Have you ever heard of Gigantes Islands? It’s likely you haven’t, since it isn’t one of the best-known destinations in the Philippines, especially among international visitors. However, that doesn’t mean the effort to reach these islands located in the heart of the Visayas, a few hours from the interesting city of Iloilo, isn’t worthwhile. That’s why we’ve decided to release this Gigantes Islands Guide with all the information you need to enjoy them and include them in your trip to the Philippines.
Why Gigantes Islands?
Originally called Sabuluag after a species of tree that grew there, the Gigantes Islands began to be called this by Spanish colonizers after hearing a local legend that spoke of gigantic human remains found in the caves.
Another story says that a giant hurled the islands into the sea after learning that pirates had kidnapped his bride right before the wedding. The giant died of grief, becoming what is now Gigantes Sur, and his wife became Gigantes Norte.
Whatever the origin of their formation or name, the truth is that Gigantes Islands is an amazing destination for those who want to get off the traditional routes through the archipelago and explore corners where electricity still doesn’t run 24 hours a day. In this group of islands you’ll find rock formations, lagoons, caves, sandbars, and one of the most Instagrammable places in the Philippines: Camugao Gamay.
Gigantes Islands (as they are also known) is a great place to mingle with locals, get close to their way of life, and support a rising tourism scene. Gigantes Norte, where most accommodations are located, is a quiet place where you’ll find some hostels and basic resorts where you’ll probably have to take bucket showers, but where you can watch epic sunsets. So, if what you’re looking for is a 5-star hotel and lots of comforts, it’s better to head to Boracay.
Where are the Gigantes Islands located
The Gigantes Islands are in Western Visayas. This group of 12 islands belongs to the province of Iloilo, located on the island of Panay. Specifically, the Gigantes Islands are part of the municipality of Carles, the starting point to reach them. From the shores of Panay to Gigantes Islands it’s barely 18 kilometers. To give you a clearer idea, it’s northeast of Panay, lying south of Masbate and north of Negros.
The two main islands are Gigantes Norte and Gigantes Sur, separated by a channel of about 800 meters. Next to the former are some smaller islands: Uaydajon, Bulubadiang, Gigantillo, and Gigantuna. South of Gigantes Sur are Antonia, Bantigue, Cabugao Gamay, Cabugao Daku, Tanguigui, and Turnina. Other islands in the group are Balbagon and Pulupandan.
How to get to Gigantes Islands
There are excursions that go from Iloilo to Gigantes Islands, but we’re going to tell you how to get to Gigantes Islands on your own from different parts of the Philippines.
1. Get to Panay from other parts of the Philippines
The first step to reach Gigantes Islands is to get to Panay; for this, you have several options:
- Fly to Iloilo: it has an international airport with flights from other parts of Asia and, of course, from within the Philippines.
- Fly to Roxas: this city is closer to the starting point for the islands and also has a domestic airport.
- Fly to Kalibo or fly to Caticlan: both cities have airports, but it’s a more secondary option as they are farther away.
- Take a boat to Iloilo from Cebu or from Bacolod: the former take almost a day, but to Bacolod you have fast ferries almost all day.
- Take a boat from Sibuyan to Roxas or from Romblon to Roxas: yes, if you’ve been to these beautiful islands in the Romblon archipelago, there are ferries from Romblon.
- Take a boat from Bantayan to Estancia: if you’re visiting this island and want to go to Gigantes Islands, boats depart on Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Sundays (double-check). The journey takes about 3 hours and the ticket costs 500 pesos.
2. Get to Carles
Once you’ve set foot on Panay Island, you’ll need to go to Bancal Port (in Carles); from here, boats depart to reach Gigantes Islands.
How to get from Roxas to Carles
If you’ve arrived at Roxas Airport, take a tricycle to the Roxas Integrated Bus Terminal (10–15 minutes/150 pesos for the whole tricycle).
Once at the terminal, take a van to Carles (2 hours/about 200 pesos). Usually they’ll drop you at Balasan Terminal, from where you’ll need to hop on a tricycle to Bancal Port (30 minutes/50 pesos).
How to get from Iloilo to Carles
As in the previous case, if you’ve arrived by plane to Iloilo, you’ll need to take a bus to Tagbak Terminal (50 pesos). You also have the option to take a taxi, but you’ll have to negotiate.
Once at the station, take a Ceres bus or a van to Carles (2.5–4 hours/about 300 pesos). They start at 5:00 and end around 16:00. There is no fixed timetable. Although a bit more expensive, a van is better because it drops you directly at Bancal Port.
If you don’t want to complicate things or you don’t have much time, from Iloilo you have shared tours or private tours to Gigantes Islands.
