Öar i Filippinerna - dessa 30 har vi besökt

Writer: Helena Bergström

There are many, many islands in the Philippines. The whole country consists of larger and smaller islands and in total there are more than 7600 of them. During our three months in the country we managed to visit ... 30 islands.

Islands in the Philippines

Most of the islands in the Philippines are small, with the 11 largest islands accounting for 91 per cent of the land area. The largest are Luzon in the north and Mindanao in the south. In the centre is the large archipelago of the Visayas.

Our journey among islands in the Philippines

Considering that there are over 7000 islands in the Philippines, we have really only visited a fraction. At the same time, it felt like we got a lot done. We have visited small islands and large islands, islands with no roads and islands with mighty high-rise buildings, touristy islands and islands where the children in the villages looked at us with wide eyes. On the map you can see all the islands we visited.

1. cebu

Cebu is a large island in the Philippines, where you will find, among other things, the larger city of Cebu City. Our flight from Sweden landed here, via a stopover in Qatar, and it was thus the first island we saw in the Philippines. In addition to Cebu City, there are some places that may be worth visiting, such as Moalboal.

READ MORE: Cebu City in the Philippines - our top tips

2. malapascua

From Cebu, we went directly to the small island of Malapascua, located just north of Cebu. This island is mainly known for diving with thresher sharks, but you can also go snorkelling, go on boat trips and hang out on the outdoor terraces of Bounty Beach.

READ MORE: Things to do in Malapascua, Philippines - 12 tips

3. leyte

Leyte is a large and fertile island where a lot of fruit and vegetables are grown. We visited the town of Tabango, in the north-west of the island, where we shopped at the town's market and visited relatives of the Filipino family we know.

READ MORE: Tabango on Leyte Island - boat trip in the Philippines

4. kalanggaman

Kalanggaman is a stunningly beautiful paradise island with long sandy tongues. There are no residents here, but they welcome tourists with small shops, kayak hire and overnight accommodation. Excursions here can be made from Malapascua, among other places.

READ MORE: Kalanggaman in the Philippines - an island paradise

5. tulang diot

Tulang Diot is a cosy little island in the Philippines, part of the Camotes Islands. You can come here to sunbathe and swim, and to stay overnight in tents or on sauna mats at the beach's "summer huts". Cosy and relaxed!

READ MORE: Tulang Diot in the Philippines - a cosy little island

6. Pacijan

The island of Pacijan is part of the Camotes Islands and offers the beautiful Santiago Beach and a number of exciting caves: Timubo Cave, Paraiso Cave and Heaven Cave. For a bit of city life, you can head to the city of San Francisco.

READ MORE: Pacijan Island in the Philippines - beautiful Camotes Islands

7. Poro

Right next to Pacijan Island, in the Camotes Islands archipelago, is Poro Island. These two islands are so close that a short bridge takes you across quickly. On the island there is a cave and some waterfalls.

8. apid

The island of Apid is one of four islands in the Cuatro Islas archipelago, near the large island of Leyte. This is an island where very few tourists go. Here you can see dolphins and coconut crabs, meet the people in the small village and possibly spend the night in a tent on the beach.

READ MORE: Apid in Flippinerna - an island where few tourists go

9. Digyo

The island of Digyo is also part of the Cuatro Islas archipelago, and is perhaps the most 'touristy' of its islands. This beautiful island has a bunch of "summer huts" and locals from the larger island of Leyte usually come here for a few days of relaxing beach time.

READ MORE: Digyo Island in the Philippines - in the Cuatro Islas archipelago

10th Mahaba

Mahaba, in Cuatro Islas, is a small island with a nice little sandy beach and a small village. There are very few tourists here, but when we were here, a tourist boat with a Filipino crew stopped for a short while.

READ MORE: Beautiful islands and hospitable people in the Philippines

11. Himokilan

Himokilan is the fourth island in the Cuatro Islas archipelago. Here, if you find a guide, you can visit a cave with stalagtites, stalagmites and bats.

READ MORE: Himokilan Island - cave and local people

12. Jao

The island of Jao is located just north of the large island of Bohol. There were once hotels here, which were unfortunately destroyed by typhoons. Now you are greeted by sandy beaches and local people going about their daily lives.

13. Pandanon

Pandanon is an island located between the larger islands of Bohol and Olango. At one end is a village and at the other end is a nice sandy beach and a large building that was destroyed in a typhoon. The island is popular with tourists coming by boat from Bohol, Olango or Cebu.

READ MORE: Pandanon Island - village and dreamy beach

14. Bohol

Bohol is a large island, including the major city of Tagbilaran. This is an island that is visited by many tourists, who want to see the cool Chocolate Hills and the fascinating ghost animals or take a river cruise on the Loboc River.

