Moalboal is the best destination on the island of Cebú for diving or snorkeling. Its spectacular sardine run, made up of millions of fish, is one of the things to do in Moalboal, as is getting an adrenaline rush canyoning at the famous Kawasan Falls. If you want to know how to get to Moalboal from nearby places such as Cebú, Bantayan, Malapascua or Siquijor or from other more remote parts of the country, keep reading because, as lovers of the Philippines since 2010, we’ll tell you everything quickly.
Where Moalboal is and its transport infrastructure
Moalboal is a small town located in the southwest of the island of Cebú, in the Philippine Visayas region. In particular, it is 89 kilometers southwest of Cebú City, which is usually its gateway. Most travelers concentrate in the Panagsama Beach area, which is where many of Moalboal’s dive shops, hotels, and restaurants are located.
A very popular attraction close to Moalboal is Kawasan Falls, located 20 kilometers to the south. Therefore, it’s an excursion that can easily be done from Moalboal. You also have several waterfalls south of Moalboal that can be visited in one or several days.
There are no airports or ports in Moalboal. The nearest airport is Mactan (Cebú) International Airport and the closest port is Lilo‑an, from which frequent boats depart to Negros Island to connect with Dumaguete (and many travelers then go on to Siquijor). Another more or less nearby port is Oslob, where, as you will see, you can take boats to Bohol.
Here is a map that can help you get your bearings a bit:
How to get from Cebú to Moalboal
To put it simply and quickly: most travelers who want to get to Moalboal do so from Cebú City. As it’s a large city with an international airport, it’s the entry point to Moalboal—unless you’re on Negros Island or in Panglao.
Cebú has an airport that receives flights from almost any destination in the Philippines such as Siargao, Camiguín, El Nido, or Puerto Princesa, with the most frequent being from Manila. Take a look at our article on airlines in the Philippines, but we can already tell you that from Manila it’s feasible to find flights to Cebú for less than 20€ if you book in advance.
To go from Cebú to Moalboal you’ll need to head to the South Bus Terminal, from where the buses from Cebú to Moalboal depart. If you’re coming from the airport, take one of the white taxis to the bus station (around 300 pesos, about 45 minutes depending on traffic) or request a Grabcar through the Grab app. In Cebu, taxis usually don’t give you much trouble (as they do in Manila), so you can comfortably take one of the white taxis (the yellow ones are more expensive) and ask them to turn on the meter, which is cheaper.
Once at the bus station, take one of the buses heading from Cebú to Moalboal. You’ll have to take the ones going to Barili/Bato, which stop in Moalboal, but if you ask at the station, they’ll quickly point you in the right direction. Tickets cannot be booked in advance, but don’t worry—there are always seats because they depart constantly.
Our recommendation is to opt for the yellow Ceres Liner buses with air conditioning, as they tend to make fewer stops along the way. They supposedly have Wi‑Fi (although sometimes it doesn’t work) and the journey takes about 3,5 hours, although this depends on the traffic when leaving Cebu City, which can sometimes be brutal.
The ticket costs 200–240 pesos (depending on whether they have air‑conditioning or not) and they depart roughly every 30–60 minutes, with greater frequency before sunset. There are even buses in the early hours, but to be safe, it’s better to leave between 6:00 and 23:00.
Traveler to traveler: as we tell you in our article about the backpack for the Philippines, remember to bring a warm layer with you—it’s very cold on these buses!
The bus will drop you in the town of Moalboal, possibly next to the 7‑ELEVEN. However, most travelers stay around Panagsama Beach, which is 4 kilometers from the bus stop. This is the time to take a tricycle or a minivan. It’s normal for them to charge between 100 and 150 pesos for a whole tricycle, but you can also try sharing with other travelers and pay 30 pesos per person.
If you need to save time, you can take a taxi or a car with driver from Cebú to get to Moalboal (even from the airport). The journey will take you less than 3 hours, always depending on the traffic. Taxi drivers usually charge between 2.500 and 3.000 pesos.
If you don’t want the hassle of negotiating, you can leave us a comment and we’ll send you a contact we have to do this route. You can also do it (although a bit more expensive) through this link:
Book your taxi or van to Moalboal
How to get to Moalboal from Manila
If you’re in Manila and want to go straight to swim with Moalboal’s sardines, the first thing you need to do is look for a flight from Manila to Cebú. This route is operated by Air Asia, Cebu Pacific Air, and Philippine Airlines more than 30 times a day, so prices tend to be quite economical. By booking in advance, you can see them from 20€. Even so, unlike other routes, it isn’t a ticket that gets very expensive if you buy it very close to the date.
