Camotes Islands – The Lost Horizon in the South

Aside from Bantayan Island, another paradise can be found off the northeastern coast of Cebu, the Camotes Islands. Located between the islands of Cebu and Leyte, the Camotes Islands is a set of islands made famous when it placed prominently in the 2015 reader’s poll of the Conde Nast Magazine. Visitors were told to visit the islands to “get a true taste of island life.”

Legend has it that the Camotes Islands got its name after the Spaniards asked some natives for the name of the place. Since the natives were harvesting camote or sweet potato at that time, they answered “camote,” thinking the foreigners were asking what they gathering. 

Camotes Islands – image source: cebutours.ph

While it may have been called the “Lost Horizon in the South,” many of its visitors have discovered the beauty of this hidden paradise along the northern part of Cebu. In fact, it has a growing expatriate community who started to call the islands their home.

The Camotes Islands is made up of four main islands: Poro, Pacijan and Ponson; along with one islet, Tulang. It has four municipalities: Poro, Tudela, Pialr and San Francisco. The island group is blessed with white sand beaches, amazing caves, excellent underwater marine life, and the biggest freshwater lake in the province of Cebu, Lake Danao. 

Camotes Islands – image source: cebu-bluewaters.com

Things To Do

While a good number of people would simply want to laze around the beach with a good book in hand, there are actually a lot of things you can do when you visit the Camotes Islands. You can go scuba diving or snorkeling, visit Lake Danao, exploring the caves in the islands, or play beach sports, like Frisbee or beach volleyball. But, if you are simply there to relax and get away from the hustle and bustle of city life, you can simply bum around at any of the white sand beaches of the islands. The longest white beach in the Camotes Islands is the Santiago White Beach located in Santiago Bay.

Lake Danao – image source: youtube.com

Where To Stay

Since the Camotes Islands is becoming popular among local and foreign tourists, there are numerous accommodations available depending on your budget. These resorts include the Santiago Bay Garden and Resort, Mangodolong Rock Resort, Borromeo Beach Resort, the Mangodlong Paradise Beach Resort and Bano Beach Resort, among others. You can check the websites or Facebook pages of these resorts for their rates or any promotions they may be offering.

Mangodlong Rock Resort – cebu-bluewaters.com

Getting To The Camotes Islands

You can catch a bus or van bound for the Danao Port at the Cebu North Bus Terminal. The trip will take around two hours depending on the traffic. From the Danao Port, you can ride a boat to the either Poro or Consuelo in Camotes. Make sure to ask where the boat will dock once it reaches Camotes before buying the ticket. The trip will take another two hours.  

Cebu North Bus Terminal – image source: everythingcebu.com

Going Around Camotes

The main mode of transportation in the Camotes Islands is a motorcycle for hire. You can also bring a car, which can be transported on the Ro-Ro vessel at the Danao Port.

Some things to keep in mind before going to the Camotes Islands:

• There are no ATMs in the island so you should bring enough cash with you.
• Mobile phone signals are limited in the islands.
• Credit cards are accepted in bigger resorts in the islands.
• You can hire a motorcycle driver to be your personal chauffer for the whole day.

Boats Bound For Camotes Islands – image source: wikimapia.org

The Camotes Island group is another hidden paradise in the province of Cebu. Just like Bantayan Island, the Camotes Islands are among the lost horizons you should visit when you come to Cebu.