Its white sandy beaches, glassy turquoise waters, majestic rock formations, striking subterranean caves and lush mangrove forests would easily make Cebu’s Camotes Islands a bustling destination for visitors. However, it has remained remarkably quiet, offbeat, and not as frequented as the more popular destinations of Bantayan Island, Malapascua, Oslob and Moalboal of the same province.
Mangroves are an important part of the ecosystem of wetlands and coastal areas in the country. They protect populated areas by preventing erosion and absorbing the impact of storm surges. Mangroves also filter carbon emissions and pollutants in the water while providing a habitat for a wide array of wildlife including birds, fishes, crustaceans and mollusks.
Karst formations may be found all over the Philippines, comprising some 10% of its land mass. Most of these karst landscapes are found in coastal locations and would often be situated alongside white sand beaches and turquoise lagoons. The Camotes Islands are no exception and during our recent visit we were treated to the rock formations at Mangodlong and Buho Rock Resorts.
Cebu province has several gorgeous beaches but, since most are easily accessible, they can also get a bit crowded especially during the hot and dry months. The Camotes Islands are not too difficult to reach from Cebu City so we were expecting a good number of people on this beach. It was therefore somewhat of a shock when we set foot at Tulang Diot and discovered that we had it almost completely to ourselves.
In our past travel adventures, we have never done a lot of spelunking even when visiting destinations that are quite well-known for a cave or two. The Camotes Islands though, would prove to be an exception. There are at least 8 known caves in this island group and one would be foolish not to visit just even one.
For a destination that is somewhat under the radar, the Camotes Islands has at least some tour spots that are familiar to local travelers. Santiago Bay Beach which we featured in our last post is one of them. However, we realized during our recent visit that there are many more beaches, caves and other noteworthy destinations that are scattered all over the 3 islands that make up Camotes.
Cebu province has a myriad of destinations from the gorgeous Sumilon Sandbar and the whale sharks of Oslob down south to the white sand beaches of Malapascua Island up north. Somehow, lost in that maze of tourist spots is a group of 3 islands lying to the northeast of Cebu City that has somehow evaded the radar of majority of visitors to the province.
Bantayan Island was largely under the tourist radar when we first visited the place two decades ago. Located off the northwestern coast of the island of Cebu, it wasn’t an easy place to get into, needing 4 hours of bus ride from Cebu City and another hour’s worth of ferry ride. But the long stretches... Continue Reading →
It was a cloudy Wednesday morning when our trike made its way out of Kota Beach Resort and Santa Fe town proper via the main highway and into a narrower road towards Maricaban. After a few minutes of driving down this paved track, our trike stopped on the side of a field and our driver... Continue Reading →
Unless there is an approaching wayward typhoon, we make it a point to go to the beach early in December. By then the monsoon rains would have stopped and the amihan or cold winds blowing in from the northeast would have made beach bumming more pleasant. But as we walked off the ferry that brought... Continue Reading →
The morning was sunny and the waves seemed calm when we left Kota Beach Resort on our way to our first island destination of the day. But within a few minutes our boat was pitching up and down a suddenly rough open sea. We were about to go into panic mode but one glance at... Continue Reading →
Sumilon Island is a small, 24-hectare island on the southeastern tip of Cebu just off the town of Oslob. It’s a picturesque island surrounded by pristine white sand beaches and therefore seemed an attractive side trip destination after our whale shark encounter at the latter. However, we did not even bother checking out a possible... Continue Reading →
It’s huge and intimidating, yet docile and gentle. It’s the world’s biggest fish and holds many other records in the animal kingdom for its sheer size. The shark often inspires terror among so many for the predatory reputation of its various species but the whale shark feeds mostly on plankton and poses no significant danger... Continue Reading →
The Shoestring Diaries 
Unfortunately, it is. Thanks for visiting! 😊
Mirador Heritage and Eco Park must be real tourist magnets, but I also like your description and photos of the…
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That will be it's downfall I think, unless some sort of restrictions are in place. People just destroy places, sometimes…
Thank you! Just hoping it stays that way since this beach has been receiving loads of visitors in recent years.