Bantayan Island: blessings of light (How To Get There)

Sta Fe, Bantayan Island Panorama

What: Getting to Bantayan Island
Time of travel: 2-3 hours by bus or van from Cebu city and an hour and a half boat ride to the island

What is Bantayan Island?

Bantayan island is an Island on the northern tip of the province of Cebu. Considered a small slice of paradise in Cebu it has a growing number of local and international patrons that visit it yearly. Crystal blue waters and white sand, Bantayan island is a must go for the beach enthusiast be it just relaxing from the busy life of the city or just feeling adventurous, Bantayan island offers a myriad accommodations to suit every need. People from around the world have fallen in love with the island and decided to spend their lives in it, be it the lush beaches or bright local smiles the island has a romanticism that will get you looking for more. I’ve enclosed a map where the island is below.

Choosing the right bus

where is it? (maps from google)

The Bus Ride

Getting to Bantayan island is fairly easy, its just 2 stops away from the city. Best enjoy a long weekend on the plush sunny beaches that are rumored to be best in the province. My journey starts at 2am when I pack my bags and gear to get the 1st bus ride to Hagnaya Port via bus. I go hail myself a taxi cab and tell the driver to go to Cebu North Bus Terminal. Once getting there you’d notice the buzz of people looking for their respective rides and dispatchers calling out the destinations of their buses. Upon getting there be wary of people who try to grab your bags since not all of them are trying to help you carry your things; I’ve heard some reports of people snatching away bags this way, so be better safe than sorry. Look for the buses that are bound for Hagnaya port, usually there are 2 bus lines that travel this route; Ceres Liner and Autobus. Make sure that you ask which one leaves first so you can get to Hagnaya before the sun gets hot. On a short note Ceres already cut off their air-conditioned buses to Haganaya because people usually carry dried fish on their way to the city. As a reminder if you do travel by bus make sure to dress casually and comfortably; shirt, shorts and a trusty pair of slippers would do. Also don’t forget to bring water, candy and bonamine (if you get road/sea sick). What I’ve noticed last time was an MP3 player really comes in handy on a long travels as such. The bus will only stop once so make sure to go to the restroom before had. On my last bus ride I rode an Auto bus so the road stop wasn’t that great in comparison to Ceres. Another thing I’ve learned on this trip is that the road stops vary from driver to driver. The stop depends on where the driver is a patron, he makes a stop there and he usually gets a free meal from the place as courtesy. The bus will stop once more at the Bogo Terminal and straight it goes to Hagnaya. The bus ticket says its 100 kilometers for Cebu and the fare you need to pay is only 50 pesos.

Cebu North bus Terminal at Dawn

Fares and Methods

Rent a Van
From the airport or seaport to Hagnaya.
Good for 7-8 persons.
Non-stop trip
Fare: 3,500 pesos to 4,000.00 pesos
Travel Time: 2 hours to 2 and half hours

V-Hire
From White Gold Terminal to Hagnaya Port.
leaves when van is full
Fare: 100.00 pesos
Travel Time: 2 and a half hours

Buses
From the City North Bus Terminal to Hagnaya Port,
4:30 AM and every 30 minutes thereafter until 3:00 PM daily
Fare: 50.00 pesos to 70.00 pesos
Travel Time: 3 - 4 hours

Airplane (via SEAIR) Temporarily suspended
From the Mactan-Cebu International Airport
Fare: 990.00 pesos (promo) / 1,350.00 pesos(standard)

Choose a bus going to Hagnaya seaport

Hagnaya Port and Boat Ride

Upon arriving at the Hagnaya porters will rush in the bus looking for people they can carry stuff for, once again make sure that all your valuables are accounted for before leaving the bus. First things first you need to check the schedule of the boat; I’ve put a boat schedule here so you at least you have an idea when the boat leaves. If you have time to spare there are a lot of places in the port where you can eat so make sure to grab a bite before boarding. The boat fare is 135 PHP and 10 PHP for the terminal fee as well. The Boat you will be boarding is a RORO (roll on roll off) type of boat. So you can bring a car in if you like but most people I know just bring the car to Hagnaya and leave it there for a fee of 100 PHP a day. The boat is usually very spacious as long as you don’t ride it on the peak of the week. It offers a slow yet relaxing way to travel. There used to be a fast craft service in Hagnaya but I don’t see it anymore most probably it only shows up on the peak season of the island. Last time I rode the fast craft was in 2007 and the fare was 350 PHP but it cuts travel time to thirty minutes instead of the RORO’s one and a half. In any case you didn’t have time to grab a bite the RORO has a mini store that offers junk, biscuits, noodles and beverages. Make sure to keep your tickets safe since the crew will be inspecting them soon after the boat sets sail.

Hagnaya Seaport Shipping Schedule

Hagnaya Seaport

RORO Ferry Boat

You can bring your car if you want to

Arriving in Sta. Fe (Welcome to Bantayan Island!)

When you see a white stretch of sandy beaches on an island to the left side of the boat, you know that it is Bantayan Island. Within 10 to 15 minutes the boat will dock and there you are, Sta. Fe Bantayan island. You can then use a modified motorcycle of sorts or a jeep to travel to Sta. Fe Poblacion, Bantayan or Madridejos. Once getting to the island it’s like being in a time machine a simple and placid way of life awaits a weary person seeking to reenergize the spirit. Along with this I’ve enclosed means of transportation and their respective fare rates in this post as well but these prices are only from my last trip there which was August 2009. Some Resorts have service vehicles and will be willing to pick you up form the port so make sure to take advantage of this service.

Welcome to Sta Fe!

Ride motorcycles into town or to your resort

Ride jeeps for Bantayan Proper or Madridejos

Going Back to the City

Going back to the city you can ride to Sta. Fe Seaport and Pay the same boat fare that you paid going to the island. There is a terminal fee of 5 PHP for the Hagnaya Port and another 5 PHP terminal fee for the Tourism Station. Upon getting to Hagnaya you can choose the means of transportaion you want going back to the city.

a bus loading up for Cebu City

I had the plaeasure of experiencing Bantayan island as a phtographer and blogger for the first time. I had a lot of fun documenting the islands lifestyle and seascapes, this is one of a long series of articles about my Bantayan island experience. Hope you guys had a good read and i do hope this article helps people discover this local wonder just a few hours from Cebu City. Till next time! ^_^