2 Day Bantayan Island Itinerary

When I chose to visit Bantayan Island, it was a complete spur of the moment decision.  Having been in Malapascua, I was looking on a map for islands that were nearby and Bantayan piqued my interest.  So I hired a private boat and made the two-hour trek from Malapascua to Bantayan.  This is everything you need to know about visiting the island plus a proposed 2 day Bantayan Island itinerary.

 

If you’re planning a trip to the Philippines, don’t miss…

• Everything You Need to Know About Planning a Trip to the Philippines
• The Best Packing List for the Philippines

 

Where is Bantayan Island?

Bantayan Island is an island in the Philippines located west of Northern Cebu in the Visayan Sea.  The island is surrounded by Cebu to the east, Negros to the southwest, Panay to the west, and Masbate to the north.

 

How to Get to Bantayan Island

The main way to get to Bantayan Island is by boat from Cebu.  There is an airport on the island, however I’m not sure that it’s open for commercial use.  In this post, I’ll be discussing how to get to Bantayan from both Cebu and Malapascua (since that’s how I traveled to Bantayan).

 

Cebu to Bantayan

The primary way to arrive to Bantayan Island is from Cebu.  To do this, you’ll need to arrive to the Hagnaya Port in Northwestern Cebu.  You’ll either come from Cebu City where you’ll go to the North Bus Terminal station, and get on a bus to Hagnaya Port.  The bus to Hagnaya Port will take around three hours and should not cost more than 300 pesos for a public bus.

If you’re not already in Cebu City, another option would be to hire a private driver to take you to Hagnaya Port.  One popular route is to hire a private taxi from Moalboal which takes around 4.5 hours (this way you can avoid going from Moalboal to the South Bus Terminal in Cebu City, transferring to the North Bus Terminal, and then going to the Hagnaya Port).  If you want to hire a private driver, it should not cost you more than 5,000 pesos.  I used a guy named Reegan Rex and you can contact him on WhatsApp – +63 953 447 4702.

Once you arrive to the port, you’ll board a boat that costs 300 pesos and takes one hour to get to Santa Fe port in Bantayan.  This boat is very large and accommodates cars and buses too.  There is food, drink, and bathrooms on the boat.

 

IF YOU’RE TRAVELING FROM CEBU & ONLY WANT TO DO A DAY TRIP, CHECK OUT THIS TOUR!

 

Malapascua to Bantayan

If you’re in Malapascua and traveling to Bantayan, you’ll hire a private boat that takes two hours to get to Bantayan.  At the time of writing, there is no public boat that travels between the two islands.  For two people, the cost should not exceed 3,500 pesos.  My friend Robert can help set you up with a private boat – you can contact him on WhatsApp – +63 915 460 5039.

 

Is Bantayan Island Worth Visiting?

This is a question that I have a hard time answering because my immediate answer is neither “yes” or “no”.  I want to be as clear and transparent as possible about my thoughts on Bantayan and have to say I was a little bit disappointed when I read other blogs that raved about the island – simply because that was not my personal experience.  With that being said, if you’re looking for a quieter and affordable getaway, with very few tourists, and beautiful beaches – then yes, Bantayan is great!  I would also say that my favorite thing that I did in the Philippines was a day trip from Bantayan Island to Virgin Island so for this reason, again, I would say yes you should visit Bantayan.

However, overall I was also disappointed with the island.  I think that when you look at other blogs about things to do in Bantayan, most of the things offered on the island are incredibly overrated.  And overall, it just wasn’t very exciting.  Top it off with mediocre hotel options, very few quality cafes, and I was disappointed.

 

Which Island is Better – Malapascua or Bantayan?

If you’re someone who’s trying to decide between Malapascua and Bantayan, it’s hard to say.  If you’re a diver – I would 100% recommend Malapascua over Bantayan.  If you’re not, I think it’s more variable.  Bantayan is much bigger than Malapascua, but has much fewer foreign tourists.  Bantayan is more affordable than Malapascua.  Malapascua has a better “vibe” (in my opinion).  Bantayan has more stunning beaches and more things to do (although a lot of these things are pretty overrated).  The list goes on!  I can’t recommend one over the other.

 

To better help guide your decision, don’t miss…

• The Ultimate Guide to Malapascua

 

When to Visit Bantayan Island

The ideal time to visit Bantayan Island in the Philippines is during the dry season, which lasts from November to May.  This period promises pleasant weather, with little rainfall and plenty of sunshine, perfect for exploring the island’s beaches and crystal-clear waters.  Bantayan sees the most tourists from March through May when the weather is most stable.  Keep this in mind when planning your travels.

