Thursday, February 7, 2013

What to Do in Islas de Gigantes

Some -ings to do at Gigantes

Take a walk around the island.
When you step out of the inn turn left and follow the road until you get to this dirt path.
Or if you're too lazy to walk, take a motorcycle.
When you reach the end of the concrete path, start walking.

While taking a walk, spot some unusual things... like this squid trap.
Keep your eyes peeled.
After five minutes of following the dirt path, you will see a rusty gate on your right and a lighthouse beyond.

Sorry, you can't enter thru the gate. Go round back. 
Peer thru the windows and scare yourself. (Best to do this at night.)

Climb the lighthouse's four (or was that five?) flights of steep stairs.

But first, ask the three-feet tall key keeper to unlock the lighthouse door.
Joefer (in white) and the key keeper (in blue)
Donations for the key keeper are appreciated.

When you reach the top, enjoy the view.
Look left. Look right.
Look down. Look around.
 Look close. Look far.

Rent a boat for Php 1800 for up to 3 pax (Php 2000 for 4-6 pax)...
...and hop from one island to another. There are ten islands after all.
Allocate two days if you want to visit all the islands of Gigantes.

Because we only had a day to island hop, these are the places we visited:

Bantigue Sandbar

 Tinagong Dagat

 Antonia Beach
Entrance fee of Php 20 is collected on this beach.

Tangke means tank. The water in here rises and falls with the tide. 
To get to Tangke, be brave enough to jump from the boat to the rock.

Cabugaw Gamay Island
Donations for the caretaker are most welcome.

Grab your mask and spy on the sea creatures at Antonia.

Look for monkeys around Tangke.

Swim in the beach of every island you visit.

Enter the cave (pay Php 20) in Antonia...
...and jump into the water on the other side.
Only if the tide is high.

Go visit the cave in Gigantes Norte (Php 200 for a guide).
With that comes hiking, slipping, crouching, crawling, and sweating. Bring a headlamp and wear proper footwear.
Short legs and fear of slipping might be a problem. There are no ropes and harnesses.

Stare in awe at mountains and mountains of scallop shells.

Go look for bones.

Here's how Gigantes bore a gigantic hole thru my pocket
If you scrutinize this list you might find something missing... the fare from the bus terminal to the airport. We called upon some relatives who kindly drove us to the airport. Vans from SM to airport are available and will cost Php 70.

Islas de Gigantes in two parts:
Going to and Eating in Islas de Gigantes
What to Do in Islas de Gigantes (you're here!)


  1. maayong adlaw! mangutana unta ko.
    kaabot kaha mi sa estancia port kung among flight
    cebu-iloilo kay 855am? basin mabyaan sa
    barko ba, 1 trip per day ra baya padung dito.

    btw, very helpful blog you have here.

    1. Maayong adlaw pud sir.
      Ako lang estimate kung 855am inyo flight:
      855-930 cebu - iloilo (est 30 mins)
      930-1000 airport - jaro plaza (est 30 mins)
      1000-1010 jaro plaza - tagbak terminal (est 10 mins)
      1010-1240 tagbak terminal - estancia terminal (est 2.5 hrs)
      1240-1250 estancia terminal - port (est 10 mins)

      But consider the traffic and waiting time sa Van = + 1 hr.

      Best advise would be to contact Sir Joel Decano at 0918 468 5006, and ask his help regarding the boat. Based on our experience, the boat will wait for 30-45 mins, even an hour. Ang captain gani nadugay ug abot kay "Ulan" daw. Haha

      Thank you. Hope you enjoy your Iloilo trip. :)

    2. thank you sa reply sir. will contact Sir Joel lang just to be sure.

  2. oh my lord! last week of april, we're gonna conquer the Islas de Gigantes! thanks for this post bro:)

  3. We're leaving for Islas de Gigantes on wednesday, bro! we already printed your travel guide. thanks muchos!

    1. Thank you Roaming Couple :-) You guys have fun at Gigantes! Don't forget to gorge on scallops! Will you be spending two days for island hopping? Looking forward to reading about your trip.