Break Free with Pico Sands Hotel

The past two summers only got us wishing for days where we could freely bask in the sun, feet buried in powdery white sand or maybe sipping fresh juice straight out from the coconut. With the universe’s grace, for the first summer time in pandemic, we could finally hit the beach and let the waves take away all the stress it has caused us. The good news: we’re just a dose or two of COVID-19 vaccination away from breaking free. If you have decided to go and you want to spare yourself from the stress of planning for your idyllic getaway, here’s a perfect summer package that would make you Break Free by Pico Sands Hotel.

The “Break Free!” Package

This package is brought to you by Pico Sands Hotel. The 3 days and 2 nights itinerary is curated to let you experience the best of Hamilo Coast and Pico de Loro’s top tier activities, facilities and services; hence, break free from the city or your daily routines and the stress that it brings you. More so, this package is NOT exclusive to the members of the Country and Beach club only. All you need is someone or few friends to form a group of four, a desire to break free and you’re good to go.

Our Break Free with Pico Sands Hotel Experience

Waking up to a Gorgeous view of the Lagoon

Our Break Free experience started with checking into a Lagoon View Room at Pico Sands Hotel. The room is fully air-conditioned and equipped with a Cable TV, mini bar, bathroom with hot and cold shower and toiletries and of course, high speed Wi-Fi.

What I love the most about the room is that, everything has been sanitized and even labeled so. The hotel also provided us a hygiene kit containing face masks and sanitizer. This way, they are reassuring the guests that the place is safe to stay at especially in this time of pandemic.

I also love how the room has a balcony with table and chairs. I enjoyed my mornings in there, drinking hot tea, reading and meditating with some fresh air and a breath taking view of the man-made lagoon and the mountains that surround the cove.

Lunch by the Beach

After checking in, we headed to Pico beach for our special set lunch. We enjoyed the food, ambience and the thought that it will get us ready for all the exciting activities for the day. The menu was just perfect for the venue and the weather; or the venue made the food taste better? Either way, it seemed like nothing could go wrong with a fine day at the beach with good food!

Sunset Cruise around Hamilo Coast

At around 4 in the afternoon, we got into a deck boat and embarked on a sunset cruise around Hamilo coast. Kuya Jojo, Pico Sands’ senior boatman, told us about the coves and islands that we passed by and its rich flora and fauna during this cruise. Among those that we passed by were Itayo Cove, Subli Cove, Turtle Island, Elephant Cove, Broken island with Bat Cave. We didn’t dock into any of these but we did stop to take photos.

While on board, they handed each of us a glass of wine and a charcuterie plate for refreshment. Too bad we did not bring any Bluetooth speakers to blast some party songs. We started a party of our own anyway!

Relaxing Massage at Rain, the Spa

Since there are only two on-duty masseuse, we opted to modify our itinerary so the two of us had to go before the dinner and the other two, after. Marky and I went first an hour before the dinner. I honestly love how professional yet cheerfully welcoming the staff at Rain, the Spa is!

We started with a 10-minute sauna. Then, we proceeded to getting our Awaken the Senses massage, one of Rain’s signature massage experiences. It was an hour of a relaxing Swedish and Shiatsu combination that truly relaxed not just our bodies but also our minds. After coming back to our senses, our masseuse handed us a cup of hot tea.

Romantic Dinner Under the Stars at the Beach

Pico Sands leveled up our dining experience during our dinner on our first night. They took us at this white dome at Pico beach for our fancy four-course private dinner. The food was great and the service was indeed exceptional. There might be no romantic musing playing at the background but we got the sound of the waves which I find more enticing.

Trip to Santelmo Cove, an Exclusive Beach and Protected Marine Sanctuary

On our second day, we had a hearty breakfast by the beach to get us ready for a fun-filled day at Santelmo cove. This is one of the 13 exclusive coves and beaches of Hamilo Coast that opens up to Cutad Island and South China Sea that is some 15 minutes away by boat from Pico Beach. We enjoyed our day basking in the sun in its stretch of powdery white sand beach, paddle boarding, swimming, trekking to its view deck and diving into its reef. Don’t miss out on this protected marine sanctuary’s reef! It is a nursery to black tip sharks, home to a school of jackfish, giant batfish, giant clams and more. Bring your snorkeling/ freediving gear or book for a SCUBA diving trip with them.

You may also want to read: The Differences between SCUBA Diving, Freediving and Skin Diving

After trying out all the activities that we can do at the cove, we enjoyed our Pinoy-style packed lunch. Jerry and Joana served us with our bilaos of stir-fried noodles, halabos na hipon (shrimp), grilled chicken for everyone and fish for me (love that they really took note of my allergies!) ensalada and some slices of fresh fruits.

Indoor Sports at Pico De Loro Country Club

Apart from the fun outdoor activities included in the Break Free package by Pico Sands Hotel, there are also indoor sports and activities that we could try. Part of the itinerary is either bowling or billiards at Pico De Loro Country Club.

Private Spanish Dining Experience

Every meal is exciting not just for the food itself but because of the venue that gives a different atmosphere; hence dining experience, too. On our last night, we had a private dinner at the Spanish Steps. We got giddy at the romantic set up by the lagoon as there were lanterns leading us to our dome. It was almost pitch black by the lagoon but the faint lights from the lamp posts and hanging lanterns were reflected in its waters giving us something else to be amused about. That night, we feasted on something Spanish.

Each meal that we’ve had is quite an experience and this last dinner was a blast. We were almost full with the starters so we took time to make space for the main course. Who would want to miss the shrimp gambas and seafood paella? It was all best paired with a glass of sangria.

5-Mile Morning Walk to Marina Bay

On our third day, we woke up early and met at the lobby for our 5-Mile morning walk to Marina Bay. The route was scenic that we couldn’t help but capture it all with our cameras. We passed by the chapel where we stopped for some stretching exercises, ‘the nest’ with the view of Pico beach and a not-so random roadside with the row of bougainvillea against a panoramic view of the bay.

Make sure that you would bring a good pair of running or walking shoes and comfortable clothes for this activity!

Hearty Breakfast by the Lagoon

On our last day, we had breakfast at the Spanish Steps with a view of the man-made lagoon after a fun 5-mile walk to Marina Bay. It was the same place where we ate for dinner last night but dining in there in the morning is like a whole new experience. The sun was up, revealing a lush around us and a clear skies above us.

We feasted over Filipino, American and Asian breakfast and exchanged stories about the fun walk that we just had. Since we want to make the most out of our stay, we spent the last few hours swimming at the pool and at Pico beach.

Break Free with Pico Sands today!

Experience the best with Pico Sands Hotel and book your Break Free package today! For updates, inquiries and booking, you may reach them through the following:

Address: Pico de Loro Cove, Hamilo Coast, Barangay Papaya 4231 Nasugbu, Philippines
Website: www.picosandshotel.com
Facebook: Pico Sands Hotel
Instagram: @picosandshotel
Telephone: +63 917 809 1289 / +63 2 8464 7888
Email: reservations@picosandshotel.com
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Parting Words

A feast for the senses and a euphoric state of mind — this is how I would describe what the Break Free package of Pico Sands Hotel brings. I really do wish my words and photos gave justice to how elating this experience was; but I don’t think it did. I couldn’t stress more how fun and convenient everything was since we did not have to plan on how we could make the most of our stay. They had it all for us. What we all needed is ourselves.

Would you love to experience breaking free this summer, too? Tell us about it!

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