 

Where to Stay on Bantayan Island

I think that the best area to stay in on the island is near Santa Fe.  This area is in the south part of Bantayan and is where the port is, where many beautiful beaches are, and where there are tons of bars and restaurants.  Here are the hotels in Bantayan that I would recommend…

• Jelly’s Haven Resort
• Everyday Sunday
• SMAK’s Hotel
• The Coral Blue Oriental Beach Villas & Suites
• Amihan Beach Cabanas

 

BOOK YOUR STAY IN BANTAYAN ISLAND HERE!

 

How to Get Around Bantayan Island

To get around Bantayan Island, you can either rent a motorbike or hire a tuktuk.  Motorbikes cost around 350 PHP for the day and to rent a tuktuk for a complete island tour, the cost is around 800 PHP for the day.  If you hire a tuktuk to take you to dinner or the beach, make sure to inquire about the price before riding.

Most hotels have motorbike rental, but if not you can just ask your hotel where to get a motorbike.  You shouldn’t have any problems finding a motorbike rental or a tuktuk.

 

Bantayan Island Itinerary

Personally, I don’t think that you need more than two days in Bantayan Island.  One day to see some of the top sights and spend time at the beach, and another day to take a day trip to Virgin Island (which happens to be my favorite thing I did while in the Philippines).  Below, you’ll find my recommend 2 day itinerary for Bantayan Island.

 

Day 1 on Bantayan Island

HIGHLIGHTS:  EXPLORING THE ISLAND & ITS BEACHES

One of the most popular things to do in Bantayan is what the locals call a “land tour”.  Essentially, this includes many aspects of the island such as:  Kota Beach Resort, Omagieca Mangrove, Ogtong Cave Resort, Kota Park, Diving Cliff, Bantayan Nature Park, Sandira Beach, and Santa Fe Lagoon.  You can hire a tuktuk driver to take you to these spots or self explore with a motorbike.  Of these stops, Ogtong Cave Resort and Diving Cliff are both incredibly overrated; and I did not visit Kota Park, Bantayan Nature Park, or Santa Fe Lagoon.  With that being said, this is how I would structure my day…

• Breakfast at Everyday Sunday
• Omagieca Mangrove (this is a pretty walk where you can rent a kayak, but not much else)
• Visit Sandira Beach (there are no chairs/shade here so bring sunblock and a towel; you also have to pay cash to enter)
• Lunch at Kota Beach Resort – plan to stay and hang out at the beach
• Dinner at Bantayan Burrito Company or Pizzeria la Filomina

 

INTERESTED IN TRYING FREEDIVING?  DON’T MISS THIS EXPERIENCE!

 

Day 2 on Bantayan Island

HIGHLIGHTS:  DAY TRIP TO VIRGIN ISLAND

A highlight of visiting Bantayan Island is doing a day trip to Virgin Island.  To do this, you’ll take a private boat which costs 1,200 PHP and only takes 15 minutes.  The drawback is that you only have 4 hours to visit the island or you have to pay more money.  However, the island is small and there isn’t much to do besides relax at the beach so 4 hours is plenty of time.  Once you arrive to the island you will also need to pay 350 PHP/person for an environmental fee.

There is limited shade on the island (although there was some construction going on when I visited in 2024 so hopefully they are building out the island a bit more) so I recommend arriving early to ensure a spot in the shade.  (I left Bantayan at 0945 and there were few people when I arrived to Virgin Island).  When you get to the island, pay the fee, take a left and after you pass the only bar and restaurant on the island, you’ll see three shaded cabanas with bean bags.  I suggest snagging one of these as the island gets very hot!  As I mentioned, there is a bar and restaurant on the island so you don’t have to worry about food and drink, just make sure you have cash on hand.

Once you get back to Bantayan Island after your day at Virgin, I highly recommend dinner at Thai-Phoon.  It was my favorite restaurant on the island!

 

IF YOU’RE INTERESTED IN VISITING VIRGIN ISLAND AND HILANTAGAAN ISLAND, YOU’LL WANT TO BOOK THIS TOUR!

 

Philippines Essentials – What You Need & Need to Know About Visiting the Philippines

 

I hope that this 2 day Bantayan Island itinerary not only helps plan your travels, but also lets you decide on whether or not to visit the island.  If you have any questions, let me know in a comment below!

 

For more island guides in the Philippines, don’t miss…

• The Ultimate El Nido Travel Guide
• The Best Things to Do in Panglao, Philippines

 

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For more information on things to see and do in the Philippines, make sure to check out my Instagram page/highlight reel by searching “#ppinphilippines” or under my highlights for “Philippines”; alternatively, head to my TikTok and search for the saved “Philippines” highlight

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