If you’ve been reading our website a bit, you’ll have noticed that we love visiting well-known places and making the most of them by doing out-of-the-ordinary activities. However, what we like most about traveling in the Philippines is exploring lesser-known islands and, with any luck, encouraging you to step off the usual routes.
That’s how, a few years ago, we fell head over heels for Romblon and, after a brief stop in Boracay and Carabao, we decided to return to this small archipelago to explore the largest and most accessible of its islands: Tablas. Although, being completely honest with you, it isn’t our favorite destination and neighboring Romblon Island still has our hearts, we believe there are interesting things to do in Tablas to warrant 3 or 4 days, and that a Tablas–Romblon–Sibuyan trip (+ the beautiful Cresta de Gallo) is a fantastic plan for at least 9-10 days.
So, if you’re also someone who prefers under-the-radar destinations, keep reading because we’re going to tell you everything there is to see in Tablas.
Where is Tablas
In case you can’t place it on the map, Tablas belongs to the province of Romblon, which is part of the Philippine region of MIMAROPA (Mindoro, MArinduque, ROmblon and PAlawan). It lies within the Visayas area, south of Manila, and, if it rings a bell, northeast of Boracay.
Although we go into detail in How to get to Tablas, the island has a small airport receiving flights from Manila and several ports. The most important is on the west coast, in the capital, Odiongan, but there are also ports in San Agustín, Santa Fe, Looc and Calatrava. We’ve marked them all on the Tablas map you’ll find below.
Geographically, Tablas belongs to the Romblon archipelago, which has 3 main islands (Tablas, Romblon and Sibuyan) and 17 smaller islands or islets.
Why go to Tablas and how many days to spend
We’ve been hinting at it already, but the main reason to visit Tablas, in our opinion, is that it’s an island with little tourism, with pretty nice beaches (being 100% honest with you, they can’t compare with others in the country like those in Palawan, but they’re cool), the chance to do a short island-hopping trip with landscapes somewhat similar to Palawan’s (not a direct comparison, of course) and, above all, that it’s perfect for those who want to feel a bit like “explorers.”
The option to combine it with Carabao, Romblon and Sibuyan, doing a 10-day itinerary or longer, seems like a fantastic plan if you’re considering a repeat trip to the Philippines or if it’s your first itinerary but you’re looking for less developed destinations or have plenty of time.
Just so you get the idea, visiting Tablas isn’t that easy: there aren’t major connections with the rest of the country, public transport isn’t frequent and the tourist infrastructure isn’t developed either. It’s a fairly large island and we’ve needed a couple of visits to see it to a reasonable depth.
How many days to spend in Tablas? Unlike other islands, where we’re quite sure about it, in Tablas it’s hard to say because it’s so extensive and with such varied plans that you could spend just a couple of full days or 4 or 5. Our advice is to read carefully and decide according to what catches your eye. If we had to prioritize by days, we’d choose to spend more time on neighboring Romblon.
Binucot Beach in Tablas
Things to do in Tablas
Without further ado, here we tell you all the possible activities to do in Tablas. If we have to prioritize, we’d stick with the first 5 points.
1. Binucot Beach
If we had to choose a single beach to visit in Tablas, it would be Binucot. Located on the west of the island, forming a large half-moon, it’s one of the prettiest beaches in the Romblon archipelago for several reasons:
- The water is usually very calm due to its orientation and shape. It’s typically super calm between December and May, as the wind blows on the other side of the island.
- It offers very good snorkeling and, in fact, we’ve seen quite a few turtles. You’ll have to swim quite a bit and move away from the shore, though.
- Except on weekends or public holidays, it’s hard to find many people there.
- Its orientation makes for magical sunsets.
- There are several restaurants and hotels so you won’t go crazy looking for a place to have something.
- Past the small rocky outcrop, there’s another fabulous beach where it’s hard to see anyone.
- From that outcrop, if you feel like “climbing” a bit, you get wonderful views.
For us, although we don’t include it among the best beaches in the Philippines, Binucot Beach is one of Tablas’s highlights and we’ve been lucky enough to stay overnight here a couple of times to enjoy it at leisure. On one occasion we came by motorbike from Odiongan and the other we decided to negotiate a tricycle.
If you ask us, Binucot is one of the best places to stay in Tablas, at least for a couple of nights. The accommodation offer isn’t big, but you have a couple of little gems such as Binucot Beach Resort and Jai Hidden Paradise. In addition, there are a few restaurants right on the seashore.
