A trip to Bantayan Island for the first time isn’t complete without island hopping. It’s one of the best tours in Cebu that you shouldn’t miss at all.
If you’re wondering what happens during the tour, how much budget you need, and what the stops would be like, this guide will walk you through all these. I’ve been to Bantayan Island more than I can count and have done island hopping tours twice. So you can rest assured you are reading a travel guide written by someone knowledgeable.
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Before anything else, if you are still getting ready for your Bantayan Island trip, check out some travel guides to help you:
- Bantayan Travel Guide
- Best Things to Do in Bantayan Island
- Top Tourist Spots in Bantayan Island
- Beaches in Bantayan Island
- Bantayan Island Itinerary
- How to Get to Bantayan Island
- Best Beach Resorts in Bantayan Island
- Best Hotels in Bantayan Island
- Best Budget Hotels in Bantayan Island
- Hagnaya to Bantayan Island Ferry Schedule
- Cebu City to Bantayan Island Bus Schedule
- Cadiz to Bantayan Island Ferry Schedule
- Kawit to Bantayan Island Ferry Schedule
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Can I DIY Bantayan Island Hopping?
Of course! Doing a DIY island hopping tour in Bantayan Island is pretty common. All you need to do is show up at the Santa Fe Tourism Office, choose the stops you want to visit, and then pay the necessary fees. For the updated fees and stops to choose from, read the full guide.
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How to Get to Bantayan Island
➡️From Cebu City
Take a Ceres Liner bus at the SM North Bus Terminal (see map) to Hagnaya Port. Some bus schedules go directly to Bantayan Island, but they are hard to come by. In case you miss it, just take the Hagnaya-bound. It will drop you off at Hagnaya Port. The total travel time is 4-5 hours.
Bus fare: 260 PHp (~4.5 USD)
Ferry ticket: 300-359 PHP (~5-6 USD)
Terminal fee: 20 PHP (~0.30 USD)
➡️From Mactan Airport
Proceed to the MyBus parking slot outside the arrival gate and tell the booth attendant/bus driver you are getting off at SM. Depending on the traffic, the travel would take 30-45 minutes. The bus fare is 50 PHP (~1 USD). The MyBus Terminal is right beside SM North Bus Terminal. You can just walk. From there, follow the above instructions on how to get from Cebu City to Bantayan Island.
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Bantayan Island Hopping Itinerary
Bantayan island hopping tours take about 4 to 5 hours, including the three most common sights—Virgin Island, Balidbid Lagoon, and Hilantagaan Island. If you like to include Kinatarkan Island, Malapascua Island, Kalanggaman Island, or other islands in the vicinity, it will take an entire day or even more, depending on the distance of the islands.
The day my sister and I arrived at Smak’s Hotel, the front desk already asked us if we wanted a packaged island hopping tour. But as budget travelers, we chose to DIY our trip.
We went to the Santa Fe Tourism Office at 7 AM to inquire about going to Virgin Island or Sillon Island, as locals call it. We were informed of the fees and chose the stops we wanted to visit.
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Some random guys on Kota Beach may approach you to book island hopping tours. We refused as we really wanted to DIY our tour.
We chose Balidbid Lagoon, Hilantagaan Island, and of course, Virgin Island as our stops.
We paid 1,000 PHP (~17 USD) for the boat and 100 PHP (~2 USD) each for the ecological fee. We also paid an extra 600 PHP (~10 USD) since we added Balidbid Lagoon and Hilantagaan Island as our stops.
Here’s how our Bantayan Island Hopping Tour went:
Balidbid Lagoon
At 9 AM, we started our trip from Santa Fe to Balidbid Lagoon or Baigad Lagoon, as others call it. It was actually located within Bantayan Island.
So even without island hopping, you can visit it via a 10-minute boat ride cruising through a thick mangrove forest. But we decided to include it in the tour.
Getting there in the early morning was pretty windy since we visited in January, which is Amihan season. You have the option to enjoy the lagoon area for free.
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To access the private beach area, you must pay the 200 PHP (~4 USD) entrance fee. Is it worth it?
