Camiguin Island - Retire To Explore

Highlights

Time of Visit: February 2025

Duration of Visit: Three Nights

Description

The island of Camiguin is part of the Mindanao archipelago and is a wonderful destination. It has a laid back vibe and friendly locals. This island has it all. There are two small islands a short boat ride away. You can swim in crystal clear water, whether it’s the ocean or in one of its many freshwater springs. The island is also blessed with three waterfalls.

Quite surprising or just not well known, the island has many “lanzones” fruit trees. Locals said that the trees bear fruits in October which would be a nice time to visit.

If you always wondered what to see or do in Camiguin, this article will provide you with all the information you need including how to get there, where to stay and how to get around.

We spent three nights in Camiguin and felt that it was a rush. We could have spent a week here and would not be bored. In fact we could just do the same activity twice and would not get tired of it.

Activities

Mantigue and White Islands

On the shores of Mantigue Island. The shallow drop off with corals is about 50 feet from shore.

The islands are both nice but have to be visited separately as there is no island hopping tour from Camiguin. If you are pressed for time, you can visit White Island early in the morning and Mantigue early in the afternoon.

White Island shuttle boats leave from the White Island Ferry Terminal located West of the airport. The shuttle boats leave as early as 6AM so visitors can avoid the heat at mid morning as the island is naked, meaning no trees for shade. However, beach umbrellas can be rented on the island for a minimal fee. Stay on the island is limited to three hours but you can negotiate with your boatman if you want to stay longer. Besides providing a nice photo opportunity, there are reef fishes that make snorkeling enjoyable.

White Island in the foreground, Camiguin in the background

Mantigue is a small island. We walked around it in less than 15 minutes. The island is open from 6AM to 4:30PM but island rangers start rounding up visitors before 4PM.

Turtles can be seen in the area where the boats dock. There is a shallow drop off with coral and reef fish to the left of where the boats dock when facing the ocean. The water is between 30 to 40 feet deep at the shallow drop off. It is a nice place to free dive and take videos with a GoPro when the water is calm.

Falls

There are three falls that we know of on the island – Katibawasan, Tuasan and Binangawan. Katibawasan is the tallest and the easiest to get to as its only just over ten minutes scooter ride from Mambajao. If you are lucky, you might spot a colorful resident bird that looks like a woodpecker with its long beak and yellow/blue body.

After visiting Katibawasan, you can cross the mountains to the other side of the island to Tuasan. The road is paved but steep in some places. You can stop at Utopia Cafe for lunch or snack and enjoy the view.

Tuasan Falls is not as high as Katibawasan but beautiful nonetheless. Swimming is allowed in the pool area but not directly under the falls, just like Katibawasan.

We did not have time to see Binangawan Falls which locals told us the water flows over a slanted rock wall rather than falling freely.

Springs

Perhaps the most relaxing place to go on the island is to one of its many natural springs. We only had time to visit two cold springs – Soda Water Pool and Sto. Nino. We skipped Ardent Hot Springs as locals and the YouTube video we saw indicated that its water is lukewarm, rather than hot.

Soda Water Pool is nice, especially on a hot day. The water is clear and cool. There are two pools – a kiddie pool which is shallow and an adult pool where the water is more than six feet deep in most places. Sheltered tables with benches are placed around the pool and can be rented for a fee. Most visitors spend the entire day there eating and swimming.

Sto. Nino has one big pool but has more water flow. The water is clear, deep in some places and refreshing just like Soda Water Pool. There are also covered tables that can be rented.

The Beehive Driftwood Cafe

The Beehive Driftwood Cafe is one of those quirky and unique establishments. Its name came about when the owner used to be a beekeeper. The bees are long gone but the benches and tables made out of driftwood still remains. The cafe serves refreshing drinks and good food. The atmosphere is chill and the eating area is shaded by trees. Guests can enjoy their drink and meal while facing the ocean.

The cafe is located at the Northwest side of the island. The place is just right off the circumferential road between the road to the Soda Water Pool and the Sunken Cemetery,

Mambajao

We stayed about three kilometers from the center of Mambajao. The town has a Guisano Shopping Mall which has a grocery store and a department store. A traveller will find common items here from food to electronics to clothing.

There are many restaurants around the center of town. We tried Samuels and Garlic Amores and both are recommendable. Most prominent is the Jollibee where locals congregate.

How To Get There

The easiest way to get to Camiguin is to fly there as the island has a small domestic airport, code CGM .

By sea, there is a ferry boat from Jagna Port, Bohol that leaves once a day and takes four hours. The ferry arrives at Balbagon Port around 6:30PM.

From Mindanao, there are two ferry companies, St Benedict Ocean Shipping Line and Super Shuttle, that goes between Balingoan Port and Benoni Port in Camiguin. There are multiple sailing’s throughout the day. The first trip is at 3AM and the last somewhere around 4:30PM. The ferry ride lasts between 1.25 and two hours, depending on sea condition and the ship.

Balingoan Port is midway between Cagayan de Oro City and Butuan City. Balingoan is reachable by bus or private van from Cagayan de Oro and by bus from Butuan. The bus terminal and van terminal in Balingoan is just a five minute walk from the port.

Where To Stay

If you can rent a scooter from your accommodation, you can stay anywhere on the island. The only question is how far you are willing to drive to eat.

The main town in Camiguin is Mambajao. This is where most of the restaurants are located. There is also a Jollibee. The port to While Island is less than a 10 minute scooter ride from Mambajao. There is also a shopping mall here if you need clothes or electronics.

The next larger town is Catarman on the opposite side of the island. This town is closer to the springs and Tuasan Falls compared to Mambajao. There are some restaurants but less fancy than those found in Mambajao.

We chose to stay at Lanzones Resort. The resort has a large grassy area surrounded by mature trees and includes breakfast and transportation to and from the airport or ferry terminal.

Getting Around

Camiguin’s circumferential road is wide and mostly empty

The island has a circumferential road that measures about 64 kilometers. Theoretically, you can scooter around the island in less than two hours without stopping.

The circumferential road has four lanes in most places so it is nice to drive as there is not much traffic. However, locals may use the outer lanes for parking so just watch out for it.

Around 4PM, joint military and police safety checkpoints pop up on the circumferential road. They check for IDs (drivers license), working headlights and helmets if you are on a motorized two wheeler. Just make sure you stop at checkpoints and only proceed when you are waved over.

Scooters and motorbikes are the easiest way to get around Camiguin

There are jeepneys in Camiguin but those are infrequent and have limited routes

The cheapest way to get around is by renting a scooter. We rented from where we were staying for logistical ease of pick-up and return. So, before you book your stay, make sure you are able to rent a ride from them.

We saw a video that rental cars are available in Camiguin.

There are many tricycles that take people from community to community. Most of them are in Mambajao. There are also small public utility vehicles (PUV) that serve the needs of locals between Mambajao and Catarman. Occasionally, you may see a PUV that goes around the island but those are infrequent.

You can hire a PUVs to take you around the island if you do not want to drive.

Expected Expenses

Ferry Benoni Port to Balingoan Ferry Terminal – 200

Mantigue Island roundtrip boat ride – 1,500 (per boat, carries four passengers)

White Island roundtrip boat ride – 750 (per boat, carries four passengers)

Scooter rental – 500/day

Summary

Camiguin would be our answer if people ask us “what is your favorite island in the Philippines?”. It is not as crowded as Siquijor, has a lot of natural springs and waterfalls. Mantigue and White Islands both have white sand beaches and nice snorkeling.