2. Calatrava island hopping
You already know that, with more than 7,000 islands, island hopping is one of the star activities in the Philippines (in fact, you can read more about it in our guide Island hopping in the Philippines). Spending a few hours hopping from island to island or from beach to beach on a bangka is a truly fantastic plan, and the north of Tablas is especially picturesque. That’s why we headed to Calatrava port to negotiate a boat to take us to the northern tip of the island, where Tinagong Dagat, a lovely lagoon, is located.
This island hopping isn’t comparable to those in Coron and El Nido (although there are places that are quite similar, on a smaller scale, of course) and, in fact, it can be done in about 3-4 hours, but it can be combined with a motorbike/tricycle route to explore the north of the island, the Mablaran Falls, Footprints Beach or the Blue Hole. Of course, if you want, you can also spend more time on the beaches or extend it.
What do you visit on the Tablas island hopping?
Normally, the following stops are made:
- Tinagong Dagat: a saltwater lagoon at the northern tip of Tablas. It’s super picturesque, especially because of the surrounding scenery. Entrance costs 20 pesos.
- Lapus-Lapus Beach: with karst rock formations identical to those in El Nido and Coron. The beach is very beautiful. Entrance is 20 pesos.
- Cove Aurelio Beach: the neighboring beach, more of a little cove in shape, also with karst rock formations and an area for cliff jumping. There’s a small shop and restaurant, as well as huts to spend the night for 1,000 pesos. Entrance is also 20 pesos.
- White Rock: a stop for snorkeling (not exactly spectacular, but it’s fine), and there are also one or two small underwater caves.
Besides this, during the route you’ll enjoy the landscapes in this part of the island, full of palm trees and white-stone cliffs.
From what we’ve seen, you can also include Guindawahan Beach, which is on the northernmost island, Bendoy, Turtle Cove Island Resort (where there is, indeed, a resort, and apparently the chance to see a turtle or two) and the Blue Hole, which we’ll talk about in the next section.
How much does the Tablas island hopping cost?
The price depends a lot on the places you visit and your negotiating skills, but, to give you an idea, we paid 2,000 pesos for the boat (small, though at least 6 people could fit) for the two of us. Then we had to pay the fees at each place.
They suggested adding the Blue Hole, but the price almost doubled and that makes sense because, if you look at the map, the route is very long and you have to do it round trip. If you decide to extend the route with other places we’ve mentioned, you’ll have to renegotiate.
We brought our own food, which we bought at a carinderia in Alcántara. We assume that if you book an organized tour it will include lunch.
How to organize it?
You can copy us and go straight to the port of Alcántara, which is the closest to this whole area. This is a fishing port from which some boats depart to the islands in the Romblon archipelago located further north (Simara and Banton). Forget about good tourist infrastructure and lots of boatmen offering their services; you’ll have to look for them yourself and be a bit patient.
Another option is to ask your accommodation whether they can help you organize it or try one of the few tourism companies in Odiongan, such as this one, which we haven’t personally tried. This alternative will, of course, be considerably more expensive.
Lapus Lapus (top) and Cove Aurelio (bottom)
3. Blue Hole
One of the best-known places to see in Tablas is the Blue Hole. It’s just north of the island, at Gorda Point, and it’s accessible in two ways:
- By motorbike via the road that borders the east of the island: you have to reach Gorda Point (note that the road from Calatrava has more bends than it seems, although the scenery is really beautiful), where there’s a lighthouse, and then go up and down some stairs that lead to a sort of path along the cliffs. From above you can clearly see the Blue Hole (there’s a yellow flag marking where it is), but if you want to get there you’ll have to swim (it’s a ways off) or, better yet, negotiate a small boat with a fisherman.
- With the island hopping: it’s more expensive because the route is much longer, but they usually include other places along the way.
- From Romblon Island, on a freediving or scuba tour: some dive centers and the company Romblon Free Diving run trips to the Blue Hole to explore it. In this regard, The Three P is the best dive center to reach it.
This blue hole, around 8 meters in diameter, lies at a depth of between 5 and 7 meters and drops to 27-32 meters. Outside, there’s also a lovely reef where it’s easy to run into shrimps, lobsters and the odd reef shark hiding in small caves, so the best way to see it is by diving.
