If you’re including the beautiful island of Camiguin in your trip to the Philippines, you won’t regret it for a single second. The island with the most volcanoes per square mile has incredible scenery and, although the island’s own beaches aren’t your typical picture-postcard spots, island hopping in Camiguin will take you to some of the country’s most beautiful beach paradises. Seriously, we’re not exaggerating: both Mantigue Island and White Island are spectacular.
Island hopping in Camiguin?
If we compare visiting these islands with touring the islands around Coron or El Nido, calling it island hopping in Camiguin might be a bit of a stretch. In this case, you don’t visit several islands on the same tour. Instead, you visit one first and then have to go to another port to visit the other.
If you get up early, you can easily visit both in one day. However, we recommend setting aside 2 days and enjoying them at a leisurely pace. Also, because they’re geographically far apart, it makes sense to combine your trip to Mantigue with, for example, a visit to the beach next to the Giant Clams Sanctuary (the island’s only golden-sand beach), a ride on the Mahinog zip line over Taguines Lagoon, or a visit to the Moro Tower. If you go to White Island, meanwhile, you can also snorkel at the Sunken Cemetery, visit Guiob Church, climb the Old Volcano, or take a dip in a waterfall or natural pool. It’s up to you!
You can read all about these places in Things to Do in Camiguin.
Where are White Island and Mantigue Island?
White Island is just 2 kilometers off Camiguin’s northwest coast, while Mantigue Island is 3.5 kilometers off its southeast coast.
Can I go island hopping in Camiguin on my own?
Not only can you—it’s the way to do it.
Unlike in El Nido, Port Barton, or Coron, where some guides or agencies are more highly recommended than others, the way island hopping works in Camiguin is different. In other words, you don’t need the contact details of any guide here, since you simply go to each port and everything is organized there.
When you arrive at Yumbing Port, you’ll be assigned a bangkero (boatman) to take you to White Island, and the same thing will happen when you arrive at San Roque to go to Mantigue. You don’t get to choose who takes you. There’s no need to worry, either: the crew’s job is simply to take you there and bring you back. They won’t explain anything, and you don’t need a guide. With everything we’re going to tell you in this post, you’re going to enjoy the islands immensely.
Although the fees are charged per person, the boat costs the same regardless of the number of travelers. So, if you’re traveling solo or as a couple, it may be worth looking for other people right at the port.
The best island hopping in Camiguin
Ready to discover some of the best beaches in the Philippines? Here we’ll tell you everything you need to know about trips to White Island and Mantigue Island from Camiguin.
1. Trip to White Island from Camiguin
Just 2 kilometers off Camiguin lies this striking spit of powdery white sand that will leave you speechless. No matter how many we’ve visited, White Island—also known by its original name, Medano Islet—is one of our favorite sandbars in the Philippines.
Besides being surrounded by water so turquoise you won’t believe your eyes, White Island is made even more special by the incredible views it offers of Camiguin and its volcanoes. From anywhere on the island, you can see the imposing Hibok-Hibok, while a blanket of white sand and crystal-clear water fills the foreground.
White Island’s shape changes over time. The different winds that affect the Philippines alter the sandbar’s outline, so the island will always look different. For example, on our last visit, in November, a small natural pool had formed that could give the Maldives a run for its money—we spent hours soaking in it!
Although it’s a single sandbar, bear in mind that it’s sometimes split into 2 sections. In other words, a small channel separates them, so it’s best to go at low tide, when you can cross to the other section more easily. Even so, if you find it split into two sections, you can always swim between them. Check the tide chart.
Although visiting White Island is one of the most popular things to do in Camiguin, it’s still not crowded at all. Every time we’ve been, we’ve felt comfortable, and we’ve even had the place to ourselves. Obviously, if you go during a Philippine holiday, such as Christmas or Holy Week, you’re bound to find more visitors.
The island is surrounded by a reef. Although snorkeling at White Island isn’t as spectacular as at Mantigue (where it’s not unusual to see turtles), it’s worth spending some time swimming around it. If you’re facing Camiguin, there are some corals on the right side of the island where you’ll always find clownfish. However, the best section, where the sanctuary is located, is off to the left, where you’ll see some white buoys. Don’t hesitate to ask your bangkero to show you where it is. Please be very careful with the currents.