READ MORE: Things to do in Bohol in the Philippines - 15 tips

15. panglao

Panglao is a popular tourist destination located south of Bohol, connected to the larger island by two bridges. Here you will find Alona Beach and a wide range of resorts and restaurants. You can also visit the Hinagdanan cave.

READ MORE: Things to do in Panglao, Philippines - 11 tips

16th Mactan

Mactan is a "metropolitan island" located right next to Cebu City, connected by several bridges. The island is home to Cebu International Airport and a large number of high-rise hotels. There are also restaurants, shopping centres and beaches.

READ MORE: Happy Friday with photos from Mactan

17. palawan

Palawan is a large island in the western Philippines, which is often easiest to reach by air, for example from Cebu or Manila. The island is known for its dramatic scenery and the tourist town of El Nido and the underground river in Puerto Princesa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

READ MORE: Underground river in Puerto Princesa - a Unesco heritage site

18. miniloc

Miniloc is an island off El Nido in Palawan where many boat trips take place. It has no less than three beautiful lagoons: Secret Lagoon, Small Lagoon and Big Lagoon, where kayaking is popular.

READ MORE: Boat trips in El Nido - fabulous islands in Palawan

19) Matinloc

Another island we visited during one of the boat trips from El Nido was Matinloc. On this island you will find both Secret Beach and Hidden Beach, which are popular destinations.

20. Shimizu

On the island of Shimizu we only made a short stop. This is also a beautiful island with dramatic rock formations.

21. tapioca

During the boat trips off El Nido, we also made a stop at Talisay Beach, located on Tapiutan Island. On this cosy beach, the guys on the excursion boat set up a lunch buffet.

22. Helicopter Island

Another island that we visited during the boat trips off El Nido was the island called Helicopter Island. Here you are met by a nice little sandy beach and often by many excursion boats.

23. cadlao

On one of the boat trips off El Nido, we made a stop at a beach called Paradise Beach, located on Cadlao Island. Also on the island are Cadlao Lagoon and Pasandigan Cove.

24. busuanga

We travelled to Coron and Busuanga by ferry from El Nido. Busuanga is the largest island in Coron, where the town of Coron Town is also located. There are many hotels and restaurants in the town, and a wide range of boat trips depart from the harbour.

READ MORE: Things to do in Coron, Philippines - our top 11 tips

25th Coron

One of the larger islands in Coron is called Coron Island, which is home to some of the biggest attractions in the area. It is home to the beautiful Twin Lagoon and the two lakes Kayangan Lake and Barracuda Lake.

READ MORE: Things to do in Coron, Philippines - our top 11 tips

26TH CYC

CYC Beach is a beautiful beach found on a small island in Coron. Many excursion boats come here every day, allowing tourists to sunbathe, swim, snorkel on the nearby reef and perhaps kayak.

27th Mindoro

Mindoro is a large island where tourists come to dive, among other things. When we were here in 2014, we hung out in Puerto Galera and Sabang at the northern end of the island. This time we only visited San José and Bulalacao in the south, on the way from Coron to Boracay.

READ MORE: Discover Sabang and Puerto Galera in the Philippines

28th Panay

Panay is one of the big islands in the Philippines, but we only visited a small corner of it. To get to the popular tourist island of Boracay, you must first get to Caticlan on northern Panay, where boats take you on to Boracay.

29th Boracay

Boracay is perhaps one of the most famous tourist islands in the Philippines. The island has been gifted with a stunningly beautiful beach, White Beach, and receives millions of tourists every year. There are plenty of hotels and restaurants on Boracay, as well as opportunities for water sports and boat excursions.

READ MORE: Things to do in Boracay, Philippines - 11 tips

30. Luzon

Last but not least, we have to mention the island of Luzon. We didn't visit this large island this time, but we did when we were in the Philippines in 2014. The capital Manila is located on the island of Luzon.

READ MORE: Manila - exciting city despite bad reputation

More islands in the Philippines to discover?

Are there more islands in the Philippines to discover? Yes, of course there are! There are lots of great islands, and wherever you are, you can always take a boat trip to a charming island nearby. Do you have any other tips for islands in the Philippines?

2 Comments

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BP says:

Well, then there are "only" 7,570 islands left;-)
I think you have made a fantastic trip in the Philippine islands. I'm just happy that I got (as usual) to ride shotgun with you. Your trip offered many "surprises" that I had not expected. So it was really fun!
Just wondering - why do they have such "strange" boats in the Philippines? The boats are not catamarans, but not ordinary boats either. Is there any explanation that the boats have "stabilisers" or whatever?

04 May 2023 - 21:08

- Comment by post author
  
  Helena says:
  
  Good question about the boats! All traditional Filipino boats have outriggers. The boats are often very narrow, so I guess they were built that way to stabilise the boat. It is not only in the Philippines, but similar boats can be found in Indonesia, for example.
  
  05 May 2023 - 6:03

Islands in the Philippines - these 30 we've visited