Even so, the view from the surface is cool and you can see it very well while snorkeling. What you should keep in mind is that this is an area where sea conditions can be very variable and currents can catch you out. That’s why, after asking around, we were told it’s best to go with a local and rent a small boat. When we went, unfortunately, the sea was a bit rough, so we couldn’t do it.
In the cliff area there are also some semi-established spots for cliff jumping, but please be careful.
4. Stay a few days at Footprints Beach Resort – Agpudlos Beach
Tablas is a fairly large island, and traveling it from end to end takes hours. That’s why, the times we’ve been, we preferred to split the stay into several areas. To do the island hopping we mentioned earlier and explore the Blue Hole area, our advice is not to hesitate and to book at Footprints Beach Resort, one of the best hotels in Tablas and located on one of its most pleasant beaches, Agpudlos.
It’s north of Odiongan, the capital, on the island’s west coast, so you’ll find the beach looking nicer during the months when the Amihan blows, that is, roughly from October to May. Its orientation means you can (usually) enjoy great sunsets from here.
The resort, although not very big, is charming and has cabins right by the sea, as well as a very handy restaurant. It’s owned by a Filipino-Finnish family and the owner loves beer, so there’s even a fridge with imported beers. Internet works well, they rent motorbikes and help organize tours, so it’s a great base for seeing Tablas.
Meanwhile, the beach is wide and great for a stroll. Unless it’s a weekend or a national holiday, it’s more than likely you’ll have it to yourself.
If this hotel is full, there’s one nearby, this one, although it isn’t right on the beach.
5. Aglicay Beach Resort
The resort (which you can book here) is a bit dated, but the beach where it’s located is one of the most impressive to see in Tablas and, if you feel like touring the island by motorbike, we highly recommend making the effort to come all the way here.
With golden sand and very long, the beach is also dotted with vegetation and has tables and a few huts for spending the day. Access is private, so you pay 70 pesos for the entrance, but in exchange you get a pristine beach where you can spend the whole day. The resort has a restaurant that isn’t bad, although they take their time cooking.
Don’t miss taking a walk up to the Aglicay Viewpoint, on the hill south of the beach, as you’ll enjoy cool views not only of the beach but also of the rest of the coast. Plus, the climb isn’t hard at all and will rarely take you more than 5 minutes.
Since this beach is on the coast opposite Footprints, the wind hits a bit more from November to May. That said, unless there’s some “unusual” weather phenomenon, the sea is usually calm.
By the way, once you pass Aglicay Resort there’s an (unpaved) road that takes you along Tablas’s east coast. We decided to explore a bit until we reached the main road via a section marked “Punta” (you’ll easily see it on the map we’ve left below), and we can tell you the scenery is really beautiful. Even so, keep in mind you’ll have to go quite slowly and carefully. Once you reach Santa Fe, you can continue south to see the beaches we mention below.
6. Explore the south of Tablas
If you have 3 days to visit Tablas or more, our advice is to head down to the south of the island, once past Santa Fe and as far as Tablas Point. On this stretch of Tablas’s coast is where we think you’ll find the island’s best beaches, at least the finest-sand ones, and that’s why it didn’t surprise us to find some resorts (mostly foreign-owned) with beautiful facilities by the sea, such as Dreamshore Ki’wi Beach Resort.
Heads up: the beach is gorgeous and the water tends to be very calm, but we noticed a big problem with waste management. In the areas belonging to the resorts everything was spotless, but on beach sections without an owner or without hotels there was a large amount of plastic.
Tablas Point is perhaps the prettiest part. They charge a 50-peso entrance fee, but you know that means the beach is very well maintained.
In addition, it’s along this coast (roughly from Santa Fe to the south of the peninsula) where you’ll find the best diving in Tablas, with cool reefs, the odd cave and the possibility of some macro (nudibranchs, flamboyants, etc.). The two existing centers are Pili Divers and Tablas Pro Scuba.
7. Waterfalls to visit in Tablas
It’s true that Tablas doesn’t have the best waterfalls in the Philippines, but if you’re tired of beaches, you can also explore its falls. We’ll tell you now that they’re not very tall and some are hard to access, so it’s best to ask locals to guide you.
The best-known and most accessible waterfalls in Tablas are Mablaran Falls, just 10 minutes from Footprints Beach Resort and right by the road. Then there are Garing Falls, south of Odiongan, and Busay Falls near San Agustín.