Price of the island-hopping trip to White Island
The boat, which can carry up to 4 people, costs 550 pesos. You then have to pay an environmental fee of 50 pesos per person. Beach umbrellas (quite large ones) can be rented for 150 pesos.
The stalls at the terminal rent snorkel masks (100 pesos) and fins. Although the snorkeling isn’t as good as at Mantigue, it’s worth bringing a mask. Fins may not be as necessary. Since there isn’t a single patch of shade, you can rent a beach umbrella for 150 pesos.
Although you used to be able to stay as long as you wanted, it seems the maximum is now 3 hours. In any case, it’s best to ask to make sure. The boatman will usually ask when you want to be picked up, but if you don’t know, he’ll give you a phone number to call; once you give your boat number (each boat has a different one), he’ll return in 5–10 minutes. If you don’t have any phone credit, you can approach any bangkero on the island and they’ll contact him.
Schedule for the White Island trip
You can go to White Island from 5:00 onwards. The latest return time is 17:00. Although you used to be able to watch the sunset, we asked the tourist police and the boatmen and they assured us that this is no longer permitted and that you can’t spend the night on the island either. So you can see the sunset from the boat on the way back, but not from White Island itself. The last trip to the island is at 16:00.
Traveler-to-traveler tip: although you’ll read elsewhere that going to White Island for sunrise is worthwhile, in our opinion it’s much better to head to the island around 10 or 11 in the morning and skip the early hours. We say this for 2 reasons:
- Filipinos love getting up early and aren’t too fond of the sun, so they always go very early and leave when the heat starts picking up, which means you have a better chance of finding the island less crowded;
- clouds tend to cover Camiguin’s volcanoes early in the morning and then gradually clear, so you have a better chance of seeing the full panorama if you go a little later. This is, of course, completely random, but during the more than 15 days we spent in Camiguin on our latest visit, it happened every time.
Also, try to go from Monday through Thursday, when there tend to be fewer people (unless it’s a local holiday).
Bear in mind that there’s absolutely nowhere to get food or drinks on White Island, so if you think you’ll get hungry, you can always buy something in Yumbing, where you’ll find several restaurants, carinderias, and sari-sari stores.
How to get to White Island
Follow the steps for getting to Camiguin and then, if you have a rental motorcycle (leave us a comment and we’ll tell you where you can rent one for 300 pesos in Camiguin), all you need to do is head to the village of Yumbing, specifically the White Island Ferry Terminal, next to Paras Beach Resort.
If you’re coming from Balbagon Port or staying around Mambajao, you can take a shared, fixed-route motorela (a cross between a small jeepney and a tricycle) to Mambajao Market for 10–12 pesos per person, then another one from Mambajao to Yumbing for 12–15 pesos. These are fixed prices, so you don’t need to haggle, and we recommend checking with other passengers riding with you. From the main road, it’s a 3–4-minute walk to the port.
If you’re coming from the Benoni area (the port where boats from Balingoan arrive), you can take a jeepney or multicab (a form of transportation that falls somewhere between a jeepney and a motorela) to Mambajao for 25–30 pesos and then a motorela to Yumbing for 12–15 pesos. If you want to take a private motorela from Balbagon Port to Yumbing, the official fare is 270 pesos, although we were quoted 150 pesos.
If you don’t ride a motorcycle, you can hire a motorela or multicab for the whole day for around 1,200–1,500 pesos. Even so, if you’re going to spend many hours on the island, it isn’t worth it. If you’d like, we can give you a reliable contact for this.
At the boat terminal, all you have to do is say you want to go to White Island, and in just 5 minutes you’ll be in paradise.
2. Trip to Mantigue Island from Camiguin
In a hard-fought battle for the best beaches, Mantigue is another must-see spot for island hopping in Camiguin.
Unlike White Island, Mantigue (also known as Magsaysay Island) covers around 4 hectares and, in addition to fine white sand, has some vegetation, including plenty of beautiful Philippine palm trees. Of course, it also offers spectacular views of Camiguin’s mountains.
