11 uncrowded islands in the Philippines: Unknown Paradises

No two trips to the Philippines are the same. In a country with more than 7,000 islands there’s room for millions of locals and travelers eager to experience nature and culture. And although you may hear people say it’s becoming overcrowded, the truth is that the Philippines is still a long way from mass tourism. It’s true that destinations like El Nido, Boracay and Bohol have become very touristy, as they have been among the most popular for decades, but there are thousands of lesser-visited islands in the Philippines.

Not only that, even within those better-known destinations, there are still corners that hardly anyone knows about. So on this website, you’ll find the main Filipino destinations, but with plenty of options to step off the usual path, as well as other places we’ve discovered that you’ll love if you’re looking for off-the-beaten-path spots.

Of course, getting to them takes a bit more effort. The Philippines has a developing transport infrastructure that has focused on the main tourist destinations, so you’ll need to allow more time. You should also keep in mind that in most cases, there aren’t as many places to stay or eat, so you might not have as many comforts and conveniences. Don’t worry, it’s always worth the extra effort. Stay with us and discover some of the many lesser-visited islands in the Philippines.

1. Romblon

Hardly anyone talked about Romblon when we visited it a few years ago, but something about it was so appealing that we decided to make the epic journey from Coron to this island in the Visayas region.

In our opinion, Romblon is the complete package. It has everything. Gorgeous beaches where there’s hardly anyone around, a spectacular sandbar called Bonbon Beach (one of the best sandbars in the Philippines), well-paved roads flanked by beautiful palm groves, a town where you can learn a bit about the Philippines’ past thanks to the remains of a Spanish-era barracks and several colonial-style houses and, above all, a lot of lovely people willing to help you.

Romblon Town is the capital and where most hotels in Romblon are located. We actually found the town quite pleasant and it has a growing selection of restaurants and carinderias, but if you want to enjoy nature, try to get away from it and book places like Coral Canyon.

From there, you can also explore several neighboring islands on an island-hopping trip. Cobrador is our favorite and, moreover, it’s not uncommon to spot a turtle near the shore. As if that were not enough, we encourage you to get to know the rest of the Romblon archipelago. Tablas, Carabao, Sibuyan and the wonderful Cresta de Gallo (all still very little visited) await you and could easily make up a two-week trip to the Philippines (at least).

Why is Romblon still a little-visited place in the Philippines? We think there are two reasons: it hasn’t had much exposure and getting there is still a bit of a chore. As we tell you in How to get to Romblon, the island has no airport, so you will have to do it by ferry from other destinations such as Manila, Tablas or Roxas (Panay). The journey is absolutely worth it.

You can read all about it in our Romblon Guide.

2. Sibuyan

We’ll stay in the Romblon archipelago to tell you about another little-visited corner that stole our hearts. Known as the “Galapagos of Asia” for its enormous biodiversity and number of endemic species, Sibuyan is an unspoiled island perfect for those who want to escape the crowds and discover that lesser-known side of the Philippines.

The island is dominated by Mt. Guiting-Guiting, a mountain that rises 2,058 meters above sea level. In the local dialect, Guiting Guiting means “irregular” because it does not have a single peak but several, which makes it quite peculiar. To reach the summit, you will need 2 days and 1 night. Although it does not seem too complicated at first glance, it is considered one of the most difficult mountains to climb, along with Mt. Halcon (Mindoro) and Mt. Mantalingajan (Palawan). That is why locals say Filipino mountaineers train here to tackle more challenging peaks.

If you are not a hiking enthusiast like us, don’t worry, you have plenty of things to do in Sibuyan. Our favorite is simply getting lost by motorbike. The island is still so little known that people will greet you wherever you go and that feeling of finding interesting spots on your own is wonderful.

On the other hand, in Sibuyan you will not be short of hidden waterfalls. Thanks to its rugged terrain, there are lots of cascades. And then there’s the popular Catingas River, considered the cleanest in the Philippines.