8. A (quick) walk around Odiongan, the capital
We’re not going to lie and tell you that Odiongan is a beautiful city or that visiting it is one of the reasons to go to Tablas, but since you’re here, it doesn’t hurt to take a short stroll and see the day-to-day life of the island’s capital.
From our perspective, the most interesting things in Odiongan are:
- Odiongan Town Plaza: the neighbors’ meeting place, especially at sunset.
- Vicent Ferrer Paris Church: Odiongan’s church; it’s modern.
- Romblon Islands Visitor Information Center: in case you want a bit of tourist information or to buy some local products, such as 100% natural peanut butter.
- Odiongan Public Market: 100% local, to snoop on what’s bought and sold here. There’s a food court for cheap eats, and this is also where the bus and jeepney station is for routes to different towns in Tablas.
- Odiongan Bay Walk: the seaside promenade to watch the sunset and how locals enjoy themselves when the heat eases.
In addition, in Odiongan you’ve got several banks with ATMs to withdraw cash or, better yet, pawnshops to use Remitly and save on fees. We’ve marked them on the Tablas map below. It’s also where you’ll find more pharmacies and shops, as well as restaurants, including a branch of the famous Jollibee chain. We recommend a few in the “Where to eat in Tablas” section.
Odiongan is also home to the island’s main port, with boats arriving from and departing mainly to Luzon.
What not to do in Tablas
One thing we ask you to please avoid doing in Tablas is visiting the Looc Marine Sanctuary. We approached the office where the activity is arranged and, as soon as we saw what it involved, we decided not to support it.
Basically, it consists of taking you to a floating hut where fish are kept enclosed and fed with bread, altering their whole ecosystem.
Practical information about the island
After telling you all the possibilities you have, here we want to give you some practical details that will make your visit easier.
Where to stay in Tablas
You’ve probably realized that choosing the area where to stay in Tablas is really important, since distances are by no means short and, unfortunately, public transport isn’t abundant enough to rely on it for day-to-day visits.
So here’s a brief summary of your accommodation options in Tablas:
- Odiongan: it’s the most practical if you arrive by ferry, want a selection of restaurants and the option to negotiate tricycles to get around the island. However, the town isn’t particularly pretty and it doesn’t have a beach, so (even though we’ve spent quite a few days here) it’s not something we’d really recommend. That said, from our experience, the best places to stay in Odiongan are Warf Manor Hotel (we’ve stayed there twice; you can’t book it on Booking or Agoda, only directly) and Skyluxe Hotel (possibly the best in town, with a pool).
- Northwest coast: here, without discussion, Footprints Beach Resort which, as we mentioned before, is the runaway winner and the one we’d choose to return to for the beach it sits on and the conveniences they offer to explore the island. They have seafront cabins, others for families and a more modest one where we stayed, a restaurant that’s reasonably priced, good internet connection and the possibility of renting a motorbike. From here we did the island hopping and also got lost along Tablas’s northeast coast.
- Binucot Beach: we’ve also stayed a couple of times because of its fabulous beach and snorkeling, and it’s the best option if you want to visit the south of the island and spend a rest day. Don’t expect anything crowded, but there are more restaurant options than in the north. We suggest booking at Binucot Beach Resort or Jai Hidden Paradise.
- Southwest coast: this is the part of Tablas with the finest sand and some opportunities for diving, so a few higher-end resorts have sprung up (without expecting pure luxury). We find it less convenient, although it’s true that, if you arrive in Santa Fe by bangka, it’s close. The best-known in this area is Pili Beach Resort Agmanic (with a pool), but even better is Dreamshore Ki’wi Beach Resort. Both are right on the seashore.
- Alcántara Beach (Aglicay): this is where Aglicay Beach Resort is located, which needs a lot of maintenance, but has a fabulous beach, especially in the months of June–October, when the wind is calmer.
What’s the best alternative for staying in Tablas? In our opinion, if you don’t have many days, we’d stay at Footprints. If you have 4 or 5 days, we’d split between Footprints and Binucot, which is what we did on our last visit.
Footprints Beach Resort
How to get to Tablas
It’s no longer as difficult to access the island as before, since AirSWIFT (now owned by Cebu Pacific Air) has several flights a week to Tugdan Airport from Manila. However, if prices are sky-high or schedules don’t suit you, your best option is to take a ferry from Batangas (about 2–3 hours south of Manila) to Tablas, which will take around 10 hours.
Of course, you can also reach the island from neighboring Romblon and Carabao. If you’re visiting Boracay first, there are also boats from Caticlan port.
