You may ask why a place as beautiful as the more popular vacation spots we have has managed to remain Cebu’s best-kept secret. The answer: insufficient connectivity and accessibility to the rest of the world.
Not for long. For one, communication links have improved. Smart Communications Inc. recently fired up its cell site in Bantayan town, connecting the island to the rest of the world.
Smart has also activated its cell sites on neighboring Daanbantayan Island, boosting existing coverage for northern Cebu up to northernmost Malapascua Island.
These new facilities complement government efforts in stimulating the local economy and tourism.
The Cebu government has taken a second look at the area and is now set in developing Bantayan Island as one of the key attractions of northern Cebu, along with neighboring Daanbantayan Island and Malapascua farther north.
Road networks connecting the different barangays all over the one-square-mile island have been improved. A newly constructed one-kilometer airport, which can better accommodate charter flights to and from Cebu City, is expected to improve accessibility to and from the area.
Even before the Second World War, Bantayan’s fine beaches in Santa Fe were favorite hideaways of lovers – secluded tropical destinations far from the maddening crowd of the big cities.
Here, the surrounding waters are ideal for swimming and snorkeling. Boats can be chartered for trips to dive spots such as uninhabited Gato Island with several caves that can be entered at depths of about 12 meters.
Stroll along the main town proper and time seems to stand still. Here, well-preserved antebellum houses stand side by side with modern establishments, a testament to the rich heritage of this old Hispanic settlement. Bantayan town also has a four-centuries-old parish church, the first to be built by the Spaniards outside Cebu, very much earlier than the Parish of San Nicolas, Cebu Metropolitan Cathedral and Basilica del Santo Niño.
But Bantayan is more than just an island of beaches and rural charms, it is also an important food source for neighboring islands. In fact, it is known as the "Egg Basket of the Visayas," producing more than 100 tons of eggs everyday, distributed throughout the whole region.
Fishing is important as well. Fringed with reefs and shoals, two of its three municipalities – Bantayan and Santa Fe – are important fishing centers supplying bustling Metro Cebu.
Bantayan Island is just one of the 15 islands clustered off the northern tip of Cebu Island.
Nearer the mainland is Daanbantayan Island, a raised coral reef connected by a bridge over the narrow Daijogoan Canal. One of its attractions is the famous Virgin Beach.
In Medellin town, the traveler can take a scenic tour across the sugar central of the area, the Bogo-Medellin Cooperative.
Further north, entering from Daanbantayan, is the approximately one-square-mile island of Malapascua, also known as Logan. Locals and tourists who have been there all claim that its sugar-fine white sand beaches look like Boracay 10 years ago, sans the commercial atmosphere.
Traveling to these northern Cebu destinations is not difficult. By land, one can take the two-hour bus ride from the northern bus terminal in Cebu City up to San Remigo. From there, inter-island ferries to Santa Fe in Bantayan Island and to Malapascua are available. There is also a night ferry from Cebu City to Sta. Fe; travel time is about nine hours.
Resorts for different kinds of travelers can be found at reasonable rates. They are being run by foreigner-Filipino couples who have decided to invest in the islands.
People who live on Bantayan Island usually say that the sight of their home aboard an approaching ferry gives them a warm feeling. Travelers will definitely say the same.