Island hopping from Mactan: Hilutungan, Nalusuan and Caohagan

An outrigger boat, three small islands, marine sanctuaries full of fish and a grilled lunch on a sandbar: the classic Cebu day on the water.

Area

Mactan & Olango

Start from

Mactan east coast

Distance

about 20–30 km by boat

Time needed

1 day

Best season

Best March – June for calm seas

Difficulty

Easy

Transport

Chartered outrigger bangka

Tickets & rules

Marine sanctuary and island fees, paid on site

Why go

Island hopping is how most Cebuanos spend a weekend at sea, and from Mactan it’s wonderfully easy. You hire a bangka, the traditional outrigger boat with bamboo arms, and spend the day snorkelling in protected reefs and resting on small islands with sand and coconut palms.

Hilutungan Island has one of the oldest marine sanctuaries in the area; you float over coral gardens with schools of fusiliers, sergeant majors and parrotfish, and sometimes a turtle passing below. Nalusuan Island, with its long wooden boardwalk, sits on a coral reef where you can snorkel right off the jetty.

Many boats also stop at Caohagan, a small inhabited island with a sandy village, or at Pandanon, a flat strip of sand that feels like the end of the world at noon. The boat crew grills fish and squid on deck, and you eat with your fingers in the shade of the canopy.

The story

The islands between Mactan and Bohol sit on wide, shallow reef flats called the Olango reef system, among the richest in the central Visayas. In the 1980s and 1990s, many reefs here were damaged by blast fishing and overfishing. Community-managed marine sanctuaries, where fishing is banned and visitors pay fees that go partly to local people, became a way to protect them.

Hilutungan’s sanctuary was set up with the help of the local community, and fish numbers recovered strongly enough that it became a model for others. Nalusuan has a similar sanctuary, protected by guards on patrol in small boats.

Caohagan Island has an unusual history: in the 1980s a Japanese writer bought the island and worked with residents on a community project. It became known for its colourful handmade quilts, sewn by the women of the island and sold to visitors and abroad.

Bangkas themselves are an old tradition, and their outriggers keep these slender hulls stable in choppy water. Many are still made of wood and painted in bright colours, with names of saints, children or girlfriends painted on the bow.

Getting there

Boats leave from various points on Mactan’s east coast, near the resorts in Maribago and Punta Engaño. You can book through your hotel, through tour operators, or arrange directly at the beach; a private boat for a small group is usually the best option.

Clarify what’s included: boat, fuel, crew, snorkelling gear, sanctuary fees, lunch. Fees on each island are usually paid on arrival.

A suggested plan

1. 8:00Board the bangka on Mactan’s east coast.
2. 9:00Snorkel at the Hilutungan marine sanctuary.
3. 11:00Nalusuan Island: boardwalk, snorkel off the reef.
4. 12:30Grilled lunch on board or on Caohagan or Pandanon.
5. 15:00Swim and rest on a sandbar, then return to Mactan.

Where to stay

The east coast of Mactan, around Maribago and Punta Engaño, has the most resorts and is closest to the boat departure points. A city hotel works too, but leave early to beat the traffic.

Good to know

• Use reef-safe sunscreen and a rash guard; the sun on the water is fierce.
• Bring your own mask if you can; rental sets vary in quality.
• Agree the price and inclusions before you leave the beach.
• Bring cash for sanctuary fees and drinks.