Bantayan island is located North-west of Cebu. To reach the island you have to drive 3-4 hours from Cebu City to Hagnaya port in northern Cebu, and catch a ferry across which takes just over an hour. It is also possible to fly to Bantayan from Cebu with Air Juan, which is of course more expensive, but can definitely be worth it, if you want to avoid a long journey.
Bantayan was hit especially hard by the supertyphoon Yolanda in 2013, but the island has almost been completely restored since.
Discover 3 Municipalities
Bantayan Island is divided into three municipalities.
Santa Fe is the area with the most tourists and beautiful beaches. There’s a good variety of international and Filipino food here, along with bars and local shops.
Try out the hot stone oven pizza at the best italian restaurant on the island, Caffe Del Mare
The beautiful beach at Santa Fe, Bantayan Island
Bantayan
– which is also the name of a town, is another municipality located on the west coast of the island. Here you will find more local people, and therefore a richer cultural experience. There are many good bargains to be made in the public market. Bantayan also has a pier, with daily connections to Negros, and Panay, although it is unclear how reliable the timetables are.
The local tricycles on the pier in the town of Bantayan
Madridejos
The last Municipality is called Madridejos, here you can get some of the best seafood on the island, and visit Kota Park and its old fort.
Fort Kota in Madridejos
The story about Fort Kota
I Love Kota Park
Take a step inside the walls of the old fort.
Paradise Beach
One of the absolute highlights on Bantayan Island, is a hidden gemstone called Paradise Beach. Located approximately 5 kilometres from the Santa Fe beach, it is accessible via tricycle or a long walk. It is also possible to rent a scooter/motorbike, which costs around 300 pesos per day, and drive there yourself. The entrance fee to the beach is 100 pesos per person, and is most definitely worth it. The pictures below speak for themselves. This is truly a picture perfect beach.
Paradise beach, Bantayan.
Ogtong Cave
Another fun thing to do while on Bantayan Island is to visit the Ogtong Cave, which is only accessible through the Ogtong Cave resort. Visitors not staying at the resort have to pay 200 pesos per person, but will be able to use facilities at the resort such as their pool, private beach and of course, the Cave.
The view from inside the cave.
The Ogtong Cave – enjoy the refreshing water.
Final thoughts
Visiting Bantayan is definitelty a nice experience, but it is good to know, that besides the nice beaches, there is not really that much to do. The landscape is not breathtaking, and nature lovers might be disapointed with the scenery, however, it is the perfect place to relax on the world-class beaches. There are still not too many tourists, and the prices on the island are very reasonable.
– Worth a visit in our opinion, so sit down, enjoy a drink and let the good times roll.
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