Camotes Island, sometimes known as the Lost Horizon of the South, is a group of islands not far from Cebu. The first time we went to Camotes it was still a quiet island with beautiful white sand beaches and we met only a hand full of other foreign tourist. After four years we decided to go back to the island, this time only for one day. I was already excited to see how it developed and how it changed over the years.
Going to Camotes
To get to the island we went to Danao, a small city not far from the Cebu, and took one of the ferries to Camotes. You can either take a boat to Consuela Port or to Poro Port, most of the ferries however will go to Consuela Port. Keep in mind that you also have to pay a small terminal fee besides the ticket for the ferry. The ride took around 2 hours and on the way we saw quite a few dolphins swimming next to the ship in save distance. Once you arrive on Camotes there are many habal-habal drivers offering you a ride to the resorts or the places you want to go. If you only go on a day trip to the island, like we did this time, you can ask some of the drivers to tour you around the island. The price always changes a little, often depending on how many places you want to visit during your tour. We decided to visit Santiago White Beach, Lake Danao and Timubo Cave.
Timubo Cave
Our first stop was Timubo Cave on Pacijan Island. After we arrived, we paid a small entrance fee of 20 pesos per person, a fair price for being able to stay in the cave for as long as you want. We then went to the entrance and walked down a couple of stairs deeper and deeper into the cave. The way was well lit with lights so we didn’t need any flashlights and it also was no problem going down there with our flip-flops. After walking for maybe 5 minutes we finally got to the bottom where this beautiful natural pool was just waiting for us to take a dip in the cold, crystal clear water. It was an amazing experience and defiantly worth a visit.
Lake Danao
Lake Danao is the biggest sweet water lake in the Visayas and only a few minutes away from Timubo Cave. The guitar-shaped lake is home to many different types of plants and animals, some of them can also be seen in the Green Lake Park. The lake offers many activities such as kayaking or a scenic boat tour along the coast. You can also visit the small islet within the lake. Next to the small restaurants at Lake Danao Park, there are also designated areas where you can have a picnic while enjoying the view on the lake. It is beautiful lake and a perfect spot for a few quiet hours.
Santiago White Beach
The last stop on our tour was Santiago White Beach, a beautiful stretch of white sand and crystal clear turquoise water. It is the most famous tourist spot on the island with a few resorts directly at the beach. Along the shore are a few restaurants and small bars, some of them also offer Karaoke. Santiago White Beach is great for adults, especially for friends and families as well as for kids due to the shallow water. There is plenty of space for you to play games at the beach or go swimming without disturbing others. When we were at the beach, there were only a few other visitors. We spend the rest of the day there, went swimming, had some food and took plenty of pictures before we went back to the port to catch our ferry back to Cebu.
It was an amazing day and it felt good to be back. Sure, there were some changes here and there but it was still the same quiet little island I knew from before and not like many other islands in the Philippines crawling with tourist. We had the beach almost for ourselves, there were only a few other people. I don’t know if it was because of the weather or if it was the time of the year, but this is defiantly one of the reasons we will always come back to Camotes.
Short Tip
If you stay on Camotes for a couple of days, I highly recommend to explore the island a little more. There are still many great places to discover. For example: Buho Rock, Bukilat Cave, Mangodlong Beach, Borromeo Beach or the Busay Falls.
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Introduction: https://goo.gl/RPbsHZ
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History and Sightseeing Tour Part 2: https://goo.gl/LBeNSg
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