Cagbalete Island | Summer Getaway

Island located at Mauban, Quezon that is perfect for summer getaway. 

Cagbalete Island

The Journey

After a long days of planning on where to spend our summer vacation along with my colleagues, we were able to decide to travel at Cagbalete Island. Little do we know that the island is a jewel of the eyes once you see it in person.

 The team from left to right: Erl, John, Christian,  Marlyn, Me, Jepoy, and Nhoy

It was 2:00 am in the morning when we began to ride on a bus heading to Lucena which took us 4 hours long to set foot on the terminal. From Grand terminal, we rode on a van heading to Mauban, Quezon.

Before reaching the Mauban port, we stop-by at the Mauban market to buy foods and supplies needed in the Cagbalete Island. 

Mauban Supermarket

We pay a registration fee in the Barangay Hall which is just a step away from the market.  They will release a ticket after the payment to be use on the passenger boat. 

After a long wait on the port of Mauban, we successfully rode on a passenger boat going to Cagbalete Island.

A Passenger boat

Reaching the Island is a one step closer of fun, we're not able to reserved a room or hut, so most of the resort slots during our visits are full. We decided to camp in Villa Noe Resorts since we bring our own tents and foods.

In front of Villa Noe Beach

Upon reaching the resort, we were bit shocked and in despair because the beach is dry due to low tide from the starting point extending 50 meters away. Nevertheless, we willingly waited until the water rise for us to be able to swim. 

 A view during low tide on the island

We have a lot of precious time during our visit in Cagbalete Island. Here are some Photos of our trip;

 To sum up our adventure in Cagbalete Island, here is a clip:

Vimeo link: https://vimeo.com/125541226

Itinerary

Day 1
02:00am Assembly at JAC/JAM Liner BUENDIA 
06:00am ETA Lucena Grand Central Terminal
070:0am ETD take a mini bus going to Mauban Market,
- Tell the conductor that you will be going down at the Mauban local Market.
08:30am ETA Mauban Market;
09:00am Go to Port area (P9/pax; tricycle); 

- Tell the driver that you will you are riding the boat to Cagbalete Island
09:20am Arrival at Pantalan; Ride public boats to Cagbalete Island

10:00am ETD to Cagbalete Island (P50/pax; public boat)

11:00am ETA Sabang Beach, Cagbalete Island;

11:30am Arrival at resort; Prepare Lunch

12:00nn LUNCH!

01:00pm Rest and Explore the island 

05:00pm Prepare Dinner

06:00pm DINNER!

07:00pm Sessions

Day 2 
05:00am Wake up for sunrise (optional)

06:00am Prepare Breakfast

06:30am BREAKFAST!

08:00am Explore the Island 

10:30am Prepare Lunch

11:00am Early Lunch

11:45am Walk to Sabang Beach

12:15amArrival at Sabang Beach; Ride small bangka to big boat (P10/pax)

01:00am ETD to Pantalan, Mauban (P40/pax; public boat)

02:00am ETA Pantalan, Mauban; Ride tricycle to Bus Terminal (P9/pax)

02:15am Arrival at Bus terminal; Ride bus to Lucena Grand Terminal

02:30am ETD to Lucena Grand Central Terminal (P50/pax; non-aircon bus)

04:00am ETA Lucena Grand Central Terminal; Ride bus to Cubao/Buendia

04:20am ETD to Cubao (Aircon Bus)

07:50am ETA Cubao/Buendia

How to get there
Option #1;

Ride a bus (JAC LINER) in Buendia with a signboard going to Lucena-Grand Terminal. Next, from Grand Terminal, Lucena, ride on a van or jeep going to Mauban, Quezon, a P100/head fare. Once you set foot in Mauban, pay a registration fee of P50/head in the Barangay Hall. Then, rode on a tricycle going to the port were you will wait for the passenger going to Cagbalete Island. There is also a available supermarket just step away from the Barangay Hall in case you want to buy foods and supplies.  The passenger boat can consist of 60 - 80 persons however if you want to hire a boat, the rate is very expensive compared to the rate of passenger boat which is P50/head.  