Although the beach will dazzle you as soon as you arrive on the island aboard the bangka—and this is, in fact, the best area for swimming—we encourage you to walk all the way around Mantigue. It will only take you 10–15 minutes, but you’re sure to linger for a while and have a slice of this paradise all to yourself. There’s even a wooden walkway that crosses the island from north to south and that no one knows about. Everyone tends to gather in the same spot.
Although people used to live here, on our last visit we saw that the village had been demolished and the rubble hadn’t yet been cleared away. Apparently, these people were living there illegally. We hope the area is cleaned up soon and the island is restored to its full beauty.
What’s more, Mantigue is one of the best places to snorkel in the Philippines. The reef is healthy and colorful, with an enviable array of marine life. Simply swim a short distance along the southern and southwestern sides, where the marine sanctuary is located, and you’ll find tons of coral, parrotfish, clownfish, starfish, and, very likely, beautiful green and hawksbill turtles.
By the way, you can also visit Mantigue Island on a scuba-diving trip, as we did. The dives on the island’s reef are beautiful and the turtle population is enormous (we saw more than 20!), so don’t hesitate. The usual plan is to do 2 dives, with the surface interval on land. They give you 1 hour there. In our opinion, although that’s enough time to walk all the way around Mantigue, it isn’t enough if you like to take things slowly. That’s why we also recommend coming back without your wetsuit. We’ll tell you more about Diving in Mantigue soon.
Price of the trip to Mantigue Island
The boat costs 750 pesos and holds up to 6 people. You can spend 3 hours on the island. You have to pay an environmental fee of 75 pesos per person, plus an additional 75 pesos on the island if you want to snorkel. Hiring a snorkeling guide currently seems to be optional (please help us out by confirming this) and costs 300 pesos per group. If you scuba dive, it’s 200 pesos per person.
If you want to rent a cottage with a table, you’ll have to pay 150 pesos. You can also pay to use a table (100 pesos for a large one). You can rent paddleboards for 200 pesos for 30 minutes and glass-bottom boats for 300 pesos for 30 minutes (up to 6 passengers). You can also rent a snorkel mask for 100 pesos.
Schedule for island hopping from Camiguin to Mantigue Island
Boats from the terminal start departing at 6:00, and you can return as late as 16:00 (before the pandemic, you could stay until 17:30). Since Mantigue is farther from the area where most people stay (Yumbing), you’ll notice that, unlike White Island, it starts to fill up around 9:30–10:00, and many Filipinos take the opportunity to have lunch here and shelter from the sun in the little cottages.
For this reason, although it’s certainly not a crowded island, we recommend arriving at Mantigue as early as possible, around 7:00. Another option is to go after lunch and stay until closing.
If you can avoid weekends and holidays, so much the better.
How to get to Mantigue Island
After arriving in Camiguin, if you have a motorcycle, you don’t need to worry about finding transportation. All you have to do is get to the San Roque terminal (about 35–40 minutes from Yumbing) and ask for a boat there. It appears on Google Maps as “Mantigue Island Departure Area.”
If you’re staying in Yumbing and want to use public transportation, you first have to go to Mambajao. Take a motorela, which will cost 12–15 pesos per person. Once there, you can take another motorela or jeepney to San Roque (30 pesos), but they don’t pass by very often. Ask at the market; there are also vans and multicabs for around 30 pesos. Bear in mind that this journey will take longer. A fair price for a motorela hired privately from Yumbing to San Roque would be 300–350 pesos, since it’s a long ride.
The boat ride from the bangka terminal to Mantigue takes about 20–30 minutes.
Mantigue or White Island? Which should you choose?
In our opinion, both are truly wonderful, and we think visiting both is a must. It’s no coincidence that we’ve been to both several times and will surely return many more times. If you ask us, it would be a crime not to do both island-hopping trips in Camiguin.
If you’re short on time, this could be a 1-day itinerary for island hopping in Camiguin:
6:00: depart for San Roque Port.
6:30: boat to Mantigue Island.
