We were impressed with Siquijor Island so much that we wanted to repeat the experience. After a lot of searching and comparing, the decision has been made. We are visiting Camotes Islands.
Located between the islands of Cebu and Leyte, the Camotes Islands is a set of islands that were made better known when they were mentioned in the Conde Nast Magazine in 2015. Visitors were told to go and visit the islands to “get a true taste of island life.”
Camotes Islands, or generally Camotes, are a group of four islands: Pacijan, Poro, Ponson and Tulang Island and are actually made up of four towns, namely, Poro, Tudela, Pilar and San Francisco – that form part of the province of Cebu. They are also known as the “lost horizon of the south”, and as such are one of the undiscovered jewels in Central Visayas.
The island group is blessed with white sand beaches, amazing caves, excellent underwater marine life, and the biggest freshwater lake in the province of Cebu, Lake Danao. With its transparent crystal clear waters and impeccable powdery sand, visitors will be allured with its scenic and panoramic views – something like Bantayan or Siquijor in Negros. Its sand is not pure white. Instead its gray color and texture is what keeps the beaches so unique.
Getting To the Camotes Islands
We were very happy when we found out that there is a new and quicker way to get to the Islands from Mactan Cebu. That was the reason why we have picked Eloisa Royal Suites on Mactan for an overnight stay when we were returning from San Vicente, Palawan. The hotel was about 10 min away from Mactan Yacht Club from where the Jomaila Ferry was supposedly leaving daily to Camotes. And knowing the traffic situation in Cebu City there was no way that we would be going to downtown area and then heading back to Mactan early next morning.
So after we had our breakfast we checked out of the hotel and then they drove us to the Pier at Yacht Club. Imagine our surprise when we got there and there was no Ferry at the docks. Even better nobody there knew anything about the boat leaving for Camotes from there. Back to the hotel we went and the receptionist made another call to Jomaila and they confirmed that there is no line to Camotes because they’ve cancelled it a few weeks before (of course the evening before they told here the boat will surely go from there).
The kids were getting a bit restless and we were pretty nervous too. The next stop was Danao. A town north from Cebu City from where there are daily RoRo lines to Camotes. Five of us with all our bags were stacked in a regular sedan vehicle and the guy drove us for the next one and a half hours with our legs on the dashboard until we’ve reached the town of Danao. From the Danao Port, you can ride a boat to the either Poro or Consuelo in Camotes. Make sure to ask where the boat will dock once it reaches Camotes before buying the ticket.
But another surprise was waiting for us when we were getting our bags from the trunk. In all the comotion when leaving Cebu I accidently left a small bag in the hotel car. And of course I’ve left all the passports and money in it. It was around 11 am and the boat was supposed to leave at 2 pm. So I left with the driver back to Cebu got the bag in the hotel and went back. He probably broke every possible driving rule but he got me back to Danao just in time. It was really just like in the movies when I was running towards the Ferry that was ready to depart. Thankfully they’ve stopped procedures and lowered the front so I could embark. You can only image how happy the kids were when they saw me entering the deck area.
The ride was smooth and it took us just over two hours to reach Consuelo Port on Camotes. There was already minivan from Mangodlong Paradise Beach Resort waiting for us and we’ve reached our destination in the next 10 minutes. I’ll do a separate blog entry for this gorgeous resort.
Things to Do
While a good number of people simply want to laze around the beach, there are plenty of things you can do when you visit the Camotes Islands. You can go scuba diving or snorkeling, visit Lake Danao, explore numerous caves in the islands. The longest white beach in the Camotes Islands is the Santiago White Beach located in Santiago Bay. Sadly due to the tidal condition on our visit the water was low.
Since we wanted to explore the islands by ourselves, we have rented a motorbikes across the reception of our resort for as low as 300 pesos per day. We had them for three full days so we had plenty of time for exploring.
Bukilat Cave:
This is the most famous among these caves. The cave has seven openings with the middle one big enough to allow daylight to enter the cave. The most prominent feature of the cave is the crystal clear pool inside. Its shallow waters are refreshing and cool so of course we had to try it. We were fortunate that at the time of our visit we were the only ones there.
