Bantayan Island Place guide

Visitors to Cebu often find themselves staying within and near the city, opting to enjoy the sun and the sand in the nearby beaches of Mactan and Cebu island itself. Some people however, choose to explore the outer reaches by heading for some of the smaller islands surrounding Cebu. One such island the people gravitate towards when it comes to out-of-the-way adventures here is Bantayan Island.

Located northwest of Cebu, Bantayan island consists of three municipalities, namely Madridejos, Santa Fe, and Bantayan. The island is popular among locals as a place to visit during the Holy Week of Lent, which happens in March or April. It is also a popular destination for those who enjoy white sandy beaches and visiting old churches. Those who want to get a bargain on dried fish can also find very low priced options on the island.

If you simply want to laze around on a beach, eat local cuisine, and visit rundown forts and old churches, then this island is what you need. While diving is not an attraction here, and there are really no adrenaline pumping adventures to be had on the island, people do flock to it for relaxation, good food, and good company. You can find a lot of other things to do apart from swimming, tanning, and eating. Scooter rides, Ogtong cave swimming, snorkeling, and island hopping are a few of your options. It is also a place where you can try bird watching since it is home to a number of protected species.

Getting to Bantayan Island is not that difficult since there are a couple of options to choose from. One option is to take a bus to San Remegio, which can be found in the Cebu North Bus Terminal, then to take the ferry across to the Santa Fe port. Another option is to charter a flight from the Mactan-Cebu International Airport to the small Bantayan Airport, although this can be rather pricey. Trip Guru suggests that the best time of the year to visit the island is during summer. If you want to avoid the crowds, do not schedule your trip during the Lenten season or Holy Week. If you are looking to party with others however, arriving during this time of the year is ideal.