d still recommend bringing a life vest that you can borrow from the beach house for kids who are non-swimmers.
Our next spot was Lago de Oro, here you can rent a pedal boat, go fishing, snorkeling, and fish feeding.
Feed the fish by crumbling the bread to bits in the water. Look at all those fishes! So cool…
For non-swimmers lifevests are highly recommended.
CAMPFIRE
End your last day with a memorable campfire and toasted s’mores.
Ready to make s’mores!
FINAL THOUGHTS
Overall, we enjoyed our stay at Tirta Shores. Here’s what we liked:
• The private beach front just steps away from the beach house;
• The close proximity of the vacation home from the waters;
• Big parking space;
• Complete kitchen and utensils;
• Barbecue pit;
• Free activities you can enjoy in the compound (kayak, paddleboard, volleyball, basketball);
• Free aqua shoes and life vests for guests to use;
• Fresh seafood you can buy at the nearby market;
• Gorgeous sunset & memorable view;
• Island hopping, snorkeling, and swimming;
• Location that’s just a 2- to 2.5-hour drive from Manila; and
• Campfire experience.
I recommend you stay a minimum of two nights to fully enjoy the space and facilities.
Year-round Rates:
• 15k for weekdays
• 20k for weekends
• 25k for holidays
TIRTA SHORES
Mountain Dew, Lian, 4216 Batangas, Philippines
FB: Tirta Shores
IG: @tirtashores
Mobile: +63 917 589-8259
AIRBNB: @TirtaShores Private 3BR Beachfront House Batangas
Live an Awesome Life,
Disclosure: Thank you to Tirta Spring Villa for the awesome Airbnb experience! I wrote this article with my biases, opinions, and insights.
P.S. They also offer a 2 bedroom package on weekdays for 10k for non-peak months.
Look awesome!