Book flights from Manila to Cebú
You’ll land at Mactán‑Cebú Airport, that is, located on Mactán Island and connected to Cebú by several bridges. To reach the South Bus Terminal, from which buses to Moalboal depart, the most comfortable way is to take one of the white taxis waiting at the airport. They always use the meter and it’s rare for them to try to scam you. If you want, although it’s a little more expensive, you can also request a car with Grab. Estimate about 40 minutes for the journey, although it depends on traffic.
As we mentioned just above, take one of the buses going to Moalboal and you’ll be there in 3 or 4 hours.
If you want to go faster, you’ll find cars with drivers at the airport to negotiate the journey. We also have the contact for a driver, in case you want them waiting for you there. They usually charge about 2.500–3.000 pesos.
How to get from Malapascua to Moalboal
If you want to go from Malapascua to Moalboal, you’ll have no choice but to backtrack to Cebú and follow the route we described in the previous section. There is no other way to connect the two points than via Cebu City.
As we explain in How to get to Malapascua, to go from Malapascua to Moalboal you’ll have to do the following:
- Take a boat from Malapascua to Maya port (200 pesos, 30–45 minutes). The first one usually leaves around 7:00 from the Logon neighborhood.
- Take a van or a bus from Maya port to Cebú (approximately 250–350 pesos, 4–5 hours).
- Take a taxi from the North Bus Terminal to the South Bus Terminal (about 100 pesos, roughly 20 minutes).
- Take the bus to Moalboal and then the tricycle to your accommodation.
Traveler to traveler: in Maya, when you arrive at the port, you’ll likely see vans parked and offered to you. If you see the price is too high (beyond 350 pesos is over the top), walk and you’ll see the bus station. You can’t miss it.
If you want to shorten transfer times, you can take a taxi for some of the legs or negotiate the whole trip. For example, from Malapascua to Cebú a taxi usually charges about 2.500–3.000 pesos. From Cebú to Moalboal, the ride is usually around 3.000 pesos. So it would cost you roughly 5.000 pesos in total.
Keep in mind that this trip will take about 7 hours, so we recommend leaving Malapascua as early as possible to get to Moalboal. If you do it by taxi, it will take around 6 hours (it always depends on traffic).
As in the previous cases, if you want a contact for a car with driver, you can leave us a comment and we’ll send it to you as soon as possible.
How to get from Bantayan to Moalboal
If your case is that you want to go from Bantayan to Moalboal, you’ll also have to make a stopover in Cebú City.
In How to get to Bantayan we tell you everything, but here we summarize the steps:
- Take a boat from Bantayan (Santa Fe port) to Hagnaya (around 400 pesos, about 1 hour). Watch out and don’t confuse it with the one that goes to Medellín, which is farther. You can book on this page.
- Take a bus to Cebú (about 250 pesos, 3,5–4 hours).
- Take a taxi from the North Bus Terminal to the South Bus Terminal (about 100 pesos, roughly 30 minutes).
- Take the bus to Moalboal and then the tricycle to your accommodation.
As in the previous case, we also recommend leaving Bantayan as early as possible, since the journey is very long. The first ferries from Bantayan leave around 2 in the morning.
How to get from Dumaguete to Moalboal
If you’re coming from Negros Island because you’ve visited places like Apo Island, Siquijor, or Bais, you’ll be interested to know how to get from Dumaguete to Moalboal.
To go from Negros Oriental’s capital, Dumaguete, to Moalboal, follow these steps:
- Take a jeepney to Sibulan port (about 20 pesos, 20 minutes). If you don’t want to wait, you can also take a tricycle, which will cost you about 120 pesos.
- Take a boat to Lilo‑an, Santander (120 pesos, 30 minutes). They depart roughly every hour from 5:00 to 20:00. These tickets cannot be booked online.
- Take a tricycle or habal‑habal (shared motorbike) to Bato Terminal (about 80 pesos, 10 minutes).
- Take a bus to Moalboal (approximately 90 pesos, 1 hour and 40 minutes).
- Take the tricycle to your final destination (usually about 100 pesos).
How to get from Siquijor to Moalboal
If you want to go from Siquijor to Moalboal, as we told you in How to get to Siquijor, you can do two things:
- Take one of the boats from Siquijor to Dumaguete (1 hour, between 250 and 500 pesos). Then follow the steps in the previous section: from Dumaguete to Moalboal.
- Take a boat with the company Maayo Shipping from Larena port (Siquijor) to Liloan. They depart on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays at 13:00 and on Sundays at 16:00. Then follow the steps in the previous section to know how to go from Liloan to Moalboal. Remember to reconfirm schedules on their Facebook page at all times. We stay up‑to‑date, but in the Philippines things change quickly.
How to get from Bohol to Moalboal
To go from Bohol to Moalboal you have two options:
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- Go via Cebú: as we explain in How to get to Bohol, there are many boats connecting Cebú with Tagbilaran, Bohol’s main port. Once in Cebú, follow the steps we gave you in the section “how to get from Cebú to Moalboal”. You can buy your tickets from Bohol to Cebu here.
