The shoreline at Olanen runs straight and uninterrupted, without the dramatic rock formations that define other Bani beaches. What it offers instead is practicality: water so shallow you can walk out past the break line without it reaching your chest, and a gentle slope that makes swimming feel effortless. The sand is medium-grain and brownish-gold, firmer near the waterline where the tide packs it smooth. Pine trees—unexpected this close to the ocean—border much of the beach, their shade creating natural gathering spots where families spread blankets and set up for the day.
“The unexpected presence of coastal pines creates shaded comfort rare on Philippine beaches, while extreme shallows make it exceptionally safe for young swimmers.”
Crashing wave at sunset
The pines give Olanen its distinctive character. Their needles scatter across the sand, and the scent of their resin mixes oddly but pleasantly with salt air. You'll find hammocks strung between trunks, and locals have built simple benches from driftwood and cement. The combination of trees and shallow water makes this beach particularly popular with families from surrounding towns—parents can relax in the shade while keeping sight lines to children playing in the distant shallows.
Weekday visits reveal a quieter version of the beach, when fishermen haul in nets at the northern end and the only other visitors might be couples walking the tideline. The sunsets here lack dramatic rock-face backdrops but compensate with unobstructed views across the water, the horizon line clean and infinite. As the light fades, you'll hear the pine branches creak in the evening wind, a sound that belongs to mountains transplanted here to this open, oceanic expanse.