How to get from Boracay to Gigantes Islands
We did this route the other way around, since after Gigantes Islands we decided to return to this popular island in the Visayas. In this case, the way is long but not impossible. The route would be:
- Take one of the frequent boats from Boracay to Caticlan (10 minutes/100 pesos).
- Take a bus from Caticlan to Roxas (4–5 hours/300 pesos). They leave roughly every hour from 5:00. Another possibility is to go from Caticlan to Kalibo and once there take a bus or van to Roxas (1 hour/100 pesos).
- Take a bus or van from Roxas to Carles. It’s explained a few lines above.
You can do parts of this route if you’re thinking of flying to Kalibo or Caticlan.
3. How to get to Gigantes Islands from Carles
You’ve reached the port from which boats depart to go to Gigantes Islands! First pay the environmental fee of 75 pesos. Then hop on one of the bangkas. They depart every day at 8:00, 13:30, and 16:30. They cost 200 pesos per person and the trip takes about 90 minutes. They arrive at Langub, in Gigantes Norte, where most hostels and restaurants are concentrated. On the other hand, there are faster boats (fastcrafts) that depart for 300 pesos per person.
In the opposite direction, from Gigantes Norte to Carles they leave at 7:00, 10:30, and 15:00.
As always in the Philippines, it’s best that you reconfirm the schedules, especially in places as untouristy as this. To do so, we recommend that you contact the Carles Tourism Office.
If you’re a large group and don’t want to wait for the next boat, they’ll likely offer you the option of renting a private one. Typically it runs around 5,000 pesos for 8–10 people.
Boat departures from Bancal Port
As we were saying, boats also depart from Bancal. At the moment there’s a boat at 9:00 on Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays, and at 8:00 on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays. On Wednesdays and Thursdays there’s also one at 10:00. It returns to Bancal some days at 14:30 and others at 15:00. On Wednesdays and Thursdays at 13:00. It costs 200 pesos per person.
Things to do in Gigantes Islands
We’ve reached the highlight of this guide: things to do in Gigantes Islands. Here we tell you about the different activities you can do in this area of the Philippines, including the famous island hopping.
1. Island hopping in Gigantes Islands
Coming to this corner of the Philippines and not doing the island hopping it’s known for would be like not having been here. If you search “Gigantes Islands” on Google, the first thing you’ll see are photos of the spectacular Cabugao Gamay Island, one of the islands visited on this excursion. That’s why it’s so necessary to dedicate a day to enjoying these paradises.
You can arrange the Gigantes Islands island hopping at any of the resorts scattered around the island. The price will depend on the number of people and/or the size of the bangka. A typical route through the main places to visit in Gigantes Islands is around 2,000 pesos per boat (up to 6 people) plus 500 pesos for the guide, but this will depend on your negotiation skills, how long you want it to last, and the stops you plan to make.
We advise you to clarify two points when organizing it: whether the entrance fees and the food are included in the price. It’s common for you to be in charge of paying them separately. For lunch, you can delight in a wonderful meal at Antonia Beach for little money or bring something prepared from Gigantes Norte.
If you’ve never done an excursion of this kind, don’t miss our article Island hopping in the Philippines to better understand what it’s about.
Below you’ll find the main spots usually visited on this tour:
Cabugao Gamay
This is the postcard of Gigantes Islands in capital letters. As soon as you see a photo you’ll understand, but this island divided into 3 parts (rock, sandbar, and rock) is a delight for the eyes and, no, you won’t need a drone to admire it as it deserves, since on one of its sides there’s a popular viewpoint from which to appreciate it.
Until 2015, Cabugao Gamay was a little secret, but its appearances in the Lonely Planet guide and, later, a Philippine TV show, meant that today you have to wait a bit in line to step onto the newly renovated selfie point. Therefore, our advice is to avoid your visit to Gigantes Islands on weekends or national holidays.
In “Little Cabugao” there are some fairly basic huts and camping is also allowed. If you want to arrange it, contact Maruja Resort: +639995580626.
Entrance: 50 pesos per person
Antonia Beach
Another of the things to do in Gigantes Islands and a must on any boat route is Antonia Beach. This white-sand beach belongs to Gigantes Sur and is also known as “Sandwich Island” due to a rock formation at the end that looks like a stack of sliced bread.
At Antonia Beach there’s a resort with tents (yes, the ones the United Nations donates when there’s a natural disaster) and a small restaurant very popular for serving fresh seafood at laughable prices. Therefore, it’s a great place to eat and take a dip.
If you haven’t brought snorkeling gear, you can rent it right there and enjoy the seabed (perhaps the best of the whole day). For more excitement, you can also jump off the rocks or sign up for water sports: banana boat or jet ski.
If you want to stay overnight, they rent tents for 250 pesos per person. Fan huts go for 800 pesos for 2 people or 1,200 for 4 people. Contact Patroceno Mahipos at +639192685896 or Danilo dela Cruz at +639473884070 for more information.
