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If you’re planning a trip to the Philippines, you might be wondering how many days in Camiguin you should allow. We spent three days on the island during our two weeks in the Philippines and quickly realised that Camiguin deserves more time than many travellers initially plan.
It’s compact, but it offers a surprising amount of variety: volcano hikes, jungle waterfalls, hot springs and great snorkelling and diving. Because the island is small and easy to explore, you can see a lot in a short time. But if you enjoy nature, adventure and slower island travel, you may find yourself wishing you had allowed extra time!
What’s the minimum stay in Camiguin and what’s optimal?
2 days in Camiguin
Possible, but rushed – You’ll have time to see the main attractions on your first day: White Island, Old Volcano, Sunken Cemetery and a waterfall or Ardent Hot Spring. On the second day, you could either visit Mantigue Island or hike Mount Hibok-Hibok.
With such limited time, I’d recommend allowing three nights on the island and joining organised tours (for example, a tour around Camiguin plus one that includes White Island and Mantigue Island) to avoid wasting time and keep your schedule manageable.
Personally, I don’t think this is the best way to experience Camiguin. But if your goal is to see as much as possible in a short time rather than experience the island’s atmosphere, it can still work.
3 days in Camiguin (the minimum I’d recommend)
A good balance for most travellers – You can hire a scooter to visit the main attractions at your own pace, take in the views without rushing, and enjoy one major activity such as hiking Mount Hibok-Hibok or spotting turtles underwater at Mantigue Island. We actually did both Mount Hibok-Hibok summit hike and scuba diving at Mantigue Island during our three days, but found it tiring.
4 days in Camiguin
Ideal if you enjoy taking your time or want to see more than the main attractions – An extra day allows you to complete the full island loop at your own pace, visit waterfalls, and recover properly after the Hibok-Hibok hike.
A full week or more
After visiting, my partner even said he would happily stay for a full week or longer.
And you won’t run out of things to do in Camiguin. It would allow you to do more diving (including night dives – they offer a bonfire dive that intrigued us), visit more waterfalls, and slow down to match the relaxed vibe of the island. Having extra days would also make it less stressful if rain disrupted some of your plans.
What worked well for us and what I’d change
We spent three full days in Camiguin and stayed at Borbon’s Treehouse by the Sea near Mambajao, the island’s main town. It’s a convenient and quiet base for exploring the island, and we loved the sea views. For even more comfort (air con), you could also look at Balihao Resort. We absolutely enjoyed our stay in Camiguin, but here are a few things I’d consider changing if you have more time in the Philippines than we did.
Saving Camiguin for later on our itinerary
For planning reasons, it made perfect sense to start our Philippines itinerary with Camiguin. The idea was to go to the furthest destination from Cebu first and then slowly make our way back. Considering the flight delays and cancellations we saw for domestic flights, it was probably the right decision.
Another good reason to begin with Camiguin is that it’s very easy to explore. The road circling the island is in good condition, traffic is light and distances are short. Riding around Camiguin actually felt like a gentle introduction to driving in the Philippines.
However, Camiguin ended up being our favourite island of the trip. We love nature, and Camiguin delivered. The island is incredibly green and dramatic, with several volcanoes rising from the jungle and waterfalls hidden in the forest. At the same time, White Island offers one of the most striking landscapes in the Philippines, while nearby Mantigue Island is a great place to see beautiful turtles. We also found it easier to connect with locals, which is something we always appreciate when travelling.
We enjoyed the other islands we visited (Bohol, Malapascua and Moalboal on Cebu), but they were all noticeably more touristy and busy. In hindsight, I would probably save Camiguin for later in the trip – it set the bar very high for the rest of our itinerary.
Resting after Mount Hibok-Hibok
I clearly underestimated the Mount Hibok-Hibok hike. It was more demanding than we expected, and we had diving planned the next day. It worked out fine, but an extra rest day would have made it a lot more comfortable.
Not only focusing on highlights
In three days, we mostly focused on the main highlights and didn’t even have time to complete the island loop or visit waterfalls. We left with a few things still on our to-do list, plus more things we added by talking to locals. One or two extra days would definitely have made the trip feel less rushed and given us more time to enjoy the island at a slower pace.
How long did you spend on Camiguin? Share your experience in the comments below!
Where is Camiguin?
Camiguin is a small island province in the southern Philippines, located in the Bohol Sea just north of Mindanao. Travellers can reach the island by ferry or by plane from Cebu airport. Because of its location, Camiguin is often combined with Bohol or Cebu.
Always check your government’s travel advice for the region you plan to visit. While Mindanao was on Australia’s Do not travel or Reconsider your need to travel lists when we visited, these advisories excluded Camiguin, Dinagat and Siargao Islands.