To make it even more attractive, Sibuyan is the gateway to one of our favorite islands in the world: Cresta de Gallo. Uninhabited, it is paradise on earth. There you will find several white-sand sandbars, turquoise waters teeming with life and, above all, the satisfaction of having one of the best little-visited places in the Philippines all to yourself.

That said, don’t expect many conveniences when exploring this Visayan island… Transport is infrequent, there aren’t many hotels, let alone resorts, or restaurants. In fact, sometimes it is even hard to get a motorbike to rent. Don’t be discouraged, this has its charm.

Sounds good? Read about it in our Sibuyan Guide.

3. Caramoan

Did you know that a bunch of Survivor-style shows from all over the world have been filmed in the Philippines? Well, many of them were filmed in Caramoan, a peninsula located east of Manila, on the island of Luzon. You only have to look at the photos below to realize what a paradise it is, with islands very similar to the ones you see in Coron and El Nido, but with just 1% of the visitors they get.

Getting there is still a slog, but it pays off. To discover the best spots you will need to do at least a couple of island-hopping trips, but the prices are still very reasonable. Just to give you an idea, the most expensive tour costs 2,500 pesos for the whole boat of up to 6 people, compared to the 10,000–12,000 in El Nido.

If you combine Caramoan with Legazpi and, during whale shark sighting season, with Donsol, you have the makings of a fantastic trip through that lesser-known side of the Philippines you are looking for. In addition, you could also venture to explore northern Luzon in places like Banaue, Batad, Bontoc, Baguio or Sagada.

Read all about this destination in our Caramoan Guide.

4. Leyte

So close to other tourist destinations like Bohol or Cebu, but, at the same time, so overlooked… Huge Leyte is still something of a mystery to us. Here’s a quick teaser so you can get an idea of what you can discover:

• Cuatro Islas tour: departing from Inopacan, a sleepy town on the west coast, this is one of the lesser-known island-hopping trips in the Philippines. As its name suggests, it will take you to 4 islands with white-sand beaches that will not disappoint. The prettiest are Mahaba and Digyo. The latter, depending on the time of year you go, boasts a long sandbar.
• Pintuyan: in our opinion, the best place to swim with whale sharks in the Philippines. Not only is it the most responsible option, but, selfishly speaking, you will have it to yourself. In a small bangka, you will head out in search of the largest fish in the world and, with a bit of luck, you may get to swim alongside them more than once. The sighting season runs from November to April. Getting to Pintuyan is not easy and there’s no fancy accommodation, but it is worth it.
• Padre Burgos: it is a convenient and comfortable base for going to Pintuyan on a day trip to see the whale shark, but also if you’re planning a sea-focused trip around the Philippines. Around Padre Burgos you will find some of the best places for diving in the Philippines, with the night pier dive standing out, where it feels as if you’ve landed on another planet.
• Limasawa: this small island south of Padre Burgos is an important pilgrimage site for many Filipino Christians, since it was here that the first mass in the country was celebrated when the Spanish arrived. Not only that, if you’re looking for little-visited corners of the Philippines, Limasawa is one. Although it does not have the best beaches in the Philippines, it is very likely that the ones it has will be deserted.
• Kalanggaman: although most people visit from Malapascua, this beautiful island belongs to the province of Leyte and is also accessible from the port of Palompon. It is touristy, but stay overnight and you will know what a deserted paradise feels like.
• Pangasugan Ecopark: many travelers ask us about “jungle” places to visit in the Philippines. Well, in Leyte you have what is known as “the last frontier in Eastern Visayas.” It is a tropical rainforest home to species such as the tarsier, the Philippine flying fox or the pygmy fruit bat.
• Canigao Island: accessible from Matalom in just 5 minutes, this island has lovely beaches and, they say, a population of reef sharks that can be seen while snorkeling (don’t worry, they are harmless). Try to visit Monday to Thursday, when hardly anyone goes.
• Waterfalls: in Leyte there are several interesting waterfalls to explore such as Masaba Falls, Gunhuban Falls, Tumpag Falls or Mahayahay Waterfalls.

