How to Get to Bantayan Island

Getting to Bantayan Island is pretty easy.   Most people get there by  bus and then a ferry.  There is a small private airport on Bantayan Island.  There is also a service that runs from Cebu City to Bantayan Island.  That’s the way to go if price is not an issue.  I believe their fee is $200 per person with a minimum of two people.  Its a small private plane.  The air service can be reached by calling 63-32-342-8340 or by email at [email protected]

For the rest of us, you’ll want to take a bus to Hagnaya.  You can do that from Cebu City or from Bogo City.   Hagnaya is is  north west of Bogo City.  Bogo is on one side of the Island and Hagnaya is on the other side of the Island.

If you leave from Cebu City, you’ll want to head to the North Bus Terminal, ask your cab driver to take you there.  Once there, you’ll find assistants often called dispatchers that will guide you to the bus you want to take.  You might have to wait for a bus to come in.  There will also be baggage handlers that can help you too.  They are happy with P10 which is only 25 cents so I say let them handle your baggage.  My Filipino girlfriend tells me we need to stay with them to make sure the baggage doesn’t disappear.  Few of the handlers would steal  your luggage but  you never know so I think its good advice.

The buses have placards in the front window of the bus telling you were it will be going but I doubt many will have a placard indicating that it will be going to Hagnaya, more likely it will show San Remeigo as the end destination.  There will be a conductor on the bus, ask them if it goes to Hagnaya just to be 100% certain that you are on the right bus.

If all else fails, you can take a bus to Bogo City and then to Hagnaya.  Do that only as a last resort though.

You can also hire a van to take you to Hagnaya.  I’ve seen people charging as much as P4500 and as little as P2500.  If you would like to hire a van and don’t know where to find one, use the “contact us” page and I’ll get you in touch with an associate in Cebu City.  She was able to get me a van for P2500 when I moved to Bogo City.

The bus will cost you around P100 from Cebu City.  I’ve never taken that trip but to Bogo City the fare for the bus trip is only P80 at this time.  It is about a 2 to 3 hour ride from Cebu City to Hagnaya.   Traffic in Mandaue and Danao just north of Cebu City is the biggest variable on the time it takes.  A bus from Bogo City to Hagnaya is P10 per person.

We have at times taken a tricycle (motorcycle with a side car) from Bogo City to Hagnaya and that is generally the more comfortable way to go for me.  The buses generally do not have air con.  Either way it is about a ten minute trip from Bogo City to Hagnaya.

Once in Hagnaya you’ll take a ferry to Bantayan.  Island Shipping provides air con in first class.  There will also be a TV during most trip.  The cost at the time of this article is P165 for first class.  Super Ferry also provides a ferry to Bantayan.  Super Ferry does not have air con nor first class.  The Super Ferry is about P150 as is second class using Island Shipping.  The trip across takes about an hour to an hour and a half.  Once the ship is moving, the breeze will keep all but the most air con dependent person cool enough.  Its fine for me.

We generally take which ever one is coming in next.  I do not know the time of the last departure from Hagnaya but if you get there by 3Pm you should be fine.  Sometimes the schedules get off.  A boat could have a problem or weather could keep them from sailing on schedule.  The last time I was there, the last ferry scheduled to leave Bantayan Island had a problem and I had to take an earlier one back to the Island of Cebu.  In other words, give yourself some extra time just to be on the safe side.

The ferries usually leave Hagnaya about every hour or so.  That changes during the peak and off peak season and it could likely be longer.  So far, an hour is the longest I had to wait to get on a ship.

Island Shipping Co. In Hagnaya:  435-2078

Bus Schedule

Location: North Bus Terminal and North Reclamation Area

Fare: Php.120.00 /person (one-way)

Depart Arrive
6:00 a.m 8:45 a.m.
7:00 a.m. 9:45 a.m.
8:00 a.m. 10:45 a.m.
9:00 a.m. 11:45 a.m.
10:00 a.m. 12:45 noon
11:00 a.m. 1:45 p.m.
1:00 p.m. 3:45 p.m.
2:00 p.m. 4:45 p.m.
5:00 p.m. 7:45 p.m.