Camotes Island, A Hidden Treasure

If you are not familiar with the islands of Cebu, then you might think that Camotes Island is not part of Cebu province. Most of the publicly displayed map of Cebu seldom includes Camotes Islands. Am I right? Have you observed banners, streamers, or logos that feature Cebu’s map? You will always notice Mactan Island but not Camotes Island (though I am not saying that Camotes is not as important as Mactan or vice versa). This is probably because Camotes is not one of the most popular tourist destinations in the country. I had heard Camotes Island has nice white sand beaches, a number of caves, and famous for its lake Lanao. And so, we decided to take a short vacation there last March of last year.

You can reach the island by a fastcraft stationed in Pier 1, Cebu City. It will just take you about 2 hours to reach the island. You can also ride a bus from Cebu North bus terminal to Danao city’s wharf. From there you will ride a motorboat to the island. It usually takes one and a half to two hours of travel. The Camotes locals are very friendly, warm and helpful. We were so fortunate that we got help from them to find a beach resort where we can stay for two days. You can choose resorts like Masamayor and White Beach Resort.

We stayed in White Beach Resort where we enjoyed a discounted room rate. The next day, I was amazed to witness the long-stretched white sand on this island. The shoreline could be 1 kilometer in length. The shore is very wide probably around 200-300 meters during low tide. Its sand is so fine and white. It is really impressive.

Around 10 am, we had our tour. We went to Dorenea cave and then to San Francisco to eat our lunch. San Francisco is the capital municipality of the island. Before we went to Lake Lanao, we dropped by at Bukilat cave and Buloc cave. I guess we had toured the whole island in just one day. That is one of my unforgettable vacations!

I observed that there were plenty of public schools both in elementary and high schools. I am not really sure if they also have for college students. In terms of IT (Information Technology) they also have Internet cafes and WiFi in some beach resorts. Aside from that, they have convenient stores so you don’t have to worry where to buy food or snacks. They also have their “tabu” (a gathering of both vendors and customers to negotiate on prices on various goods) once a week.

I asked one of the locals there why the island is named Camotes and he gave me no answer. Probably, this island is named Camotes because they have plenty of cassava plantations (“camoteng kahoy”) and I was quick enough to document that during our tour. By the way, the island has wide plains which is good for constructing an airport. I hope they will be able to have one.

As of now, Camotes Island is classified as timberland. Hope this island will be developed to cater more tourists. We really enjoyed our stay there. If you are looking for a place where you can relax, a place that is far from work, from the busy urban city, then I strongly recommend this island for your next vacation escapade because Camotes is serene.

Camotes Island is like a hidden treasure waiting to be discovered!