Camiguin
Camiguin travel guide: White Island, springs and the sandbar
From my own Camiguin videos.
Camiguin is a small volcanic island off the north coast of Mindanao, reached by ferry from Balingoan to Benoni or by flight from Cebu, and its best-known sights are the White Island sandbar, the hot and cold springs and the waterfalls. It is also the island I keep going back to. I’ve taken my mom twice, and in one clip I call it my favorite island in the whole of the Philippines.
Where Robert stayed on Camiguin
What a small island holds
In that first clip I put it like this: “You literally have everything on this tiny small island.” Waterfalls, mountains, volcanoes, cold springs and hot springs, on one island.
The white sandbar
I call it “real life Moana” in two of my clips. The first time I joke that if I said I’d been to Hawaii or the Maldives, I would be lying. The second time I’ve brought my mom, and I call the sand “the Bounty Island of the Philippines”. The TikTok version of the Moana clip has 2.2 million views, as TikTok reported in October 2026: watch it here.
The sandbar is White Island. What the boat costs, when the water is calmest and how it fits with the springs is in White Island, the hot and cold springs, and Katibawasan Falls.
Camiguin or Boracay?
I compare them in my most recent clip. Boracay’s White Beach is one of the most beautiful beaches in the country, I say, but it is too overcrowded for me, and Camiguin is way prettier and not crowded at all. That day my mom and I had “everything for ourselves”.
A swim in the jungle
In the first clip I’m swimming in water I call “clean and perfect”, deep in the jungle: a way to “refresh yourself, detox”. For the named springs and falls, with entry costs, use the springs and falls guide.
The island in a few facts
Camiguin is a small volcanic island off the north coast of Mindanao. It covers about 241 km², has five municipalities (Mambajao is the capital) and is the second-smallest province in the Philippines, with about 95,000 people at the 2024 census (Wikipedia). A ring road of about 64 km goes round it. Hibok-Hibok is the only historically active volcano. It is called the Island Born of Fire because the island is volcanic. Check the alert level on the PHIVOLCS site if you plan to hike it.
Getting there
By ferry from Balingoan to Benoni, or by flight from Cebu.
- Ferry. The Balingoan to Benoni crossing takes about 1 to 1.5 hours. St. Benedict lists a fare of about ₱300 and boats from 4:00 am, with the last departure at 16:40. Super Shuttle lists ₱359. These are from an aggregator, last updated June 2026 (Pamasahe). The full timetable is in How to get to Camiguin.
- Bus to the ferry. A bus from Cagayan de Oro to Balingoan takes up to 3 hours and cost about ₱150 in 2019.
- Flights. Cebgo flies Cebu to Camiguin (Mambajao airport), about 55 minutes, and listings show 14 to 16 flights a week in mid-2026. From Manila the only direct link is Sunlight Air’s seasonal flight on selected dates, when it is running; How to get to Camiguin has the detail. Check the airline timetables before you book.
The sights, and what they cost
The springs, falls, Sunken Cemetery and White Island each have their entry costs in the springs and falls guide.
Getting around
A motorbike rented for about ₱500 a day without a driver and a multicab for eight people for about ₱1,700 in 2019. Short habal-habal rides cost ₱10, and a day tour ₱800 with one operator. Bring enough cash, because withdrawing money on the island is not always possible.
The Lanzones Festival
Camiguin celebrates the lanzones harvest in the third week of October. The 47th edition runs 18-25 October 2026 in Mambajao, with pre-festival events from 15 October (Mindanao Times).
Plan your Camiguin trip
- Getting there: How to get to Camiguin
- The days: Camiguin in 3 days
- Under water: Diving in Camiguin
- More to see: things to do in Camiguin beyond White Island and the springs
- When to go and the budget: Camiguin: best time to go and what a trip costs
- Where to sleep: where to stay in Camiguin
- With a small group: the Camiguin trip has a free waitlist
- Talk it through: a 30 or 60-minute session with me is the quickest way to fit Camiguin into a wider trip
Questions people ask
What is there to do on Camiguin?
Waterfalls, mountains, volcanoes, cold springs, hot springs and a white sandbar, all on one small island. The guides linked on this page cover White Island, the springs and falls, and diving, with what each costs.
Is Camiguin better than Boracay?
In one of my clips I say Camiguin is way prettier than Boracay's White Beach and not crowded at all.
How do I get to Camiguin?
By air or by the ferry from the mainland. How to get to Camiguin covers the flights, the Cagayan de Oro route and the ferry.
How big is Camiguin?
About 241 square kilometres, the second-smallest province in the Philippines, with five municipalities and a ring road of about 64 km. It is a volcanic island, and Hibok-Hibok is the only historically active volcano.
When is the Lanzones Festival?
In the third week of October. The 47th Lanzones Festival runs 18-25 October 2026 in Mambajao, with pre-festival events from 15 October.
How many days do I need on Camiguin?
Camiguin in 3 days shows how three days split between the springs, White Island and the falls.
One email when there is a new guide
I write when there is a new guide, and only then.