7:00 – 11:00: beach and snorkeling at Mantigue.
12:00: lunch at Taguines Lagoon; J&A Fishpen is fantastic, but you can also eat around Yumbing or at our favorite: La Dolce Vita.
12:30: transfer to Yumbing.
13:00: boat to White Island.
13:10 – 16:45: total relaxation on White Island.
17:15: sunset at the Sunken Cemetery.
Recommendations for these trips in Camiguin
Although we’ve already given you some pointers about these island-hopping trips in Camiguin, here are a few more tips that we’re sure will come in handy:
- The driest months in Camiguin are February, March, and April. The weather also tends to be good between May and August, while September through December is the rainiest period. Even so, the weather is unpredictable. We were last there in November and, except for 1 day, the weather was incredible.
- Bring a dry bag to protect your electronic devices, cameras, and money. Although the boat rides aren’t long, there are sometimes waves, and you won’t want your belongings to get damaged. You can buy these bags almost anywhere in the Philippines. In fact, at Yumbing Port itself, just before the ticket booth for White Island, they sell them for 300–400 pesos (depending on the size).
- Don’t forget sunscreen (ideally one that’s completely harmless to coral and marine life) and clothing to protect you from the sun, especially on White Island, where there isn’t a single patch of shade (apart from the umbrellas available for rent). It’s also a good idea to bring water shoes when visiting White Island; there’s a lot of coral, and they make crossing the sandbar more comfortable. In What to Pack for the Philippines, we recommend the gear we use.
- Bring food and drinks with you. Nothing is sold on White Island except sea urchins. Mantigue has a bar/restaurant, but the prices aren’t particularly cheap. If you’re vegetarian, don’t think twice—bring something, because almost everything is grilled fish or meat.
- Follow our recommendations for snorkeling in the Philippines and be respectful.
- If you want to send photos to your family in real time, don’t worry: 4G works just as well on these islands as it does on Camiguin—perhaps even better. Check out Internet in the Philippines for the best rates and plans.
- One essential thing for these island-hopping trips in Camiguin is to use the app called Windy to check the tide times and wind strength. This is particularly important on White Island, since going at low tide lets you enjoy the sandbar in all its glory. It’s also best to go when it isn’t too windy because, as the island is completely exposed, strong winds can make things a little uncomfortable. Here are more apps recommended for traveling in the Philippines.
- As we always say, protect yourself with travel insurance like the one we use. Through this link, you’ll get 5% off your policy.
- If you want to rent a motorcycle in Camiguin at the best price, 300–350 pesos, leave us a comment and we’ll send you the details of our trusted contact.
Recommended accommodations in Camiguin
Whenever we go to Camiguin, we stay around Yumbing. For us, it’s essential to have places nearby for dinner because, at the end of the day, you won’t feel like riding very far on your motorcycle, and the fact is that at night there are no jeepneys and not many tricycles or motorelas in Camiguin. So our recommendation is to stick to this area. Here are our recommended accommodations in Camiguin:
- Mountain View Cottages: the place where we feel most at home in Camiguin. These bungalows, owned by a Canadian-Filipino couple, have everything—even a super-well-equipped kitchen! They’re extremely close to Yumbing and have a great restaurant nearby. 10 out of 10. Click here for availability and prices.
- Pabua’s Cottages: if you want something basic, this place is right in the village, so all the restaurants and bars are on your doorstep. Don’t expect anything amazing, but it does the job. Click here for availability and prices.
- Balai sa Baibai: for something a little more upscale and well located, take a look at this one. Availability and prices here.
You’ll find more options in our article on Where to Stay in Camiguin.
Ethics statement: When you make a reservation through the links on the website, we receive a small commission that allows us to keep working on the site every day. You’ll never pay more: your bookings will cost exactly the same, and sometimes you’ll even get a discount. You won’t find any company recommended on this website that we haven’t tried ourselves.
Camiguin Guide
We’re in love with Camiguin, so we’ve visited several times to enjoy the island. You’ll find all the information about it in our Camiguin Guide.
Do you still have any questions about these trips from Camiguin? Is there anything you’d like to add? We’d love to reply in the comments!
