Going Around Bantayan

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serenity in a photo

Did I tell you that Bantayan is picturesque everywhere? Even if the island is still recovering from the wrath of Typhoon Haiyan, the place still has not lost its beauty. Every corner is still beautiful and makes you ecstatic about life.

Santa Fe

oh peaceful sky

Santa Fe church

The entire Santa Fe is a municipality in Bantayan. When you arrive in Bantayan from Hagnaya, this is where you arrive. From the port, you can take a tricycle to the resorts. You can just walk around town like most foreign tourists do if you want to see the place. In the center of the municipality, you can just walk around from the church to the restaurants to the mini groceries. 

Santa Fe has a long stretch of powdery white beach. You can take long walks from your resort to the next one. Walking along the beach is interesting, especially in the afternoon when the local kids and fishermen and tourists are out and about. It is interesting to see what the locals do on the beach and to see what the other beach resorts are up to.

a fisherman in Santa Fe

view from the cottage

I love sitting by the shore with a drink in hand and just enjoy the sea and the sand. The place is so serene, especially in that part of Santa Fe where we are staying. It makes you forget the city life and the problems it brings. It's interesting to look at Cebu from another island and just imagine how you've managed to leave your worries behind.

Ogtong Cave

One of our stops while in Bantayan was the Ogtong Cave. You can find it in Ogtong Cave Resort. If you are staying in Santa Fe beach club, you can get inside pretty easy. For those who are in other resorts, you need to pay for the day use. However, it's not so bad as you can also use the pool and sunbathe on their beach. Although it's a pretty small resort, you can see other tourists lounging around after a quick dip in the cave.

down to the cave

Ogtong's pool

Don't expect a lot from the Ogtong Cave. It is pretty small and can only accommodate around 20 guests at a time. I'm never really a fan of caves since I'm afraid of small dark places. The water inside the cave is not really deep. I was surprised that I liked it. The water is brackish and clear. It is also cool and refreshing. I can tell you that if only there weren't other people in the cave, I would sit there all day and contemplate about my life. It's a really zen place (for me).

Bantayan Proper

welcome to Bantayan

From Santa Fe, you can reach the municipality of Bantayan in 20 minutes. This is the best place to shop for fresh and dried fish. Yum! Prices here are also affordable. I got a few stuff for the kitchen back home because the family's pretty much into dried seafood of all sorts.

Our first stop was the Saints Peter and Paul Parish Church and the plaza in Bantayan. We weren't able to get inside the church because I was wearing a beach outfit. It definitely looked lovely and historic. The church is already five centuries old and is made from corals and stones.

We just hung out in the public plaza. There are a few food stalls in the area where you can eat while killing time. A lot of the local teenagers were also hanging out in the plaza so we felt we "belong."

Saints Peter and Paul Parish Church

The market is just a few blocks from the plaza. You can directly jump right to the market and do a little shopping. We bought some fresh fruits for snacks and dried fish for pasalubong.

These are just some of the places we went to Bantayan during our three-day trip. We'll definitely be back in Bantayan soon to explore more of the places we missed. I want to go snorkeling and island hopping once I've dropped a few bucks on my recently-drained travel wallet. 

Let me know what are your favorite spots in Bantayan. Where should we go next on our next trip to Bantayan?