Sta. Cruz Island is a small island in Zamboanga City famed for having a pink sand beach. I was awed by the island’s beauty when I first visited in 2013. I was a bit worried when it started gaining popularity because National Geographic included it in a list of the best beaches in the world. While such a distinction can ruin a place and put it in danger of over-development, I was glad to see that the island remained as beautiful and pristine as ever when I returned several years later for in time for their Summer Festival
Situated in Basilan Strait, just off the coast of the city proper and around four kilometers or merely 20 minutes boat ride from Paseo del Mar, are the twin islands of Sta. Cruz. The smaller one called Little Sta. Cruz is restricted to public because it is being used as a military camp while the bigger island, called Sta. Cruz Grande, is the one we usually see in photos as the famed pink sand beach of Zamboanga. It is just a tiny island inhabited by small community of Badjaos, open to general public but only on arrangement with the City Tourism Office of Zamboanga.
But what makes the beach pink? Well it is because of the crushed red corals known as organ pipe corals (Tubipora musica) that blend well with the sand making it look like color pink specially on broad daylight. If you walk along the beach, there’s a good chance that you’ll see these corals that are washed ashore.
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