Option #2;
From Manila-Lucena;
Jac Liner, Lucena Liner
(Cubao and Buendia-Taft Terminals)
-There is a JAC Liner trip that leaves their Cubao Terminal at 5am and arrives
at Mauban in time for the 10am ferry trip to the island.

From Lucena-Mauban;
- NCR Bus Line
(Grand Terminal,Lucena)
- Vans
(SM Lucena and Pacific Mall)

From Mauban-Cagbalete Island;
Public Ferry – P 50.00/one way/pax
(Mauban port departure 10am and 3:30pm)
(Cagbalete port departure 7:30am and 1pm)

Boat rides: Mauban to Cagbalete Island

Passenger boat:

 P50/head

Hired Boats: 

1-5 person-  P1,000 to P1,500

6-8 person-  P1,500 to P2,000

9-12 person-  P2,000 to P2,500

13-16 person-  P2,500 to P3,000

17-20 person-  P3,000 to P4,000   

Travel Budget

P1,300 to P1,500 

Place to Stay
Once you reach the Cagbalete Island, be known that you have to rent a place to stay, there are a lot of resorts available in the island. Here are some;

 1. Dona Choleng Camping Resort

    

A hut and a room with air-con in Dona Choleng Resort

• Website: www.donacholeng.com
• Contacts: Ryan - 09108823346; Maybel - 09282569919 
  

 2. Villa Noe Beach

      

The Registration area and Restaurant

• Website: http://www.villanoe.com/
• Contacts: 09292176971; 09052054348;  09095241773
• Rates: refer to this link - www.villanoe.com/accommodations.html

 3. Pansacola Beach Resort

    

 The Pansacola Residence 

• Facebook Page and Rates: www.facebook.com/pansacolabeachresort/info
• Contacts: Phone - (042)7840158; Globe - 09175465901; Smart - 09285058633; Email - ilandbhoy@yahoo.com 
  

What you can do?
There are a lot of activities that can be done in the said Island like;
 
Play Volleyball
Volleyball is one of the popular sports done in beach, there are also allotted area for this sports  in  some resort.

 A beach volleyball court in Villa Noe Resort

Boating and Snorkeling 

The best thing to experience is the snorkeling where you will be able to explore the living creatures of the sea, you can rent a boat that cost P1,200 for boating experience and snorkel.

The team riding on a boat heading to White sand beach

  A clip of my snorkeling experience:

Camping

Camping is allowed on the island. Tents are also for rent at ₱400 good for 2-4 people. You can also bring your own tent if you tend to camp in the area but resort will still collect fees for tent pitching.

Camping area in Villa Noe Resort

Swimming
The basic activity to enjoy in the island is to swim. However during low tide, the water get dry and you  have to wait for the water to rise, reaching high tide. 

Low tide

 High tide

Beach Hopping
Yang-In Sandbar is a perfect beach hopping place for visitor of Cagbalete who are looking for alternative destination. The sand reflection crystallize the  water  and the ambiance of the beach is refreshing.  

 The team on the Yang-In Sandbar

Visit Baliscar Island and Trek to the Lighthouse
If you want to do more adventure, you can go to Baliscar Island which is a 45 minutes away from Cagbalete Island, the hire for a boat cost P1,500. You can also trek to the lighthouse of the Island. 
 

A view of the light house in Baliscar Island

Horse Riding 

You can experiences horse riding in Villa Cleofas Beach Resort, a P100/head rent for 30 minutes.

Skim Boarding

Once the water rises, you should experience riding in a skim.   

Tips 

• Buy foods and supplies in Mauban Supermarket for a cheaper cost.
• Contact and reserved a room or place to stay in any resort of the island ahead of your visit. During summer, the resort rooms and huts are  full, so as early as possible, make sure you will reserved  a slot.   
• Ride on a passenger boat from Mauban to Cagbalete Island, back and forth, for cheaper fare.   

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