15 Best Islands to Visit in the Philippines
It may seem impossible to choose just 25 of the world’s top islands from over 7,100, but we enjoy a challenge. The islands with the most to offer are listed below. There are islands that are readily reached and have airports and efficient public transit, and then there are islands with nothing but rutted dirt roads full of potholes that you can only pray don’t blow out the tire on your motorcycle. On some islands, the only place to get a Coke is from a guy’s cooler on the beach. On other islands, there are enormous retail malls with movie theaters and food courts. Visit a Catholic church for Sunday mass to see Philippine culture firsthand, or join a group of happy, barefooted kids for a game of pick-up basketball. Discover the country’s true size, beauty, and uniqueness by taking an island-hopping tour. Let’s examine the top Philippine islands to visit:
Siquijor Island
Within a few days, you can tour the entire island’s perimeter on a rented motorcycle. You’ve never felt more liberated than when you stop at waterfalls, swimming holes, and white-sand beaches. Trek through the forest, go cliff-jumping into the crystal-clear sea, and eat till you’re stuffed. On this island, you’ll also have the chance to learn about Philippine history by visiting a variety of Spanish-inspired attractions, like the contemplative St. Francis of Assisi Church and the crumbling St. Isidore de Labrador Church. On this tiny island off the coast of Bohol, you truly get the best of both worlds.
Coron
Although not the simplest to reach, paradise is never easy. While every island could profess to be the most stunning, unspoiled, or memorable, Coron truly wins the prize. It has magic. You can either take a 5-hour ferry from El Nido or a (somewhat pricey) puddle-jumper airplane from Manila to get there, but once you get there, the time spent traveling will be completely worth it. To get started, hire a scooter and head out. Discover the most breathtaking sights as you wind through golden meadows, dusty roads, and rolling hills. It is impossible to put into words the striking contrast between the parched environment and the lush forest close to the white sand and the clear blue ocean. Feel like a pioneer exploring an island for the first time for the full day. Few villages, no tourists, and most definitely no significant development
Bohol
The best travel advice for making the most of your time in Bohol is to hire and form a friendship with a local tour guide or guides while there. This island is full of undiscovered natural attractions, such as private waterfalls, rivers that are only accessible to fishermen, off-the-beaten-path docks with handicraft markets, local restaurants serving grilled seafood, and more. The distinction between tour guide and friend is hazy among the local motorbike tour guides in this area. They will be welcoming to you, open up to you, and go above and beyond to make your stay memorable. On this shockingly underrated island, you can expect to have fun doing things outside that are made by locals.
Dumaguette
Visit Dumaguette, where you may embark on a day trip to Aple Island, often known as Turtle Island. Around you, large sea turtles will frequently surface for breath. Get off the boat and join them in the water for a swim. Since the turtles are accustomed to tourists splashing around them, you may get very close to them for pictures and other experiences that will make time seem to stand still. Just remember to respect their personal space. Cassaroro Falls should not be overlooked; you won’t be sorry. From Dumaguette, you could take the fast 2-hour trip up to Manguete, which is sometimes called “the Maldives of the Philippines.” You can take a little detour here and discover a warm sandbar in the middle of the ocean with free-standing houses that are Instagram goals.
Siargao
Siargao is a paradise island located 800 kilometers south of Manila, near the northeastern tip of Mindanao. There are a few places you can stay when you are there. General Luna Beach is the option with the most customers. This bustling, tiny island town has it all: unique animals, mangrove forest reserves, captivating lagoons, and, of course, flawless white sand beaches. Despite being packed with restaurants, resorts, shops, and people, it has the appeal of a little beach town. However, there is also another factor that draws visitors to Siargao: surfing. Surfers who were fortunate enough to learn about this hidden gem are attracted by the fantastic waves, surges, and stores there!
Palawan
Palawan is the origin of all things mysterious and magical in the Philippines. The capital, Puerto Princesa, is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, as if this island wasn’t already impressive enough. Everyone knows that you can find El Nido and Coron in the north with breath-taking cliffs that wind together to create crazy waterfalls, passageways, and landscapes, but what about further south? El Nido (which deserves a rank of its own on this list) and many more mysterious Disney-esque destinations are found here. Visit Brooke’s Point, where you can bathe in hot pools of therapeutic water and see Bakbakan Falls and Mainit Hot Springs. Check out Rizal as well, where you can kayak, surf, and snorkel and find some cool eco-houses.
Guimaras Island
Here are a few beaches with white sand that are undetected. Three immaculate beaches may be found on Guimaras Island: Nagarao, Inampulogan, and Nauway. Rarely do people from other countries come to these peaceful beaches, but sometimes groups of fun-loving Filipino friends looking for an adventure will stop by. Mango tree plantations, marine reserves, lighthouses, catholic churches, caverns, a center for the conservation of sea turtles, fantastic restaurants, waterfalls, and unspoiled photo opportunities are all found on this island, but it hasn’t made it onto the tourist map just yet.
