2024 Malapascua Island Travel Guide: Our Experience, Itinerary & Costs
Malapascua Island in Daanbantayan off the northern tip of Cebu is one of the best Cebu tourist spots for divers and beach lovers. It became even more popular due to the presence of thresher sharks, which are now considered endangered and vulnerable to extinction.
While we didn’t get to see the thresher sharks ourselves when we visited the island, we could say that our island escapade was nothing short of fun, from the white sand beaches to the friendly locals.
If you’re visiting Malapascua Island for a diving exploration or a simple island getaway, here’s our Malapascua travel guide for everything you need to know, especially for first-timers.
How to get to Malapascua Island, Daanbantayan, Cebu
1. Take a bus from Cebu City to Maya Port, Daanbantayan
From any city in Cebu, take a jeep, bus, taxi, or ride-hailing motorbike to Cebu North Bus Terminal beside SM City Cebu, one of the popular malls in Cebu. At the terminal, ask for the bus bound for Maya Port in Daanbantayan, where you take a pump boat going to Malapascua Island.
Insider tip: There are several transport options going to Maya Port including buses, vans, and even taxis, but we recommend that you take the yellow Ceres Bus as it is more popular and reliable.
It takes about four 3.5 to 4 hours to reach Maya Port. Bus fare from Cebu City to Maya Port is around ₱200 (one-way).
2. Ride a ferry (pump boat) from Maya Port to Malapascua Island
The bus stops at Maya Port in Daanbantayan. Once you reach the pier, proceed to buy your Malapascua ferry ticket. In good weather conditions, it takes about 35 minutes to reach Malapascua from Maya Port.
Malapascua Island ferry fares 2024
- Maya Port to Malapascua Island Ferry Fare = ₱200
- Environmental Fee = ₱120
Total Malapascua Island fare from Cebu City (bus + ferry) = ₱520 per person
2-day Malapascua Island itinerary
Day 1
5.30am – Meet up at Cebu North Bus Terminal
6am – Depart from Cebu City
10am – Arrive at Maya Port
11am – Arrival at Malapascua
12pm – Lunch
2pm – Check-in + settle down
3pm – Relax by the beach
4pm – Swimming
7pm – Dinner
8pm – Chill in a resto bar
9pm – Call it a day
Day 2
6am – Sunrise + breakfast
7am – Island hopping / diving
11am – Prepare for check-out
12nn – Check-out
1pm – Ferry to Maya Port
2pm – Bus to Cebu City
6pm – Arrival at Cebu City
7pm – Home
Our actual Malapascua Island experience
To be honest, we didn’t rigidly plan our Malapascua Island itinerary because we wanted to be as flexible as possible.
Here’s our actual 2-day Malapascua Island itinerary and experience:
Day 1: Arrival in Maya Port, Daanbantayan
After a four-hour bus ride, we finally reached Maya Port. Unfortunately, the weather didn’t cooperate when we arrived. It was raining; the wind and waves were raging so the pump boat ride took longer than usual. Instead of just 35 minutes, it took us almost an hour to reach Malapascua Island.
And guess what? It was a buwis-buhay (death-defying) ride. While we arrived in one piece, we were all soaked including our belongings. It was truly a #yolo experience! Thankfully, we met a local who was with us on the boat. He accommodated and helped us during our tumultuous trip.
Arrival in Malapascua Island
Due to the bad weather, we didn’t do much upon arrival. Instead, we settled down, changed our clothes, and waited for the rain to subside. We just whiled away the afternoon at our beachfront accommodation in Bounty Beach.
Nightlife in Malapascua Island
Come night time, we looked for a random beachfront restaurant to have our dinner. You’ll find a couple of restaurants and bars along Bounty Beach where you can chill, have some drinks, and listen to live bands.
Day 2: Exploring the island on foot
The local who became our friend gladly took us to his neighborhood where we met his relatives. He then toured us to the chapel and the inner parts of the island. The island is pretty small; you can actually explore it on foot.
Due to the limited time and the not-so-good weather, we didn’t go island hopping or scuba diving in Malapascua Island. After our quick land tour, we had to prepare to check out for our trip back to the city.
Top activities in Malapascua Island
Given good weather conditions and if you have enough time, be sure to add these top Malapascua activities to your itinerary:
1. Scuba diving
No trip to Malapascua is ever complete without scuba diving. Don’t miss the chance to encounter thresher sharks on a scuba diving tour.
2. Snorkeling
If scuba diving is not your thing, you can go snorkeling instead. Gear up and marvel at the vibrant corals of North Beach, Lapus-Lapus, and Dakit-Dakit.
3. Island hopping
You can rent a boat for ₱800-₱1,000 to explore marine sanctuaries and nearby islands like Kalanggaman Island in Palompon, Leyte, which is a two-hour boat ride from Malapascua.
4. Beach bumming
There’s more to Malapascua Island than Bounty Beach. There are so many other Malapascua beaches to go beach bumming like Logon Beach, Bantigue Cove Beach, Langob Beach, Coral Garden Beach, Kaosting Beach, Guimbitayan Beach, Pilar Beach, and Marquetta Beach.
5. Staycation
If you’re not the adventurous type, you can always go on a staycation in one of the Malapascua resorts and hotels. Take advantage of their amenities such as pools and spa services. You can even join a yoga session at Buena Vida Resort.
Where to stay in Malapascua Island
The best place to stay in Malapascua would be Bounty Beach as you’ll be close to the white sand beach and modern comforts like shops, restaurants, and cafes. To make it easier for you, we’ve handpicked the top Malapascua resorts which are highly rated and strategically located.
Malapascua resorts near Bounty Beach
- Hippocampus Beach Resort (From ₱1,900 per night)
- Ocean Vida Beach & Dive Resort (From ₱3,700 per night)
- Buena Vida Resort (From ₱3,800 per night)
Malapascua resorts near Logon Beach
- Tepanee Beach Resort (From ₱3,500 per night)
- Blanco Beach Resort (From ₱13,000 per night)
- Slam’s Garden Dive Resort (From ₱1,200 per night)
Budget breakdown for 2 days (per person)
- Transportation: ₱1,040 (round-trip bus, ferry, and environmental fees)
- Accommodation: ₱1,000 (one-night stay)
- Food and drinks: ₱1,500 (main meals)
TOTAL: ₱3,540 per person
For an overnight trip, this budget would be enough. However, the actual costs will highly depend on your type of accommodation, food spending, as well as the activities you choose to do. Since we didn’t do much, we saved a lot on the tours and entrance fees.
Overall, our two-day Malapascua Island getaway was pretty chill. As you can see, we passed up on many activities since the weather was not really that ideal. While we missed the quintessential Malapascua experiences like scuba diving and island hopping, we still had an exciting and meaningful time here, especially since we met a kind-hearted local who showed us the beauty of his local community.
We recommend you stay longer if you want to fully soak up Malapascua’s island life.
After Malapascua, why not explore Bantayan Island and stay in one of these Bantayan resorts, too? Also, don’t fly out of Cebu airport without trying some Cebuano delicacies including the famous Cebu lechon.