So as not to go on too long here, we’ve written a guide where we explain How to get to Tablas.
How to get around Tablas
Tablas is an elongated island and doesn’t have a smooth or frequent public transport network, so you’ll need to be patient and ask around a lot.
In Odiongan there’s a bus and jeepney terminal with departures to San Agustín (where boats depart for Romblon) and to Santa Fe (where boats arrive from Carabao and Boracay). We don’t know the schedules and we doubt they’re fixed, but from our experience you can’t count on public transport beyond 16:00.
If you want to go to Agpudlos (where Footprints is) from Odiongan, you can do as we did and take any bus heading to San Agustin and get off at the junction. Afterwards, you can walk to the hotel.
To go from Odiongan to Binucot we didn’t manage to find any public transport, so we had to negotiate a tricycle, which hardly went below 500 pesos. If you have accommodation booked, it might be a good idea to ask about transport or at least the approximate prices for a private tricycle.
To get from Santa Fe (which receives boats from Carabao and Caticlan) there are jeepneys that run to Odiongan in roughly an hour. The price is around 120 pesos per person.
If you arrive at Tablas Airport and want to go to Odiongan, you have the option of sharing a tricycle with other travelers, which is around 300 pesos per person. If you want to go to other parts of the island, you’ll have to negotiate. Again, if you have a hotel booked, what we’d do is ask about transfer costs.
Finally, once you have accommodation, your best option for getting around Tablas, for all the reasons mentioned, is to rent a motorbike. We’ll warn you that in less touristy spots it’s almost impossible, but we managed in Footprints, Binucot and Odiongan by asking at hotels, and in Odiongan at this place. Prices, since there isn’t much competition, are around 500–600 pesos per day. The main roads are in fairly good condition.
Where to eat in Tablas
It’s true that the variety of places to eat in Tablas isn’t very large—much less outside the capital, Odiongan—but here are a few mentions we liked:
- At your cravings Café: a modern little café in Odiongan.
- Star Palace Restaurant: the most famous Italian in Odiongan, with pasta and pizza at good prices. It’s where locals come to celebrate something or for a romantic date.
- Deli Hunter: the café at Warf Manor Hotel; the peanut-butter sandwiches are excellent. It has air conditioning.
- Sunset Bistro: the most pleasant restaurant on Binucot Beach, with tables directly on the sand and tasty curries.
By the way, in Odiongan you’ll especially find plenty of places serving fresh pesto. Asking around, it seems basil grows very well on the island, so you’re in luck if you like the sauce. The same goes for peanut butter, which you can find in shops and supermarkets freshly made and without additives. If you like both, make the most of it!
Tips for visiting Tablas
Here are a few more tips for visiting Tablas from our different trips around the island:
- Choose your base well, since, as we said, it isn’t a small island and public transport is scarce. In our opinion, the most interesting area is in the north, although there are several interesting spots in the south as well.
- The best time to visit Tablas is from November to May, as in the rest of the Visayas and Luzon region. That’s when the dry season reigns, especially March to May, considered peak Philippine summer. That said, visiting in the rainy season won’t automatically mean constant rain. It’s true that island hopping can get complicated and that the beaches on the west coast will have more waves from June to October, so they may look less pretty.
- In Odiongan you’ll find plenty of shops, restaurants and banks. There are ATMs, but if you want to avoid fees (250 pesos per withdrawal), it’s best to use Remitly at any pawnshop. There are many spread across the island and we’ve marked them below.
- If you need to go to the hospital for something serious, we strongly advise (from personal experience) asking to be transferred to Manila. That said, of those on the island, Romblon Provincial Hospital is the best of the lot. Remember it’s very important to travel with a good insurance for the Philippines, which can save you from more than one scare. Using our link to purchase it gets you a 5% discount.
- Finally, although we like Tablas, it would be a “mortal sin” not to combine it at least with Romblon, which is, in our opinion, the jewel of this archipelago.
And remember that, most of the time, rather than ticking off a list of things to see or things to do, it’s about enjoying those little details or moments that places as quiet and underdeveloped as this give us.
Map of Tablas
To help you get your bearings, we’ve marked all the things to see and do in Tablas on this map:
Have we convinced you? We hope we’ve encouraged you to step off the typical route by discovering this island in the Romblon archipelago. If you have any questions, leave us a comment and we’ll be happy to reply.