The cave has remained relatively undeveloped with the exception of steps leading to the pool. Visitors are not allowed to eat or drink inside the cave. The cave is also home to a number of stalactites and stalagmites. To ensure these are protected, local officials are imposing a fine on people who eat, drink, or smoke inside the cave. The entry fee is 20 Php/adult, 10 Php/kids and 5 Php for motorcycle parking.
Timubo Cave:
Located in the middle of a farm where tropical crops are being grown, such as corn, coconut and bananas it cannot be easily found since it is not the same as most caves where you can enter through its visible entrance above the ground.
Timubo Cave Resort is almost like a hole or entrance of bunker in the ground. The opening is just big enough for a person to enter,
There’s a signage right at the mouth of Timubo Cave Resort saying that the fresh water inside it has been the source of water supply for all the locals living nearby.
There was a small shack with a young woman sitting there and collecting the entrance fee 20 Php/person.
Overall the whole place is interesting, refreshing and peaceful. The environment is friendly, safe, clean and simple. Since you need to climb down from the fairly safe steps to reach the pool, you need to be very careful because although there are lights it is still dark and slippery.
Second, you are not allowed to bring any food, drinks and certainly NO Smoking inside. The pool is from 5 to 6 feet deep and definitely not advisable for those who cannot swim well or small kids. Svit is a good swimmer so no worries there but I had to carry Nia in my arms while walking in the pool. I must say we really enjoyed visiting this nice place.
Lake Danao:
Our next stop was Lake Danao, a good 15 minutes’ drive from Mangodlong Resort. You can go kayaking, boating, horseback riding, and do a photo shoot here or you can just grab a lunch before hitting back. The entrance is 15 Php/person.
Paraiso Cave:
When we were done with the picture taking on Lake Danao we departed for Paraiso Cave. The dark clouds were already gathering on the horizon but we decided to make a visit anyway. It wasn’t easy to find it and we almost turned around just a few meters before reaching it. In comparison to Timubo Cave, the entrance here is 25.00 Php/person, there is a beautiful garden where you can stay and relax, the cave has a cold and deeper level of water, and it is small and not crowded. This cave is definitely the most developed and touristy oriented.
We went in for a dip but on the way back from the cave the first raindrops already started to drop. The ride back was really something we don’t want to repeat anytime soon since we’ve really experienced torrential downpour on our motorcycles driving back to the resort.
Tulang Diot Island:
We asked around for a beautiful beach and some good snorkeling and the answers were unanimous – you have to visit Tulang Diot Island. The Island is part of Barangay Esperanza of San Francisco Town on Pacijan Island.
If you are looking for a place to be alone and away from the noise of the busy world (which is kind of oxymoron on Camotes), this Island is just the place. It is the serenity and rustic atmosphere that make it stand out among other places on the island of Camotes.
Tuling Diot is just right across Tulang Dako. What separates the islands (islets) is the five-minute ride on an outrigger boat. During your short ride you’ll observe colorful fishes doing their usual business. We made a deal with a local fisherman to take us across and to pick us up in a couple of hours for 20 Php/person/both ways.
This little paradise has no fancy restaurant, just a sari-sari store where you can get anything from cold Red Horse, coffee, sodas, souvenirs and snacks.
There is a semi-circular fine white sand beach on the southern tip of the island. This is where the visitors stay. On the northern tip of the island is a lighthouse which is hike able. As said the Island has a white sand beach that can rival some of the best beaches at the Camotes Islands. The waters off the islet are crystal clear and inviting to anyone who decides to visit the place. It also features a sand bar that becomes submerged when the tide is high. It basically disappears during some parts of the day. All in all we had a day to remember on this gorgeous secluded paradise.
That sums up our 4 days adventure on Camotes Island. The islands are really of the grid and the experience was comparable to Siquijor. Saying that we can honestly recommend this beautiful islands and their friendly people to anyone who is traveling with kids or alone as a destination while traveling around the Philippines.
