Bantayan Island, Cebu, Philippines
Bantayan Island is an island located in at the western portion of the northern tip of Cebu, Philippines. Most people considered this island as an island paradise in Philippines. As of the 2000 census, the island has a total population of 120,101. Bantayan Island is composes of three municipalities such as Bantayan, Madridejos, and Santa Fe that is also known as the “Egg Basket” in the neighboring regions because it has been generating over one and a half million eggs a day to supply the growing demand of eggs for mainland Cebu, Negros, Panay and even Leyte.
The island has a cool, crystal clear waters, white sandy beaches, friendly town folk and delicious seafood. Coming to Bantayan is like coming out of a time machine. It’s like entering the time and place when life was simple and quiet. There are 405-year-old church the one-and-a-half century house of Anun Escario, the Ogtong Cave and the rest of the ancient unarmed caves the old Spanish kota (fort) in Sta. Fe, the beautiful islets in the vicinity and the sunset at the wharf.
Like its dialect, each of the three towns has its own character. Bantayan considered as the town proper of the island has 25 barangays and the basic infrastructure. The town is known for its appetizing dried fish and squid. Aside from fishing, the people are also into rock phosphate and limestone mining.
No huge corporate hotel chains you can find it here but there are smaller hotels/resorts with cottages & rooms in just about every price range from less than $5.00USD to $40.00USD per night & up through $100+ through a lovely South Sea studio Villa on a very beautiful property, and all the way to $240.00USD for a honeymoon styled studio Villa on a gorgeous property. Bantayan Island really has something to offer everyone, on just about any budget.
But there is also the human dimension. You see kids with even tan running around the beach lines, naked, simple-hearted and friendly. Bantayan Island has an interesting dialect, mixture of Ilonggo, Waray and Cebuano but one that is Greek to both Cebuanos and Ilonggos. And its tone changes from town to town. The people in every town just have their own of expressing it.
If the other two towns are busy with their livelihood projects, Sta. Fe is busier during the Lenten Season with hundreds of people who flock to its white sandy beaches. Reservations to Bantayan’s beach resorts for the Lenten Season should be done six months to one year earlier. As early as February this year, the resorts have already been fully booked.
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