The white sands of Bantayan Island in Cebu.

Bantayan Island is just one of the 15 islands clustered off the northern point of Cebu Island. It is renowned for its powder white sands, crystal clear water, especially along the southwest coast and a low-key, laid-back resort with friendly locals. Bantayan Island is also more than just an island of beaches and rural charms; and an important food source for neighboring islands. In fact, it is known as the “Egg Basket of the Visayas,” churning out more than 100 tons of eggs everyday, distributed throughout the whole region. Fishing is important as well. Fringed with reefs and shoals, two of its three municipalities Bantayan and Santa Fe are important fishing centers supplying bustling Metro Cebu.

Getting there and away:

You can ride on several buses daily from Cebu City to Hagnaya in the north east of Cebu mainland, where boats and ferries are leaving for and arriving from Santa Fe on Bantayan Island. You can likewise go by boat from Hagnaya to Santa Fe where there are regular ferries daily to Santa Fe on Bantayan Island for trip duration of an hour. Oceanjet and hydrofoil from Cebu city are other transportation options toward the island. If you want to get around Bantayan Island, some buses are going between some of the towns. You can take tricycle between places. There is a minimal traffic on the island; even the quality of the road is good. It is possible to ask many of the locals, to rent their bikes for some few pesos, and also they say it is possible to hire motorbike/s in Santa Fe for some few hundred pesos daily.

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