One of the Hidden Gems of the Visayan Sea, this paradise is just about 6.8 kilometers from the Northern Tip of Cebu Island and is part of Barangay Logon of Daanbantayan, Cebu.
According to the local people of the beautiful island, the term “Malapascua” came from the Spanish language where “mal” means “bad” & “pascua” means “Christmas“. It has been said that back in the 1520’s , a group of Spaniards voyagers was stuck on the island due to the bad weather on a Christmas Day. These voyagers then named the island, Malapascua Island.
The island may be small but it has been one of the best destinations for divers ever since.
Last July 2018, we decided to spend my birthday on a beach. We were thinking of the place we never been and so we thought of spending an overnight at Malapascua Island. We had a great time and unforgettable moments. Traveling there was worth it and we want to share it with you guys.
Getting there ( from Cebu )
If you are going to Malapascua Island from Cebu City, you need to get to the North Terminal Bus that is near the SM City Cebu . From there, you can either use the bus or van to “Maya Port”. Price ranges from 100-200 PHP / 2-4 USD. Once you reach Maya Port, you can transfer to a 30-seater boat to Malapascua Island. The boat ride gointg there is about 30 mins.
Once you reach the island, you will be welcomed with the locals warmly. I remember when we first arrived there, they were so kind to us that they helped us get to our booked resort without asking for any money and since the island is not that big, were able to find the location easily. Thanks to the friendly locals.
Accommodation
There are a lot of great resorts on the island but we decided to book an overnight stay for 2 (My boyfriend and I) here at the Hippocampus Beach Resort. We paid around 2,000 PHP / 38 USD for a night. We love their accommodation. The Resort staffs are the most friendly and they gave us Free Breakfast ( meal of our choice ) the next day.
Everything there was just amazing.
Beach Bumming
After checking-in, we prepared for Island Hopping around the island. Booking for a boat is quite easy. A random boatman approach us and asked if we would like to take an Island Hopping so we decided to try it since we were curios about the island.
One of the beautiful spots that we reached was the “Langob Beach”, located at the tip of the island and known for its serene view , fine white sand and clear sea water. This place is perfect for tanning and beach bumming. You will surely love it and there were only few people at that time.
Snorkeling & Boat Rental
The price was really negotiable and the boatman was very kind to us. Prices for Boat Rental may depend on your activity like Snorkeling & Island Hopping. We paid around 500 PHP / 10 USD for an exclusive ride for 2 and 50 PHP for our snorkeling gears .
One of our stop overs was the famous 30 meter deep-Japanese shipwreck. According to the locals , It was said to be a Japan trading vessel during the World War II and was bombed in Malapascua sea.
Food
Food is amazing yet a bit pricey. At least we were able to get free breakfast from our resort the next day. The are a lot of Restaurants in the island to choose from and prices ranges from 250-500 per meal . One of our favorites was the Stir-fry Vegetables and Baked Mozzarella Pizza.
Nightlife & Acoustic Bands
With the cool ocean breeze at night and chill acoustic vibes, the nightlife on the island will surely give you one of the most romantic feels especially that I get to spend it with my boyfriend on my birthday.
We ordered some beers that night and requested our favorite songs from the band while seating near the beach. Spending an overnight here was totally worth it.
Motorbike Hire
The next day we went on a day tour around the island and hired a motorbike with driver. We spend 500 PHP / 10 USD for the tour. We got a glimpse of local houses and more hidden gems on the island. We were also able to go to the famous “Light House” in the northern part of the island.
Cliff Jumping
After going around the small town of Malapascua, the driver introduced us about Cliff Jumping. It is one of the must places to experience when going to Malapascua Island.Since I really wanted to see the view and my boyfriend wanted to take a jump on a 50ft. high cliff so we gave it a chance.
Getting there, you would be stunned with the 360 view of the sea. That cliff is really high and it took my boyfriend about 15 mins. before he could jump. That was one of our unforgettable experience.
Back to the City
One word to describe Malapascua Island is “Majestic“. It’s a small island filled with beautiful diving spots , good food and amazing white sand. It is definitely one of the best islands in Cebu and one of our favorites. We will see you again Malapascua!