How to get from Cebu to Bantayan Island

Last updated on March 4th, 2023 at 12:33 pm

If you are visiting Bantayan in Cebu, you are probably coming from a trip to mainland Cebu or Malapascua. During our trip to Bantayan, we came from Malapascua. Upon reaching this island paradise in the northern end of Cebu, we really liked the vibe of Bantayan.

The beaches were almost deserted and had white sand that stretched on and on in its shores. The island had crystal clear waters surrounding it. It was like being in a dream or being sent to tropical heaven!

Read here Bantayan Island itinerary and top beach resorts in Cebu!

Bantayan is located in North Cebu in the west part. Most of the ferries are coming from Hagnaya. We will tell you in this post how to get to Bantayan Island from Cebu and other tourist destinations around the area as Malapascua, Dumaguete, Oslob, Siquijor and Moalboal.

Read here: Things to do in Bantayan Island!

Read here: Where to Stay in Bantayan Island!

Most of the tourists stay at Santa Fe which is the destination of the ferry coming from Hagnaya. There is a nice island hopping to do where you can visit Virgin Island, visit Ogtong Cave and relax in the beaches around Santa Fe area. Plus nightlife is great!

How to get to Bantayan Island

How to get to from Cebu to Bantayan Island

If you want to get from Cebu to Bantayan Island. First of all you have to head to North bus terminal in Cebu City. To get North bus terminal from Mactan Cebu International airport can cost around 200 PHP by Grab. You can go even cheaper if you decide to get public transportation jeepneys but it will take longer. It can be very affordable by Grab if there are two of you and it will take 20-30 minutes depending on the traffic.

Once you are in Cebu North terminal, there are two ways to get to Bantayan:

Cebu To Bantayan Island By Bus or Van

If you are coming from Cebu, there are two ways to start your trip to Hagnaya port where you will get a ferry to Bantayan: riding a bus or taking a van. The van is faster than the bus by around an hour and has air conditioning.

Prices starts from 160 PHP for a trip on the bus and 200 PHP for the van. The price difference between these two amount to less than a dollar, so a van seems like the much better option. It will take 4-5 hours to reach Hagnaya port where you can ride the ferry to Bantayan Island.

Hagnaya to Bantayan

Once you reach Hagnaya you can go walking to the port. There, you will find ferries to Bantayan Island. The ride costs 200 PHP per person (with a 50% discount for children). The travel time Hagnaya to Bantayan is one hour.

Bantayan Island Ferry Schedule

Bantayan Island ferry schedule from Santa Fe starts at 6 am until 6 pm. If you are coming from Hagnaya port to Santa Fe in Bantayan Island the ferry schedule will start at 4 am until 4 pm.

To get from Santa Fe to the Ferry Terminal there are tricycle available. You can even go walking distance if you are staying close to the port.

Click here to know prices and schedule to book your bus/boat tickets online with 12Go Asia.

How to get from Cebu to Bantayan Island by private transportation

If you want to get from Cebu to Bantayan Island by private transportation. Apart from bus and vans there are other options but it will cost you more expensive. You can rent a taxi 2500 to 3500 PHP ($47 to 66 USD) or half of the price if you want to use Grab. Also you can fix your transportation with your resort in Bantayan Island and they will fix everything for you and prices will be similar to taxi and Grab.

If you prefer booking a private transfer from Cebu to Bantayan Island click here to check your discount with klook!

How to get to Bantayan Island from Cebu by plane

If you want to get to Bantayan Island from Cebu by plane. The company Air Juan offers flights between Mactan International Airport and bantayan Island. The flight last 40 minutes and it costs around 3000 PHP. There aren’t daily flights yet and you have to book in advance since the plane isn’t very big. Check them out if you want to save time and avoid the bus and ferry going to Bantayan Island from Cebu.

How to get to Bantayan Island from Malapascua by boat

If you want to get to Bantayan Island from Malapascua. You can rent a boat starting from 1500-2500 PHP  and it will take you less than 2 hours to reach Bantayan Island. You can also do the trip from Malapascua to Bantayan, as we did. We rode a boat and paid 1200 PHP for two adults and a kid, thanks to more people were coming with us in the boat we got a cheap price. Make sure it´s safe to get there and there are calm water. We did this trip and we didn’t have any problem. Read here how to get from Malapascua to Bantayan Island!

Read here our favorite things to do in Malapascua!

How to get to Bantayan Island from Malapascua cheapest way

Take the local boat from Malapascua Island to Maya. The duration of this first trip is about 20 minutes and you must pay 100 PHP. Once you are in Maya, you get there you must take a bus that takes to Hagnaya. The bus price is approximately 40 PHP. You have to ride a tricycle until Hagnaya Ferry terminal which costs 20 PHP each. Take a ferry from Bantayan to the port of Hagnaya. The duration of this first trip is about 75 minutes and you must pay 200 PHP for the ferry plus 10 PHP of terminal fees in the port. It will cost you around 400 PHP the whole trip and it will take 5 hours between transportation and waiting time to reach to Bantayan Island from Malapascua.

You will reach Santa Fe where you can find accommodation cheap, mid budget or more luxury if you prefer. You can go walking or take a tricycle or jeepney if you want to go longer distance walking than the port.

How to get to Bantayan Island from Moalboal

If you want to get to Bantayan island from the beach life in Moalboal. First of all you have to reach the main road to Moalboal. You can get a place in a van or a bus going to Cebu. The journey lasts 3 hours and prices are around 200 PHP (van), cheaper by bus 160 PHP than by van. You will reach South Terminal Bus station in Cebu and you have to go to North Terminal bus station and read the information above to reach Bantayan Island from Cebu.

How to get to Bantayan Island from Oslob

If you want to get to Bantayan Island from Oslob. You have to get the bus from the main road to Cebu or you can get a van on the way to Bato. Prices are cheaper by bus depending with or without air conditioning. From Bato another bus going to Cebu and it lasts 3 hours and costs 160 PHP. And you will get South Terminal Bus station in Cebu and you have to go to North Terminal bus station and read the information above to reach Bantayan Island from Cebu.

How to get to Bantayan Island from Dumaguete

If you want to get to Bantayan Island from Dumaguete after spending amazing time in Apo Island or Siquijor Island. We will give you the steps to reach Bantayan.

First you need to get to Sibulan port in Dumaguete by jeepney or by tricycle. It will take you around 20 minutes. Boats are leaving from Sibulan to Santander every hour. It costs 70 PHP for 30 minutes journey. Once in Santander you have to get a tricycle until Bato Bus Terminal. From the Bus Terminal to Cebu will take around 3 hours and it will cost you around 160 PHP the bus can be higher if it has air conditioning the bus.

Once in Cebu ou will get South Terminal Bus station in Cebu and you have to go to North Terminal bus station and read the information above to reach Bantayan Island from Cebu.

How to get to Bantayan Island from Siquijor

If you want to get to Bantayan Island coming from Siquijor. You have to go to Dumaguete. The ferry costs around 200 PHP for an hour journey. Once in Dumaguete you have to follow same steps mentioned above to reach, Santander and Bato Bus Terminal.

Hope it’s useful this travel guide how to get from Cebu to Bantayan Island. Let us know in the comments below if you have questions.

Click here to get $30 USD off your first booking with AirBnB!

To get the most amazing room deals, you can book a place in Bantayan Island before you travels with Booking and Agoda.

Click here to know prices and schedule to book your bus/boat tickets online with 12Go Asia.