 

5. Kinatarcan

On one of our trips around northern Cebu we decided to explore this little-visited island of the Philippines. In Kinatarcan you will find 3 hotels (2 of them fairly basic guesthouses) and just a small stall selling sandwiches and burgers, so you can already get an idea of its level of tourism.

But what will make you travel there? Well, besides visiting an unspoiled island where everyone (really, EVERYONE) will be surprised to see you, you will have at your disposal several white-sand beaches that are absolutely empty, an interesting and mystical lagoon and several picturesque cliffs. Of course, the sunsets won’t disappoint either, in the tranquility of a little-visited destination.

Kinatarcan also works well if you are thinking of visiting both Malapascua and Bantayan. From the latter you have direct boats 6 days a week and then you can go from Kinatarcan to Daanbantayan, just a few kilometers from Maya, the port for the bangkas to Malapascua.

If you are up for it, you can read all about it in our Kinatarcan Guide.

 

6. Busuanga

Sure, Coron Town is by no means a little-visited place, but you only have to look at a map to realize how huge Busuanga is—and how little of it is known. On our latest trip there, we spent almost 10 days discovering places hardly anyone talks about that can easily rival more popular spots.

The clearest example is the small town of Concepcion, which was our base for a week. Barely 90 minutes from Coron Town by van, it feels like a completely different island—like stepping into a lesser-known side of the Philippines.

With just 3 streets, it is absolute tranquility and a fantastic base for several incredible island-hopping trips. From here we visited islands like Pass, Maltatayoc, North Cay, South Malbinchilao, and the great snorkeling sites of Lusong Coral Garden and the neighboring shipwreck. Not only that, from Concepcion you can walk to the waterfalls of the same name and, above all, enjoy wonderful calm and sunsets. If you fancy it, you can also rent a motorbike and spend the day on the beach at the Alam Indah resort or go farther to see Ocam Ocam Beach. To top it off, from here you will have much faster access to the World War II shipwreck dives.

You can read much more in Things to do in Concepcion, Busuanga.

As interest grows, a few hotels have sprung up in the area such as the West Atlantic Inn and some more luxurious ones in a nearby bay like Marina del Sol. Plus, there are a couple of restaurants, so your stay can still be very comfortable.

Salvacion, about 45 minutes from the former, is also a good base for island hopping or for heading to Ocam Ocam. A few hotels have popped up, such as the White Sumerville Tourist Inn.

If you want to feel that tingle of being in a very little-visited place in the Philippines that you just know will become popular in a few years, stay overnight in Ocam Ocam, where you have little seaside huts for little money like this one. In addition, from here it is easy to hop over to Black Island, which is, in our opinion, one of the most photogenic islands in the Philippines.

Want more reasons? The unexplored north of Busuanga awaits with kayak routes and the chance to explore epic islands like Dumumpalit or Dimakya (home to the luxury resort Club Paradise). You can stay there and enjoy a more local experience at The Cheeki Diver Inn.

Also, as we tell you in Things to do in Coron, from town you can also visit little-known beaches: Bali Beach and Cabo Beach. If you’re very confident on a motorbike, you can also ride to Marcilla Beach, which is almost 2 hours away.

7. Negros

Negros is one of the largest islands in the Visayas region, but also one of the most unexplored. If you’re thinking of visiting Siquijor or Apo Island, you’ll likely pass through Dumaguete, the capital of Negros Oriental. Even so, it’s not a place where many travelers usually stay. This does not mean it lacks places to see, but simply that they are not well known.

Want to know why Negros made our list of the best little-visited islands in the Philippines? Here are a few reasons:

