Malapascua Island is situated in Daanbantayan, Cebu.
It is a recent discovery for diving afficionados being discovered only in the early 90s. It is a tiny island 8 kilometers across a shallow strait from the northernmost tip of mainland Cebu island. Logon, an insular barangay of Daanbantayan occupies the entire Malapascua Island and has eight hamlets. Malapascua is actually a diver’s paradise. The island was discovered not for its white sandy beach but for its beautiful coral gardens and excellent dive spots nearby. The first resort to locate in the island was a diving facility. Today, majority of the resorts offer full-service dive facilities.
In fact more than half of the visitors to the island are divers and dive afficionados. Bounty Beach is the name of a stretch of beach along the southern shore. It is the main beach of the island where most of the upscale resorts are found. Cocobana Beach Resort, the largest on the island, the pricey yet exquisite Sunsplash Resort, and Hippocampus Resort are some of the popular resorts that offer excellent accommodations and dining options. Most passenger boats to and from Cebu land at Bounty Beach.
How to get to Malapascua / Bantayan Island
Getting to Malapascua Island is a 4-hour bus trip from the Cebu North Bus Terminal passing through picturesque northern towns of Cebu to Maya, Daanbantayan, the northernmost point of Cebu mainland. Upon arrival at the Maya wharf, motorized outrigger boats will take visitors to the Malapascua island across the narrow channel in 30 minutes or so, depending on the weather condition. The trip frequency to the island takes every 30 minutes for 24 hours. But the trip back to the mainland usually stops at 3:00 in the afternoon.