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- Go via Oslob: from Panglao (specifically from Momo Beach) Apekop boats depart every day at 6:30. From Tagbilaran (the capital of Bohol Island) they do so at 5:30. The trip takes roughly an hour and a half and you can buy tickets here. Once in Oslob, you’ll have to take a bus to Bato (approx. 1 hour) and then another from Bato to Moalboal (2 hours). Remember that what they do in Oslob with the whale shark is completely irresponsible tourism and contributes to the extinction of an endangered animal. You have ethical places in the country detailed in Where to swim with whale sharks in the Philippines.
The “bus station” of Moalboal
How to get to Moalboal from other parts of the Philippines
If you’re traveling through other parts of the country, it’s usual that you’ll have to go through Cebu City one way or another to reach Moalboal, but here’s a short summary to make your search easier:
- How to get to Moalboal from Siargao: first you’ll have to do the Siargao to Cebú leg, for which you can take a flight or go by boat from Siargao to Surigao and then from Surigao to Cebú on another boat. Once in Cebú, take a taxi to the South Bus Terminal and any bus going to Moalboal.
- How to get to Moalboal from El Nido: you can choose to fly directly from El Nido to Cebú or go from El Nido to Puerto Princesa by van (5–6 hours) and then fly from Puerto Princesa to Cebú. Once in Cebu City, take a taxi to the South Bus Terminal and a bus to Moalboal.
- How to get to Moalboal from Coron: there’s no other option than to fly from Coron to Cebú. Then go to the South Bus Terminal and take any bus to Moalboal.
- How to get to Moalboal from Port Barton: go from Port Barton to Puerto Princesa by van and take a flight to Cebú. From the airport, take a taxi to the South Bus Terminal and hop on a bus to Moalboal.
- How to get to Moalboal from Puerto Princesa: you need to take a flight from Puerto Princesa to Cebu City, then a taxi to the South Bus Terminal and any bus going to Moalboal.
- How to get to Moalboal from Camiguin: the most convenient way will be to fly from Camiguin to Cebu and then go to the South Bus Terminal to reach Moalboal. You could also do the crossing via Bohol, but it will be much, much longer.
- How to get to Moalboal from Boracay: there are flights from Boracay to Cebú. Once in the city, go to the South Bus Terminal and take a bus to Moalboal.
If you want to know how to get to Moalboal from another part of the Philippines, you can ask us in the comments.
Frequently asked questions about how to get to Moalboal
To finish, we answer the most common doubts you usually ask us about transportation to Moalboal:
How can I get to Moalboal?
The best way to get to Moalboal is via Cebu City, as it is located on the island of Cebu. Once in the city, you have to go to the South Bus Terminal and there take a bus that will drop you in Moalboal in about 3,5–4 hours. To reach Panagsama, where most accommodations are, you can take any tricycle. You can also get to Moalboal from Bohol via Oslob or from Siquijor through Liloan port or from Negros Island (going to Dumaguete first).
How to get from Cebú to Moalboal?
From Cebu City you can go to Moalboal via the South Bus Terminal. Buses to Moalboal leave constantly from there, even in the early hours. The trip takes between 3,5 and 4 hours, depending on the traffic leaving the city. It’s also feasible to go by car with driver, which will be faster. We can give you a contact.
How can I get to Bohol from Moalboal?
You can do it in two ways: taking a boat from Bohol to Cebu City and then going from the South Bus Terminal to Moalboal by bus or taking a boat from Bohol to Oslob and then linking buses to Moalboal.
How to go from Moalboal to Siquijor?
You can go from Moalboal to Siquijor (or the other way around) in two ways: going to Liloan port by bus and then taking one of the many boats to Sibulan, a multicab or tricycle to Dumaguete, and then another boat to Siquijor; or going by bus to Liloan and taking one of the boats that go to Larena port in Siquijor. Keep in mind that the latter depart with far fewer frequencies and in most cases in the early morning.
How can I go from Moalboal to Apo Island?
For this, you’ll first have to go to Dumaguete. That is, you have to go from Moalboal to Liloan by bus, take the boat to Sibulan, a tricycle or multicab to Dumaguete, then any transport that drops you near Zamboanguita port, and take one of the boats going to Apo (there aren’t many). Another option is to do a snorkeling or diving excursion from Dumaguete, Dauin, or Siquijor.
Moalboal Guide
Everything you need to plan this stage of your Filipino trip can be found in our Moalboal Guide. You’ll find suggestions for accommodations, restaurants, activities, and much more.
Do you have any questions about how to get to Moalboal from other destinations in the Philippines? We’ll be happy to answer you in the comments tab.