Luzon
Luzon Island is one of the most important islands because it is home to Manila, the capital of the Philippines. The majority of visitors completely avoid Manila because they assume it to be another Asian city with traffic, shopping, and bars, which is actually accurate. But most tourists don’t know that some great hiking trails are just a short bus ride away from the nation’s capital. The trekking that surrounds this city will appeal to health nuts and exercise addicts. To walk Mount Palay, which is 664 meters above sea level, take a minibus to Pico de Loro. On the mountain, there are a number of campgrounds where you may set up your tent and meet other hikers. Mt. Batuloa, which is 811 meters above sea level and only one hour from Manila, is also reachable from that city. For those who are new to hiking and desire a day trek with breathtaking scenery, this trail is ideal.
MoalBoal
Badian Canyon, a winding canyon with waterfalls, rock formations, and bright blue water that appears as though food coloring has been added drop by drop, can be found on the island of MoalBoal. Taking a full-day guided tour that involves jumping from heights and getting wet is one of the most unforgettable experiences you can have in the Philippines. You will be led through small spaces with waterfalls, lush tropical plants, natural swimming holes, water slides, and other fun things to do. You’ll arrive at Kawawan Falls, a breathtaking cascade, at the end of your day-long excursion. You should remember to pack a pair of tennis shoes and to wear a helmet and a life jacket.
Cebu Island
You can fly into the nearby Mactan-Cebu International Airport, which is close to beaches, restaurants, and lodging. You can experience local life by going to family-run watersports businesses that will take you parasailing, jet skiing, or banana boating. Cebu Island has everything you could possibly want in a dream vacation. The best part is that off the coast of Oslob Beach on Cebu Island, you can go swimming with wild Whale Sharks. You can go on an island-hopping tour to snorkel and even pick raw sea urchins from the ocean floor. Down south, you’ll find Tumalog Falls, a 5-story natural waterfall that has created a clear pool of water where the sun shines through the trees.
Malapascua
You probably haven’t even heard of Malapascua. Small, isolated, and lacking in nightlife, Malapascua is the place to go if you want a once-in-a-lifetime diving experience. You may swim with schools of thresher sharks off the coast of Malapascua. Swimming with a thresher shark can be an exciting experience because of its long, distinctive tail, which slices through the water as it gracefully hangs over the ocean floor. After your dive, return to the island of Malapascua for some of the most breathtaking views yet. Like I said, this area is unspoiled and full of natural beauty.
El Nido
El Nido, unlike Malupascua, is well known. However, this portion of the island has been able to maintain its natural splendor. El Nido, which is like its own world, has some of the most beautiful natural sights and views in the Philippines and maybe even the whole world. Take the 4-island tour in a traditional catamaran to fully appreciate how idyllic this location is. The islands here are unlike anything you’ve ever seen; they have craggy grey cliffs that are sporadically covered in lush green vegetation, as well as brilliant white sand beaches and turquoise water. Your time in El Nido will feel like you’ve been transported to an Avatar-like planet that you’ll never want to leave. It is truly stunning and awe-inspiring.
Cambari
Off the shore of Araceli, Palawan, Cambari Island offers the ideal sunset. Go somewhere where you can spend the day exploring the fascinating array of caves that have been created by the various rock formations. You can swim in what feels like your own private swimming pool in a number of caverns that include water pools. The fine white sand on the bottom of the turquoise sea is readily visible from the surface. Visit a coral reef while snorkeling to see all the wildlife it supports, including enormous lobsters and beautiful manta rays. When the party is over, relax on the sand and watch the sun go down.
Palaui Island
Palaui Island exemplifies why most tourists visit the Philippines in the first place: to find a paradise where it feels like you’re the first person to set foot there. On Palaui Island, it feels like that. Uninhabited beaches, mysterious caverns, glistening waterfalls, boundless rice fields, and some of the cleanest air you’ve ever breathed may all be found here. Bright green grass can be found sprawled out on steep cliffs with a view of the sea, appearing like Scotland and Southeast Asia had a baby. This area has broad and diverse terrain. On one day, you might hike for hours through lush green rice fields and jungle trails, only to come across water buffalo along the route; on the following day, you might spend the entire day beach hopping from one section of pristine coastline to another. There are no restrictions for nature lovers here.
Bantayan
A trip to Bantayan is nothing less than a life-changing experience that is all about exploration, getting lost, and getting back in touch with mother Earth. At the northernmost point of Cebu, Bantayan Island is a large island whose land has not yet been overdeveloped. Explore the natural beauty of tropical tree groves, jump off cliffs at your own pace, meet some wild goats, rent a motorbike, and get lost on the island. Visit Bantayan as soon as possible; it won’t be long until land developers seize control of this bit of paradise.
