Majestic Camotes Island: A Hideaway Haven

Traveling is indeed fun but what can make it amazing is the copious and evocative resources of a specific place enough to provide an ineradicable experience. Way back our time from Spaniards, the name of the island was derived from one of it’s local products which is the “Camote” and was called “Camotes Island” since then. The island group is composed of four towns namely Poro, Tudela, Pilar, and San Francisco.

It’s geographically located east of Cebu Island. It’s conceivably a haven for some locals and tourists due to its natural god-given spots as well as a number of hotels and resorts in Camotes ranging from budget to luxe. Be sure to book your stay online using travel websites like Traveloka for convenience and comfort. 

Traveling to Camotes Island

Transportation going to Camotes Island is very accessible either via bus, minibus or what the locals call as a “V-Hire”. You can catch a ride on a Ceres Liner or minibuses going to Danao port. There are air-conditioned buses which will definitely make you comfortable with your ride and current fare is only 50.00Php. It is highly recommended that you ride buses instead since you can just ask the the bus conductor to get you off at Danao-Camotes port. It’s going to take approximately 1 hour and 50 minutes from North Bus Terminal going to Danao City and is very much accessible since transportation going to danao is always available almost every hour.

From Danao Port, there is a Ro-Ro vessel going to Consuelo Port in Camotes Island. Travel time by boat is approximately two hours. Boat ticket from Danao port to Camotes Island is 180Php per person for a non-airconditioned and 200Php per person for an airconditioned trip. There’s also some private parking lots if you wish to leave your vehicles at Danao port. Danao port to Consuelo port (Camotes) boat schedule is 5:30am, 8:30am, 11am, 2pm and 5:30pm.

Accommodations

There are plenty of resorts and private places that offers accommodations in the Island but setting your budget and planning your stay would definitely be a great idea. There are houses/rooms for rent, hotels and inns from cheapest to expensive rates.

Here are some of the popular and most visited beach resorts and places in the island

What to do in the island

Cliff Jumping at Buho Rock

This is intensely petrifying but an absolute satisfying and one of a kind experience. This will ultimately increase your adrenaline rush and would want to make a worth of your while by just jumping off the cliff. You might want to include this in your to-do list as overcoming your fear would pay off your efforts if you’ll take this breath-taking satisfaction.

Lake Danao Adventure

If you want to get intimate with nature, the Lake Danao Park is a good place to visit. Popularly known as Lover’s Lake, the park is the perfect venue to experience solitude and tranquility. Whether a romantic date with a lover or a picnic with family and friends, Lake Danao Park is a must-visit place when you’re in the island.

Caving

There are many underground caves in Camotes Island that you will surely enjoy such as Bukilat Cave, Timubo Cave and Guadalupe Cave which offers a fresh-water underground lake. The perfect place to unleash the spelunker in you.

There’s also a waterfall in Tudela. Although there are other waterfalls in the island, the Busay Falls is the most visited one.

If you are a sports enthusiast or just an adventurous individual, there is also diving and snorkeling opportunities at some of the resorts. You may check Flying Fish Resort and Ocean Deep details below.

Camotes Flying Fish Resort
Mobile Numbers: +63 908 876 5427
Email: camotesflyingfishresort@yahoo.com
Website: www.camotesflyingfishresort.com

Ocean Deep
Phone: +63 72 700 0493
Mobile: +63 908 457 9355
Email: twaukshun@yahoo.com
Website: http://www.oceandeep.biz

Beach Bumming

If thrill-seeking is not for you, the beaches of Camotes Island is at par with other lush beaches of Cebu. I haven’t been to Boracay but seeing the picturesque beach of Bakhaw convinced me to visit Boracay some other time. Bakhaw Beach Resort is a public secluded, non-commercialized white sand open resort. It is located in Barangay Esperanza in San Francisco, Camotes.

Other beaches worth visiting nearby are Borromeo and Keshe.

Where to Eat

Although most of the resorts offer sumptuous foods, there is one spot in San Francisco that’s worth visiting, Pito’s SUTUKIL. This small eatery is located just beside the Santiago Bay Resort. An island visit would be incomplete if you wont get to experience their best-selling SUTUKIL (Sugba-Tula-Kilaw). Other sumptuous meals are also served.

Travel Tips

• To maximize your time, check for tour guides and operator ahead of your travel.
• Book accommodations in advance especially during peak season.
• There are already ATMs available but still best to have cash on hand.
• CamoteTap and Camote Crinkle are good pasalubong, make sure to buy some.

Camotes Island is packed with sparkling sandy beaches, mysterious falls and enchanting caves. Aside from being one of the top tourist destination in Cebu, experiencing the sights and sounds with the locals are one thing to consider also as the island is historically rich.

If you are planning to spend a memorable vacation with your loved ones or friends, Camotes Island is the place to be.

Come, visit Camotes Island