For me, if you visit Balidbid Lagoon on its own, that is, if you’re not doing the island hopping tour, it’s worth paying to enjoy the beach area and amenities it has. Also, the boat ride from the wharf to Balidbid Lagoon is an enjoyable activity on its own as you pierce through the mangrove forest.
We spent about 20 minutes here just chilling on the lagoon, but nothing really spectacular.
Virgin Island
On to our next stop, the highlight of the tour, Virgin Island, not to be mistaken with Bohol’s Virgin Island. Locals call it Sillon Island.
Upon docking, we paid the 200 (~3.5 USD) docking fee and 350 PHP (~5 USD) entrance fee.
Let me set expectations first to avoid disappointment. Virgin Island is just a name and, by no means, unspoiled or pristine since there are so many concrete structures on the island.
Nevertheless, it’s worth visiting for its crystal-clear, white sand beach and some activities, such as snorkeling, beach volleyball, paddleboarding, kayaking, and the famous wooden board diving.
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The island has a private resort you can check into. However, I don’t personally recommend it because of its price point compared to the quality of the accommodation. Virgin Island, for me, is only good for a day per se.
This is where you spend most of your time, including lunch. You can bring your own lunch like we did or order from the resort’s restaurant. But again, it was too expensive for its quality and portion.
We did some water activities and enjoyed the beach for about 2 hours before we headed off to our next and final stop.
Hilantagaan Island
Many tourists would skip this, but if you like to snorkel, you shouldn’t miss this opportunity. Hilantagaan Island has one of the best marine life in North Cebu.
For me, it’s therapeutic to see wonderful marine life as alive as it is around Hilantagaan Island.
If you decide to explore Hilantagaan Island, you need to pay the 100 PHP (~2 USD) entrance fee for each person. We only did snorkeling, so we did not have to pay for it.
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Also, Hilantagaan Island is a residential island with local boats docked everywhere, so there’s nothing really you can do unless you want to see the local fisherfolks go about their lives in the island.
We snorkeled for 20-30 minutes, and then returned to Santa Fe.
Overall, Bantayan Island Hopping is one of the must-do activities in Bantayan Island.
Bantayan Island Hopping Price and Fees
Here are the fees and prices we paid during the island hopping:
- Boat rental: 1,000 PHP (~34 USD) per boat (good for 5 pax)
- Ecological fee: 100 PHP (~2 USD) per person
- Virgin Island entrance fee: 350 PHP (~5 USD)
- Virgin Island docking fee: 200 PHP (~3.5 USD)
- Hilantagaan entrance fee: 100 PHP (~2 USD)
- Additional island/attraction: 300 PHP (~5 USD)
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What to Bring to Bantayan Island Hopping
- Snorkeling gear
- Freediving fins
- Water shoes
- Water bottle
- Packed lunch
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Where to Stay in Bantayan Island
- Amihan Beach Cabanas (Check room rates!)
- Anika Island Resort (Check room rates!)
- In Dai Aquasports and Beach Resort (Check room rates!)
- Maykenn Beach (Check room rates!)
- La Playa Estrella Beach Resort (Check room rates!)
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Your Complete Bantayan Island Travel Guide
Bantayan Island is one of the top places to visit in Cebu, especially if you are looking for the ultimate rest and relaxation. Nevertheless, you have some worthwhile adventure activities waiting for you in the island too, such as skydiving and island hopping.
Still preparing for your trip to Bantayan Island? These travel guides can help you:
- Bantayan Travel Guide
- Best Things to Do in Bantayan Island
- Top Tourist Spots in Bantayan Island
- Beaches in Bantayan Island
- Bantayan Island Itinerary
- How to Get to Bantayan Island
- Best Beach Resorts in Bantayan Island
- Best Hotels in Bantayan Island
- Best Budget Hotels in Bantayan Island
- Hagnaya to Bantayan Island Ferry Schedule
- Cebu City to Bantayan Island Bus Schedule
- Cadiz to Bantayan Island Ferry Schedule
- Kawit to Bantayan Island Ferry Schedule
Got questions? Drop them in the comments!
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