Malapascua and Bantayan are both off the northern tip of Cebu, both have white sand and clear water, and both get recommended to the same travellers. They're very different trips, though. Malapascua is a small island built around one thing: diving, and above all, thresher sharks. Bantayan is bigger and slower, and the days are spent on the water around it: sandbars, snorkeling, island hopping and sunset sails.
Here's how they compare, who each one suits, and how to fit both into one trip.
The short answer
- Choose Malapascua if you dive, or want to learn, and seeing thresher sharks is high on your list.
- Choose Bantayan if you want beach days, island hopping, snorkeling and a relaxed base for a few nights.
- Do both if you have five days or more. They're close enough to combine.
Side by side
| Compare | Malapascua | Bantayan |
|---|---|---|
| Best for | Divers, thresher sharks | Island hopping, sandbars, beach days |
| Feel | Small, low-key, dive-town | Bigger, slower, more room to spread out |
| Signature experience | Dawn dive at Monad Shoal | Virgin Island sandbar and a sunset paraw sail |
| Getting there from Cebu City | Bus to Maya Port, then a short boat | Bus to Hagnaya Port, then the ferry to Santa Fe |
| Best months | November to May for visibility; threshers year-round | November to May for calm seas |
Malapascua: for divers (and their friends)
Malapascua is one of the few places in the world where you can reliably see thresher sharks. They rise from deep water at dawn to visit cleaning stations at Monad Shoal, a short boat ride from the island. Dives leave very early, around 5 to 6 AM, because that's when sightings are best. The sharks are there year-round.
There's more to the diving than threshers: coral reef sites, night dives and plenty of snorkeling. If you've never dived, Malapascua is a popular place to learn, though a thresher dive at Monad Shoal is deeper than a first dive, so check what your certification allows.
Above water, Malapascua is small and easygoing: white-sand beaches, simple guesthouses and a fishing community that has shaped the island for generations. Non-divers can have a lovely couple of days there, but the island's rhythm is set by the dive schedule.
Read more on our Malapascua destination page.
Bantayan: for island days and slow evenings
Bantayan is a larger island with more space, more places to stay and more to do on land. Most visitors base themselves in Santa Fe and spend their days on the water.
- Virgin Island: a white sandbar with snorkeling on the coral gardens just off it. Our Virgin Island Hopping tour adds a seafood BBQ lunch on the beach.
- Quieter islands nearby, like Hilantagaan and Kintarkan.
- A traditional sail at golden hour on our Sunset Paraw Sailing trip.
- On land: the Ogtong Cave freshwater pool, the coral-stone Sts. Peter and Paul Church and the Obo-ob Mangrove Garden.
- A longer day trip across to Kalanggaman, one of the most photographed sandbars in the Philippines.
Bantayan suits families, groups and anyone who doesn't dive. It's also the easier base if you only have a few days, because there's a full day of things to do from the moment you arrive.
Getting there
Both islands start from Cebu North Bus Terminal. For Bantayan, the bus goes to Hagnaya Port, followed by a ferry to Santa Fe. For Malapascua, the bus goes further north to Maya Port in Daanbantayan, followed by a short boat across. Either way, plan on most of a day from Cebu City.
Our guide to getting to Bantayan from Cebu City covers that route step by step.
Doing both in one trip
The two islands are close enough to combine. From Bantayan, take the ferry back to Hagnaya, a bus or van north to Maya Port, then a short boat to Malapascua. It takes around three to four hours, so it's best as a travel day between two stays rather than a day trip.
A sample five-day plan:
- Day 1: Travel from Cebu to Bantayan. Sunset paraw sail if you arrive in time.
- Day 2: Virgin Island hopping.
- Day 3: A slow day on Bantayan, or the Kalanggaman day trip.
- Day 4: Travel to Malapascua. Afternoon dive or snorkel.
- Day 5: Dawn thresher shark dive, then travel back to Cebu.
We also run customized group trips to Malapascua for a minimum of 10 guests. Want one, or a custom route that covers both islands? Message us with your dates and group size and we'll suggest an itinerary.
