Cagbalete Island of Mauban, Quezon

Cagbalete Island is a "must-see" island if you're an adventurer and nature lover. The island is a complete paradise with rich marine life and full of unique plants species. Aside from swimming into the pristine and beautiful water of the island, Cagbalete is also a good spot for snorkeling, scuba diving, horseback riding, bird watching and fishing.

Shot at Pantalan Port

Cagbalete Island is one of the many paradise that can be found in the province of Quezon (Mauban, Quezon). It is a privately owned island with a diverse ecosystem. What makes this island special is during low tide, the water move far back that leaves the shore exposed. You will see amazing sand ripples and all the rock formation and corals that were underneath during high tide.

Visible sand ripples during low tide

See how pristine the water is?

How to get there?
You can take JAC Liner at Buendia going to Lucena Grand Terminal. The bus ride is around 3-4 hours and costs 210 pesos. Once you reach Lucena Grand Terminal, take the ordinary bus going to Mauban, Quezon. The fare is 50 pesos and about 1 1/2 hour trip. The 1 1/2 hour bus ride will take you through a long stretch of Quezon's scenic views of  lush-green environment so just enjoy the whole ride. Upon reaching the Mauban Terminal you may take a tricycle and head first to the wet market where you can buy your island supplies and foods before heading to the "Pantalan". The fare is 14 pesos. At the Pantalan Port, look for the ferry boats going to Cagbalete Island. Note: There are only 2 schedules per day going to the island so be there on time. The first trip is at 10:00am and the last trip is at 4:00pm. The fare is 180 pesos and it will take almost 1 hour to reach Cagbalete.

Local boatmen

Once you reach Sabang Port (Cagbalete Island), you can either trek for 15-20mins or rent a boat to reach the resorts. As for our trip, we decided to trek and get a child as our guide. There are 3 known resorts in the area - Villa Cleofas, Pansacola Beach Resort and MVT Sto. Niño Beach Resort.

Hotlines:
Villa Cleofas -   0919 220-5000 (Ed Jacob)
Pansacola Beach Resort -   0928 505-8633
MVT Sto. Nino -   0921 727-5398 (Fely)

We chose Villa Cleofas and decided to pitch a tent there. We paid 300 pesos for an overnight stay.

Cooking time! There's a grilling area however you need to bring your own charcoal

Tour highlights
Bonsai Island - is an islet that only shows up during low tide and disappears when high tide.
Baliscar Island - is a small rocky islet with a lighthouse standing on it. There is no port to the island however tourists can still land and explore Baliscar.

Baliscar Island

Lots of birds are nesting in Baliscar Island

Snorkeling/Diving - ask your boatman to bring you to the best diving/snorkeling site. Trust them because they're familiar to the place. You can rent snorkeling equiptment at Villa Cleofas.

Eteng, Baron and I together with our boatmen Tatay and Kuya Roldan

Snorkeling with my buddy Baron

others: Fishing, picnic/camping, frisbee, beach volleyball, horseback riding...

Meet our bankero - Kuya Roldan

Over exposed shot in a good way

There's something wrong in this jumpshot...

I suggest have a little chitchat with your boatman to know the must see places in Cagbalete. Waste no time. There are lots of beautiful spots in the area.

Acting 101 - My models 

Tip: Explore the whole island. There is a hidden river in this island. The river is connecting to the ocean which I found amazing. It is like a fusion of 2 bodies of water. It is also a good spot to take photographs.

with the children of Cagbalete Island

My type of gym exercise hehe

Lil Miss Philippines creative shot :P

Say WILD!!!

What are we trying to do here?

Pole dancing at Cagbalete

Aside from the river, you should also not miss star gazing during night time while in the island and as well as the beautiful sunrise.

The sun is up!

Going back to Pantalan Port
There are only 2 trips going back to Pantalan Port per day. The first trip is at 8:00 in the morning and the other one is at 1:00 in the afternoon. These public boats can fill out quickly so be sure to be at Sabang Port 30 minutes earlier to secure seat back to Pantalan Port.

Favorite shot of mine in this trip:

emo??? weh?

Favorite group shot: