Travel Guide: How to Get to Bantayan Island

Travelling to Bantayan Island will take you hours to spend in airplane, to Cebu bus and then to the boat going to the island. When you’re up for an adventure and long road trips, Bantayan Island is the destination you should visit. Literally, you will travel by air, by land and by the sea just to reach this paradise, but the long road trip is definitely worth-it.

Road Trip to Bantayan Island

From Manila, you can take a plane going to Cebu (Mactan International Airport). Book a flight via Cebu Pacific, Zest Air, or Philippine Airlines. Once you arrived at the airport, you can tour around the city first before taking a ride going Hagnaya Port then to Bantayan Island.

There are three ways to get to Hagnaya Port (North of Cebu)

Via cab or taxi. You can ask taxi services in Cebu City to drive you to Hagnaya Port. This is the most convenient and fastest option to reach the northern part of Cebu. But this option is relatively expensive. Rates vary depending on the driver and your deal.

Via rented van. Near SM Cebu, you can find North Terminal wherein there are van and bus bound to the northern part of Cebu going to Hagnaya Port. Vans are faster than bus but you have to wait until all the seats are occupied before the van leaves.

Via bus. This is my most preferred option going to Bantayan Island. You can take bus bound to Hagnaya at North Terminal in Cebu. The cost is around P150 per head from the terminal station to the port. Travel time is around 3 hours from the city.

After three hours of travelling, you will arrive at the Hagnaya Port, there are ferries at the port leaving for every hour. Make sure you will arrive at the port before 6pm for the last boat trip going to the island. The most ideal time to ride the ferry is around 3pm. You will arrive at the island after one hour to give you more time to familiarize yourself to the place, choose a restaurant where to eat and finally rest on your chosen resort for accommodation. Plus, arriving earlier in the island allows you to catch the sunset too. I guess earlier than 3pm is also ideal if you will not be taking a city tour in Cebu.

The road trip to Bantayan Island is worth-it, once you set your foot on its white sand shores, and once you see the breath-taking views in the island, you’ll forget that you are tired from the long hours of the trip.