Entrance: 40 pesos per person
Tangke Lagoon
Did you think the spectacular karst rock formations were exclusive to El Nido and Coron? In Gigantes Islands they also have a little piece of this, which is known as Tangke Lagoon.
This saltwater lagoon seems to be almost hidden at the tip of Gigantes Sur. The subject of myths and legends, the truth is that when you arrive at the entrance it’s hard to believe what you’re seeing. Surrounded by impressive dark-rock cliffs, the pool fills with crystal-clear water when the tide rises; therefore, don’t forget to remind your boatman that you want to visit it at that moment.
A heads-up: if the wind and waves are strong (which usually happens between June and September) you can’t access it, since the boat can’t moor for you to get in.
Entrance: 50 pesos per person
Bantigue Sandbar
If you’ve already visited any of the sandbars we talk about in Best sandbars in the Philippines, perhaps Bantigue won’t give you goosebumps, but it will definitely be a feast for the eyes. As in all cases, this sandbar changes shape depending on the month you visit and, of course, the time of day. You’ll see it in all its splendor when the tide is low, but it usually doesn’t disappear even at high tide and you can always take a dip.
Entrance: 20 pesos per person
Other possible island-hopping stops
We’ve already told you the must-dos in Gigantes Islands, but here are a few extra suggestions:
- Pulupandan Island or Pandan Island: a tiny circular island with just a couple of palm trees, surrounded by pretty rock formations. It’s usually visited if you’re doing the island hopping from Carles; otherwise, it’s a bit far.
- Tinagong Dagat or Mini Boracay Beach: this beautiful beach gets its name from the fine white sand that characterizes it. It’s very close to Antonia Beach, so you can ask your boatman to make a stop. There’s no entrance fee.
- Cabugao Grande or Cabugao Daku: the big sister of Cambugao Gamay is basically made up of cliffs similar to those in El Nido. If you like exploring lesser-known corners, it has a small beach to the south.
Keep in mind that if you decide to add more stops, you’ll have to negotiate the price with your boatman.
Island hopping from Carles (instead of from Gigantes Norte)
If, for whatever reason, you’re staying overnight in Carles and only want to do a one-day island hopping from there, you just need to go to the Carles tourism office and hire a boat. Prices are already set: the small boat (1–10 people) is 3,500 pesos; the medium boat (1–15 people) is 5,000 pesos; and the large one (16–30 people) 6,000 pesos. If you’re staying overnight in Gigantes Islands, add 1,500 pesos to the trip. To these prices you’ll need to add the entrance fees for each place you visit.
On the other hand, as we mentioned above, it’s very common to do this excursion from Iloilo. You can book it with KLOOK (which is basically Southeast Asia’s Civitatis):
Private Gigantes Islands tour from Iloilo
Shared Gigantes Islands tour from Iloilo
2. Gigantes Norte Lighthouse
In Gigantes Islands you can also get a glimpse of history, since at the northeastern tip of Gigantes Norte you’ll find the ruins of one of the 27 lighthouses built during the Spanish era in the Philippines. Specifically, it was erected in 1893.
The old lighthouse collapsed in 2008 during a typhoon and now you can see a new structure (which you can’t climb). Even so, you can visit the old caretakers’ house and the remains of the beautiful colonial fence that surrounded it. They’ve recently installed a small museum with some important documents and objects from the island.
3. Bakwitan Cave
Thanks to the islands’ orography, there are a couple of interesting caves you can explore. The best known is Bakwitan Cave, located on Gigantes Norte. It’s said that this is where they found the coffins with the large bones that gave rise to the island’s name. As a curiosity, during the devastating Typhoon Yolanda, these caves were the refuge of more than 60 families.
To explore it properly, you’ll need to hire a guide (500 pesos per group), with whom you can easily spend a couple of hours. Even so, you can take a stroll on your own and see at least the entrance.
4. Enjoy the peace and feast on scallops
As you can see, the most important thing to do in Gigantes Islands is the island-hopping route, but, without a doubt, one of the attractions of coming here is adapting to the simple lifestyle of its inhabitants.
Despite its growing fame, Gigantes Islands still has that component of a lesser-known destination, and walking through the streets of Gigantes Norte means seeing children play among the millions of shells of the shellfish that is the main livelihood of their families. It’s also enjoying quiet sunsets on the sandbar of Langub Beach (in the south of the island) or joining a marathon karaoke session.
If you have more days, you can also look for alternative plans. For example, we convinced a boatman to take us to spend the day on a neighboring island: Uaydajon Island, the “island without trees.” For 500 pesos (round trip) we enjoyed a day on this uninhabited island, which has a lovely beach and can be circled by swimming. The seabed isn’t fabulous, but you’ll surely see a few interesting things.
