Bantayan Island Cebu is an undiscovered paradise. Here’s how to enjoy the best beaches, day resorts, local restaurants before the crowds inevitably arrive.
All I could think when we traveled Bantayan Island, was how lucky we were to be there. I’d heard Filipinos that it was better than Boracay, but many didn’t want to hassle of driving a few hours from Cebu City to then take a ferry to visit.
As the Philippines has so many islands that’s understandable, especially when you can fly into many of them. And areas in South Cebu like Siquijor Island or crossing over to Dumaguete have more amenities.
But they also have more tourists.
And so while we were there it felt like paradise, with local Filipino food, inexpensive guesthouses, sunbeds at resorts that just cost a few dollars a day.
And no crowds.
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This may soon change for Bantayan as there are plans to bring in commercial flights to the small island airport. Knowing it would change I wanted to enjoy every peaceful, beautiful moment.
In this travel guide to the island I’ll share all my favorite spots, starting with food. Because there is great Filipino food and one food on Bantayan Island you won’t find anywhere else in the Philippines.
And then I’ll share all the travel tips so you know what to expect, both the good and the bad.
But let’s start with the delicious.
Traditional Bantayan Island Food
Buwad | Dried Fish
Buwad, or dried fish, is a Bantayan Island staple, often made with locally caught fish.
Salted and sun-dried, it’s eaten with rice and vinegar. This simple, savory dish showcases the island’s fishing culture and coastal ingredients.
Where I stayed we saw people drying fish everywhere. It’s not my favorite thing but I can appreciate it.
Taguangkan – Tagu-angkan
I looked everywhere for this Filipino food, which you can only eat on Bantayan Island. It’s a chicken womb or ovary with an unfertilized egg and intestine on a skewer.
I had almost given up as locals suggested the street vendors in Bantayan town proper but I did not find it. When I finally gave up and went to Santa Fe Public Market I saw someone selling it.
It sounds exotic but actually it tastes like a boiled or fried egg grilled with chicken.
Guso Salad | Seaweed Salad
Guso Salad features fresh guso (seaweed) mixed with tomatoes, onions, and sometimes green mango.
It’s seasoned with vinegar, salt, and occasionally chili for a hint of spice. The dish offers a crunchy, refreshing taste of fresh seaweed.
Guso Salad has origins in Visayan cuisine, commonly served as a side dish with grilled fish or pork.
Lechon Manok | Roasted Chicken
The Philippines is known for roasted pork but wow the roast chicken here is amazing.
Lechon manok is chicken marinated in spices and slowly roasted over charcoal. There are lots of places selling it on the way to Bantayan town proper and it’s worth trying the juicy interior and crispy skin.
My favorite is actually in Dumaguete but Bantayan is worth a try as well.
Drinks in the Philippines
Sinugba | Grilled Seafood
Sinugba features freshly caught seafood, like fish or squid, grilled over open flames.
Seasoned with salt and sometimes brushed with a little oil, this dish highlights the island’s abundant seafood and simplicity in preparation.
There are lots of places in Santa Fe that will offer this to tourists at night. But I found the food to be better quality and less expensive in Bantayan town proper.
MAKE IT AT HOME:
Filipino Kinilaw Recipe
Torta | Sponge Cake
A traditional Cebuano food. Torta is a soft sponge cake made with tuba (palm wine) as a leavening agent. Sweet and fluffy but also so dense it’s perfect as a beach snack.
Bantayan has amazing bakeries with so many Filipino sweets. We always popped into one before heading out for the day.
This dessert has Spanish roots and is often enjoyed during local celebrations.
My Favourite Restaurants in Bantayan
Fercilla’s: she is a local karinderia on the way to the mangrove that sells food to locals. She starts at 5am and serves until 2pm and then goes to the market to start cooking for the next day. If you’re coming from Manila, check out my favourite spots for breakfast in Poblacion Makati.
Uncle Brew: The cost of coffee varies so widely on the island. Of course you expect higher prices as they have to transport it onto the island, but in some cases it was shocking. The folks at Uncle Brew serve strong coffee in paper cups for 39 PHP and are really nice.
