Canigao Island is a not-so-distant islet located near the municipality of Matalom, Province of Leyte. Known for its white sand and pristine waters, Canigao Island has been a top choice summer destination for both local and foreign tourists.
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| photo not mine. credits to the owner of the pic |
I have been to this island for quite a couple of times already. My first visit was way back in 2010. At that time, Canigao Island was still being developed into a more commercialized resort complete with cottages, showers, family rooms, etc.
Matalom is quite a long drive from Tacloban City. It would take about 3-4 hours depending on your driving skills. For my third visit to the island, we decided for a day trip only. We left Tacloban at 6:30 in the morning, made some stops, and arrived Matalom at 10:00am. If you brought a car, no worries. There are free parking spaces available at the wharf entrance.
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| Pay your entrance fees and round-trip pumpboat fare here. |
Entrance fee is only Php 40.00 while a roundtrip pumpboat ride will cost you Php 55.00. It's quite cheap--well, actually, the cheapest among all the other island destinations in Leyte.
We went there on a Saturday and we already expected the island to be packed with a lot of visitors. However, there were a lot of available spaces for us to pitch our tent--even cottages available for rent.
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| Enjoy the fine white sand of Canigao Island |
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| High-chair for adults, eh?! |
Canigao Island is ideal for family vacations, barkada getaways, even company activities. With it's wide shoreline, you can do a team-building activities, play games, and even beach sports.
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I really loved the beach. The weather was scorching hot. So, we chose to soak in the waters where it was cold and refreshing. It felt good to swim with the fishes.
Several cottages are available for rent. Rate starts at Php 500.00 for day use. If you are staying overnight, you pay a much higher rate of Php750.00. Take note, for overnight stays in the cottages, check-out time is at 9:00am. There are also tents available for rent. If you prefer staying under the shade but want to be comfortably settled in, they have tables and chairs for rent.
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Rooms are also avaialble for rent. Rates start at Php1,500/night. However, they only have a limited number of rooms so better yet reserve early.
For all concerns, you can just approach their office.
The biggest downside of the island is their shower and changing room. Water for rinsing and showering are salt water =(. Also, there is no privacy, no cubicles available--just a big space you to shower and change. It was uncomfortable.
How to get there:
1. Take a public bus or van for hire to Maasin City via Bato.
2. Alight in front of Matalom Municipal Hall.
3. Walk towards the auditorium at the back of the town hall.
4. Just follow the signs leading you towards the wharf.
5. Approach the nipa hut. Purchase your round-trip pumpboat passes, pay the entrance fee, write your name on the manifest, and wait for your name (or group name ) to be called.
6. Get on the pumbpoat and in 25 minutes, you're already in Canigao Island.
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| souvenir shops at the wharf |
How to get there:
1. Take a public bus or van for hire to Maasin City via Bato.
2. Alight in front of Matalom Municipal Hall.
3. Walk towards the auditorium at the back of the town hall.
4. Just follow the signs leading you towards the wharf.
5. Approach the nipa hut. Purchase your round-trip pumpboat passes, pay the entrance fee, write your name on the manifest, and wait for your name (or group name ) to be called.
6. Get on the pumbpoat and in 25 minutes, you're already in Canigao Island.
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