• Dumaguete: although Philippine cities are not particularly interesting, Dumaguete is one of the most pleasant. It is home to Silliman University, one of the country’s most prestigious universities, so you will quickly feel the university vibe. In addition, it is worth stopping by the Church of Santa Catalina de Alejandría and the neighboring Dumaguete Belfry, which dates back to the 1760s. You will also find a lively scene in Quezon Park and along Rizal Boulevard (Dumaguete’s seafront) at sunset.
• Waterfalls: the best known are those near Dumaguete. Pulangbato Falls and Casaroro Falls will give you that break from the asphalt you may need. Near the former are the Red Rock Hot Spring, a great place for a hot spring soak.
• Dauin: it is one of the best places to dive in the Philippines. Known for its macro-life dives, from here you can also go dive at Apo Island. Plus, it is a very relaxed place with lots of comfortable resorts such as Mike’s Dauin Dive Resort or Atlantis Dive Resort Dumaguete.
• Manjuyod Sandbar: this sandbar in the middle of the sea is known as the “Maldives of the Philippines.” The starting point is 1.5 hours from Dumaguete, where you will take a boat and have a great chance of spotting dolphins in the Tañon Strait. You can book this excursion here.
• Twin Lakes Natural Park: another typical excursion from Dumaguete is a visit to these two flooded volcanic craters. You can also walk through the surrounding forests. There is a combined tour with Dumaguete’s points of interest. You can book it here.
• Malatapay Market: very close to the port from which you can reach Apo Island, this market is one of the island’s most important. The big day is Wednesday.
• Mt. Kanlaon: if you like hiking, apply for a permit from the DENR in Bacolod to climb this active volcano with a summit at 2,430 meters. There are several trails, the best-known being Guintubdan, which takes 2 days.
• Sipalay: on the west coast, Sugar Beach is a lovely golden-sand beach where you can spend several days forgetting about everything. There are several cool resorts such as Takatuka or Sugar Lounge Lodge, but also a very backpacker-friendly one where we stayed (Buenaventura Beach Resort). You can choose to do nothing, go diving, go island hopping, or take various hikes to viewpoints. For epic views, stay at Perth Paradise Resort or C View Haven Resort (in Punta Ballo). Another interesting place is Tinagong Dagat Resort.
• Bacolod: the capital of Negros Occidental is a good stop for two things: eating barbecue inasal-style and seeing The Ruins. Bacolod has been sugar country for centuries and proof of this is the remains of this mansion belonging to a baron who got rich in the trade. It feels almost like being transported to Europe.
• Lakawon Island: this white-sand island is very close to Bacolod and is a classic weekend spot.

✈️ As you can see, it’s certainly not short on places to explore in Negros! You can access them by searching for flights to Bacolod or to Dumaguete. Of course, you can also arrive by boat from neighboring islands.

8. Panay

As with Negros, few travelers know much about Panay beyond Iloilo or neighboring Boracay. However, the 6th-largest island in the Philippines has loads of little-visited places or nearby islands that hardly anyone talks about. Here are good examples:

• Iloilo: the island’s capital is one of the most interesting cities in the Philippines from a visitor’s point of view. There you can discover its colonial past at places like Jaro Cathedral, Lizares Mansion, Casa Mariquit, Molo Church, and Bahay Camiña Nga Bato. Forty kilometers away is the city of Miagao, which has an interesting church and, in our opinion, one of the prettiest in the Philippines: the Fortress Church.
• Nogas Island: this small island is not well known, but it has nice reefs and interesting beaches.
• Gigantes Islands: north of Iloilo, from Carles, these islands are becoming better known but still fly under the radar for international travelers. Stay on Gigantes Norte and from there you can do wonderful island hoppings to see Tangke Lagoon, Camugao Gamay Island, Bantigue sandbar, or Antonia. In our opinion, it is one of the best island hoppings in the Philippines.
• Concepcion Islands: this group of 17 islands north of Iloilo is even less known than the previous one, so if you are looking for little-visited places in the Philippines, do not hesitate. In our opinion, the best islands are Agho, Pan de Azucar, Bulubadiangan, and Malangabang.
• Guimaras: just 30 minutes from Iloilo is the island that boasts the best mangoes in the Philippines. We got to witness it in all its glory at the festival held every May, where they set up an all-you-can-eat (guess what!) mango buffet. The island doesn’t have spectacular beaches (except perhaps Tatlong Pulo) or spots that will leave you speechless, but we really enjoyed the experience and even did an island hopping with interesting snorkeling. You can read it all in our article Things to do in Guimaras.
• Antique: this province has several interesting corners to discover such as Batung Batu Falls, kayaking along the Tibiao River, and hopping over to Mararison Island with its epic white-sand sandbar, where you can stay overnight with the fishermen. Do not miss the chance to take a Kawa hot bath, in other words, a soak in huge metal cauldrons heated over a wood fire.