Exotic Filipino Drinks
Mama Tita’s Bakery: Great baked goods at an amazing price. The coffee shop next door had reasonable prices.
Santa Fe Public Market: to try taguangkan and try exotic Filipino fruits you don’t have at home.
Karinderias: We found that eating local food outside Santa Fe was the best bet. We tried eating in Santa Fe but I couldn’t recommend any of the spot.
The Island’s Growing Pains
Just a quick heads up on the things that aren’t so great about Bantayan Island. They aren’t a big deal once you know:
- The construction in Santa Fe is insane and confusing. Every day they block off a new street so Google Maps can’t keep up. Even locals were confused. That said with an increasing influx of tourists you have to update the infrastructure so it’s hard to complain.
- They do experience brown outs. Keep devices charged.
- Don’t depend on wifi as it can be spotty outside Santa Fe and Bantayan Town Proper. It’s best to download the google map of the island to your phone.
Best Things to Do When You’re Not Eating
So many beaches and waterfalls and other natural areas. Bantayan gives Palawan beaches a run for their money as they have equal beauty but fewer crowds.
We didn’t rush to see everything as it was a relaxing trip and on our final day it rained the whole time. Here were my favorite spots.
Sandira Beach
Sandira is popular and you can get there two ways. We saw locals trying to tell Korean tourists they had to pay to be on the beach. That’s not true. You do need to pay for motorcycling parking but it’s a public beach.
There are no lifeguards or palm trees for shade. People huddle under the limestone rocks for a bit of relief from the sun.
Montemar Beach
Most of the beaches don’t have palm trees to keep you in the shade and it is HOT. Our guesthouse owner Maria recommended this resort as she goes here. I was so thankful for the recommendation because I would have never found it on my own.
Montemar Beach Resort only charges 150 PHP for entry, which includes parking, washrooms and lounge chairs with shade. Check out the video to see the incredible color of the water at this beach.
The Beach Outside My Hotel
As it’s a fishing village you’ll see boats come in and out and the village children playing.
It’s not the best beach for swimming but there are palm trees and there’s something quite relaxing about it.
Omagieca Obo-ob Mangrove Garden
I love supporting community based tourism that helps locals maintain their environment rather than selling land to developers.
It’s less than a 15 minute drive from Santa Fe and incredibly only 75 PHP to enter. It’s a nice walk through the mangrove although make sure you bring sunscreen.
There are lots of local vendors selling souvenirs outside for prices better than you’ll find in Cebu.
Bantayan Island Hotel Recommendation
There is a lot of development going on in Bantayan in preparation for the wave of tourism that locals (or likely foreign investors) hope will appear.
I read a lot of reviews and so far the quality of accommodation doesn’t seem to exponentially increase as you may more.
I opted for a local guest house called Maria Guesthouse that was in a fishing village and the midway point between Santa Fe and Bantayan Town Proper. Maria was lovely and gave great local recommendations.
How to get to Bantayan
It’s quite straightforward to visit Bantayan from Cebu City. Take a bus or taxi to the port and then the ferry over.
While there are technically flights they are pricey and only run on Fridays and Sundays to service wealthy Filipinos who want to visit for the weekend.
By Bus
Take a Ceres bus from Cebu North Bus Terminal to Hagnaya Port (approx. 3 hours). Once at Hagnaya, board a ferry to Bantayan Island, which takes around 1 hour.
By Taxi
Hire a taxi from Cebu City to Hagnaya Port, costing about 2,500–3,000 PHP. From Hagnaya, take the ferry to Bantayan Island, a 1-hour ride.
By Ferry
From Hagnaya Port, ferries to Bantayan Island depart frequently and take about 1 hour. No reservations needed; simply purchase tickets at the terminal.
By Plane
Since August 2024, Air Juan offers flights from Mactan-Cebu International Airport to Bantayan Airport. The 30-minute flight provides a scenic and quick option, skipping the bus and ferry.