Balagbag Island is located in Camarines Norte next to Calaguas Island. Balagbag Island is popular because of hiking and reminded us to Batanes Island. We visited Balagbag Island in our trip to Calaguas Island during the island hopping. The island is small and easy to hike around. Balagbag Island is known as Calaguas Island’s “Little Batanes”
Read here Naga tourist spots!
BEST TIME TO VISIT CALAGUAS ISLAND
Like ay other place in the Philippines there are two kinds of seasons- the dry season from November to April and the wet season from May to October. It is recommended that travelers visit during dry season, especially from December to February when temperatures are much cooler and touring will most likely not be interrupted by rains and will not be really hot going around.
Click here to know more about the weather in Calaguas Island!
How to get to Balagbag Island
If you want to get to Balagbag Island first you need to reach Calaguas Island. Once in Calaguas Island you can go by boat 10 minutes ride.
If you are getting to Calaguas Island from Manila by bus. There are buses from Cubao in Aurora Terminal in Manila to Paracale. It costs 550 PHP per person with air conditioning we did with Superlines. There are also companies like DLTB, Philtranco going to Paracale and Daet. The bus ride takes around 10 hours at night time depending on the traffic leaving Manilka. We took the bus at 5 pm from Manila in Cubao Aurora Terminal and we got to Paracale at 3 am.
Once in Paracale bus terminal to the port is only 1 kilometer distance. You can go walking since it’s so easy if you check in the map where is the port. During the day a tricycle a regular fare is 30 PHP and at night you can get around 50 PHP for the ride. Even they will ask for 100 PHP for one kilometer.
You can wait for the boat departure in local carinderia around the port since they open early morning before 4 am. For our boat we chose Mang Boy who gave us the best fare but all of them are similar. We paid for the boat 4000 PHP which includes going to Calaguas Island and return to Pasacale. Finally we added an island hopping around Calaguas Island next morning for extra 1000 PHP. So the boat cost as 5000 PHP total for one day and a half including overstay in the island (1500 PHP cottage extra). After the trip we can totally recommend to do the island hopping with Mang Boy who brought us to his home and allowed us to fresh up before our trip to Naga City. He explained to us how to get to Naga City and he organized the tricycle for us. You can contact Mang Boy 09065460683 let him know that you read about him from Ruben, Rachel and Han and he will be happy to hear.
Balagbag Island Travel Guide
Once in Balagbag Island there is an entrance fee of 40 PHP per person and kids free of charge. There is a part of the beach where you can swim and staying around the sand but it’s full of stones. It’s a pebbled beach.
The best thing to do in the island is hiking around to get the views from the top. It’s the highest peak around Calaguas Island. The shots were really nice and easy to hike around.
Where to Stay in Balagbag Island
There are places to stay in Balagbag Island to spend the day and overnight. Our favorite things to in Balagbag Island was snorkeling just 5 minutes swimming far from the beach. You can see corals, fishes in a clear water. We also had the opportunity to watch the sunset before coming back to Calaguas Beach where we were staying overnight.
What to Bring to Balagbag Island
There is no drinkable water and there is no electricity. You can get water in the barangay or in the kiosks in the island.
There is no phone signal in Balagbag Island, so there is no data.
There is no electricity in Balagbag Island so bring your power bank to make sure you can charge your phone and devices.
Bring a dry back for the island hopping and I would suggest plastic to cover your staff just in case is raining hard.
Bring your sunblock.
Bring your own food if you are planning to spend the day or overnight. There are carinderias near the port in Paracale where you can buy food. Bring cash, don’t expect there are ATM’s or exchange offices in paradise ha!
Take pictures everywhere with your camera.
Take underwater shots with the done or underwater camera.
Of course if you have a drone fly it around Balagbag Island!
Very Important: Please make sure you bring a bag to collect your trash so you can keep clean Balagbag Island and as we always do. By the way our little Han never forgets about it and before swimming he makes sure that he collects a bag of trash. Also if you have a spare plastic bag for the trash you can use for collecting the garbage around.
If you want to sign up for Airbnb, we give you $30 USD credit with your first booking!
If you are looking for places to stay in Paracale and Daet before visiting Calaguas Island. Click here to book in advance with Agoda and Booking.
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Happy travels
About the Author: Ruben, co-founder of Gamintraveler.com since 2014, is a seasoned traveler from Spain who has explored over 100 countries since 2009. Known for his extensive travel adventures across South America, Europe, the US, Australia, New Zealand, Asia, and Africa, Ruben combines his passion for adventurous yet sustainable living with his love for cycling, highlighted by his remarkable 5-month bicycle journey from Spain to Norway. He currently resides in Spain, where he continues to share his travel experiences alongside his partner, Rachel, and their son, Han.
How to get to Calaguas Island from Manila - Gamintraveler
Wednesday 6th of November 2019
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