Just like most of the resorts in Puerto Galera, Luca’s is very rustic with wooden or bamboo furniture inside and the bedsheet is often the floral type coming in spring or ice cream colors. The rooms though are far from basic. Each has cable TV, refrigerator, en suite shower with hot water, and air condition that we actually kept on during the entire duration of our stay even if there were windows to let the sea breeze in. During our first visit, our room had about 4 double beds but during the recent visit, we had a double and a single one inside the room. While we always had a beachfront room, rooms at the end of the hall are also available.
With logistics out of the way, what appeals to me about Luca’s is the fact that it is a seclude place to chill. My two visits were in November, on a long weekend, but it was not crowded at all. It’s at the edge of a cove so there are no passersby and it’s quiet. The beach is very clean and there are chairs to lounge at and also enough space to just lay out your mat and bake under the sun. If you’re into water activities, resort staff can always arrange snorkeling or paragliding. As for me, I was there to relax instead of be active.
As laid back as we were, we always got there by lunch, so upon checking in, our first order of business was to have a meal, reserve our dinner (they do run out of the Vongole!), and schedule our massage sometime before dinner. Aside from the beach, the highlight for us is the food. I am not a fan of pasta and pizza and I can’t remember myself deliberately walking into any Italian restaurant. But at Luca’s, I liked their marinara pasta and margarita pizza. Their version is just so generous with ingredients that sometimes, you have to look for noodles around the mussels. Homemade bread is also available and you’ll definitely need it to mop up the leftover pasta sauce if you haven’t consumed it by dipping into balsamic and some parmesan. But other favorites are their breaded pork chops and peppered steak. We usually order those for dinner or lunch the next day with another pasta dish.
But mornings at Luca’s are also worth rising to. Their al fresco dining area is often empty in the morning and one can leisurely enjoy their mango or banana crepes with chocolate and other shakes. There are other usual breakfast dishes but this is what we often order and look forward to.
When we’re not eating, we’re either having a massage or lounging at the beach. The water is clear and as I mentioned earlier, the space is always often empty so you can wade (as I do) without any interruption. Sometimes, groups of tourists go to Luca’s just to eat and others stay to take pictures or for the kids to play (the beachfront is large enough for volleyball) but oftentimes, it’s really empty.
Of course, the entire resort is equipped with wifi so one can only disconnect to an extent. The staff are so accommodating that if you request for fresh buko juice, they will bring it to you even if it’s not on the menu.
Others might find this too simplistic or boring but for me, the whole point of relaxing in the beach is to just be.
If you're after an affordable impromptu weekend with good food and comfortable rooms, I suggest Luca's. An overnight stay point to point from Manila would perhaps set you back about 3,000PhP but of course it depends on how hungry or thirsty you are. We often spend more because we also go to town and get must-haves at the Swiss and Italian shops that I can't find in Manila.
If you want to check the resort’s availability, you may contact the resort owner, Anabel.
Website: http://www.lucaphilippines.com/
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