Finally, since you’re here, you’re sure to be tempted to try the well-known scallops. Philippine scallops are sold for about 1 peso per piece, an extremely cheap price. They’re cooked in lots of different ways. They’re so revered that, between March and April, they celebrate the “Tikab-Tikab” or Scallops Festival.
Where to stay in Gigantes Islands
To sum up: don’t expect the places to stay in Gigantes Islands to be very fancy. Although local tourism has grown a lot, most travelers take a day trip and go back to sleep in Iloilo or Roxas. Therefore, tourism development hasn’t been too great, with its advantages and disadvantages.
Most hotels in Gigantes Islands are located on Gigantes Norte, specifically along its western coast. The ones we highlight include:
- Se San Beach Resort: one of the best thanks to its location, in a very pristine setting and right on the beach. They have very basic nipa rooms, but also bungalows with air conditioning. It’s the only one you can book on Booking.
- North Coast Island Resort: tastefully decorated glamping tents with air conditioning. It’s oriented toward sunset and has a café/bar perfect for it. They have several.
- Jesa Beach Resort: also right by the beach and positioned so that it gets a little internet, it’s one of the most pleasant resorts on Gigantes Norte.
- Gigantes Hideaway Tourist Inn: the one we chose to stay at a few years ago and also one of the most popular (also for being one of the first). It’s quite basic and clearly geared toward weekend groups of Filipinos, with what that entails (karaoke sessions until the wee hours). It’s also a little further from the rest, in case you’re interested in having more buzz or restaurant options nearby. This resort has an annex on an island called Bulobadian, where they have some more basic huts. We were stopped to eat here during the island hopping, but, in fact, you can get there on foot if the tide is low.
Consider that there are a few more hostels in Gigantes Islands, but they can’t be booked online due to the island’s poor internet connection. If you go there without a reservation, keep in mind that it’s very likely they’ll try to sell you a package that includes accommodation, food, and activities. We’re not saying it won’t be worth it, but our advice is to do the math and assess whether it’ll be cheaper than organizing it yourself or if you want to eat at other places on the island (even if you don’t eat as much seafood).
If you’re looking for something a little nicer and only want to do an island hopping, we recommend staying at Solina Beach & Nature Resort. This one is located in Carles and among its huge facilities it even has a swimming pool.
Tips for visiting Gigantes Islands
- Best time to visit Gigantes Islands: as in the rest of the region, the dry season on these islands runs from December to May. For greater peace of mind, March to May is when it rains less. Outside these months, if it’s very windy, it’s normal not to go to Tangke Lagoon due to the difficulty of mooring the boat.
- Watch out for peak season: it’s very popular with local tourism; if you’re going to visit during Holy Week, school holidays (April/May), or on a weekend, we recommend booking your accommodation well in advance.
- How many days you need to enjoy them: our advice is to spend at least 3 days and 2 nights. That way you can do the island hopping and make a few visits around Gigantes Norte without having to rush.
- Getting around Gigantes Islands: you can move along Gigantes Norte on foot, but you can also use habal-habal services (motorbikes with driver). The longest route (from the northeastern tip to Langub Beach) is 30 pesos per person, just so you know. Some resorts also rent motorbikes for 350 pesos per day.
- Internet: forget about having a good connection. Only Smart and Sun Cellular have some coverage and usually only for calls. There’s a spot locals call the “call center,” which is on a hill and you can reach it by habal-habal for 10 pesos.
- Money: forget about ATMs or anything similar. You’ll have to pay for everything in cash.
- Electricity: as still happens on many Philippine islands, electricity only works a few hours a day. When we were in Gigantes Islands, it worked at sunset and a little before dawn, so take advantage to charge your devices then. Some resorts, even so, have a generator.
- Food: if you have any special diet or you’re vegetarian, we recommend bringing supplies because almost all the food is based on fish and seafood (scallops everywhere!) and there are very few restaurants. Get used to ordering food 1 or 2 hours in advance—they take a long time. There are some sari-sari to buy the basics.
- Where to eat: almost all hotels serve food, but you also have some carinderias such as Thalassa (try the scallop burger) or Libod snacks & grill.
- Responsible tourism: please don’t buy souvenirs made with shells or other sea products.
- Travel insurance: if something serious happens to you, you’ll have to be urgently transferred to Iloilo, where you’ll find hospitals, since there is nothing in Gigantes Islands. Please don’t travel to the Philippines without good insurance to cover unforeseen events. In our article Travel insurance for the Philippines you’ll find more information. Here’s a 5% discount on your policy.
Map of Gigantes Islands
Here’s a homegrown map with the main points of interest in Gigantes Islands:
We hope this Gigantes Islands guide has encouraged you to discover this little corner of the Visayas that still doesn’t have much international fame but is well worth it.
Questions? Suggestions? We’re happy to read you in the comments.