9. Pagudpud (Luzon)

Ten years ago this area started becoming known as the Boracay of the north, heralding a tourist boom that still has not arrived. And yes, it is true that Saud Beach can easily rival Boracay—except getting there is much more of a slog and it lacks the comforts of the super luxury resorts of the latter. Even so, you can find simple places right on the beach like Jun and Carol Beach Cottages.

This very long, fine white-sand beach lined with slender coconut trees is truly wonderful and is complemented by other nearby beaches that are smaller but also beautiful. Blue Lagoon is a good example and has several great resorts such as Casa Consuelo Resort.

From here you can also do several cool excursions, such as the one that will take you to see the huge Bangui windmills, which make for a picturesque beach, or the Kapurpurawan rock formations.

So if you want a comfortable beach destination and, most importantly, one that is little visited, do not hesitate.

✈️ To get to Pagudpud, the most convenient way is to fly to Laoag and then take a bus to Pagudpud. This final stretch can easily take three hours. Another alternative is to take a bus from Manila to Laoag or directly from Manila to Pagudpud, but keep in mind it will take about 10 hours.

10. Pandan Island and Apo Reef

We end this list of little-visited Philippine islands with two lovely examples that can be combined.

Pandan Island lies just 15 minutes off the coast of Sablayan (Mindoro) and is a small slice of paradise with a simple yet charming resort. Pandan Island Resort has bungalows with sea views, private rooms, and shared dorms that are perfect for spending a few days enjoying its white-sand beach and, even better, the waters around it, which are usually teeming with turtles.

Pandan Island is also the perfect base for joining one of the trips out to Apo Reef. This is one of the best places to dive in the Philippines, with a great chance of spotting large marine life such as whitetip sharks, hammerheads, or mantas. The resort organizes excursions, but if it is full (which isn’t uncommon if you don’t book ahead), other options are to ask at the Sablayan tourism office or other resorts in the area such as Gustav’s Place Dive Resort or Sablayan Paraiso Beach Resort.

If you can, we suggest spending the night on Apo Reef itself, which is a true wonder of fine white sand. Facilities are very basic and in most cases you will have to sleep in a tent, but both the diving and the experience of staying overnight on an uninhabited island are worth it.

✈️ To get to Sablayan, the easiest way is to fly to San Jose and then take a van to Sablayan (90 minutes). You could also go from Coron to San Jose by boat, but keep in mind they do not run every day, or take a very long route combining buses and boats from Manila. From Sablayan to Apo Reef it is a 2-hour journey.

11. Camotes Islands

It’s incredible that, despite being so close to Cebu City, this group of islands still sees so few visitors… We do not know how long it will stay that way (rumor has it they may eventually build an airport), but we were truly surprised to realize that there’s barely any public transport beyond tricycles.

The Camotes offer a great mix of everything the Philippines does so well: cool, uncrowded beaches, interesting caves, and charming motorbike routes. In our opinion, it doesn’t have quite the same magic as Siquijor, but there is something undeniably appealing about it that makes it well worth a visit, especially if you are looking for little-visited places and corners that still feel undiscovered.

Take a look at our article, “Things to do in Camotes Islands,” and see if it is a destination for you.

Map of these little-visited places in the Philippines

Of course, this is just a selection of the thousands of little-visited or almost untouched islands in the Philippines. We’ve left out places like Masbate, Calaguas, Marinduque, Dinagat, Linapacan, Tuguegarao, Aurora, and the Mati area… The list is endless!

Add to that the fact that even in touristy places there are always corners that very few people visit, and that says it all. There are loads of examples like the Anda area in Bohol, Sibaltan or San Vicente in Palawan, Concepcion and Salvacion in Busuanga (Coron)…

If you feel like suggesting a place to include in part 2 of this article, we’d love to hear from you in the comments.