Olango Island - Things To Do and How To Get There

Olango Island - Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu

Unbeknown to many, Olango is actually a group of islands and islets, Olango Island being the most popular. Six of the other islands and islets that are part of this group of islands are Sulpa, Gilutungan, Nalusuan, Caohagan, Pangan-an, and Camungi islands. Collectively known as Olango Island Group , this island group is divided under the jurisdiction of Lapu-Lapu City and the Municipality of Cordova.

Olango Island Eco Tourism Park - Asinan, Sabang, Olango Island, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu

OLANGO ISLAND, LAPU-LAPU CITY, CEBU

Olango Island is the most popular island among the Olango Island Group and is part of the City of Lapu-Lapu. This beautiful island is just 15 minutes away from mainland Mactan Island via a motorized banca. Olango Island has 8 barangays such as Santa Rosa, Talima, Baring, Tingo, Caw-oy, Tungasan, Sabang and San Vicente. Santa Rosa is the main point of entry to Olango Island.

THINGS TO DO IN OLANGO ISLAND

There are a lot of things you can do in the island and these are just some of the sites to see and things to do in Olango Island, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu namely: Island Eco Tourism Park, Olango Wildlife Sanctuary, San Vicente Marine Sanctuary, Caw-oy Floating Restaurants, Shalala Beach Resort, Sagastrand Beach Resort, Talima Beach Resort, Olango Paradise Island Resort, Maribagini Tree and Santa Rosa Port.

ISLAND ECO TOURISM PARK

This beautiful eco tourism park is one of my favorite attractions in Olango Island. This is a public park where you can enjoy quality time bonding with your family and friends, swimming at the white sand beach, picnicking under the shade of coconut tree or just enjoying the beautiful scenery. Definitely a place you don't want to miss on your visit to the beautiful Olango Island. Island Eco Tourism Park is situated on Sitio Asinan, Sabang, Olango Island. Entrance is only twenty pesos (P20)

Island Eco Tourism Park - Asinan, Sabang, Olango Island, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu

Island Eco Tourism Park - Asinan, Sabang, Olango Island, Lapu-Lapu City, Cebu

OLANGO ISLAND WILDLIFE SANCTUARY

This is probably one of the most popular destinations in Olango Island. If you search for Olango Island on the internet, you are certain this attraction or the marine sanctuary will be one of the island's images' search results. Unfortunately for me, I went there on off season, the on-season starts next month (September) but while I can still enjoy watching the birds, it was high tide when I get there, so maybe next time I should be able to see a lot of birds on my return. The wildlife sanctuary aka bird sanctuary is situated in San Vicente, Olango Island. Entrance is only thirty pesos (P30)

Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary aka Bird Sanctuary - San Vicente, Olango Island, Lapu-Lapu City

SAN VICENTE MARINE SANCTUARY

Another popular tourist spot in Olango Island is the Marine Sanctuary. Before exploring the place, there is a briefing at the entrance telling you the dos and donts on your exploration. You can do island hopping from there or swimming, snorkelling, overnight camping, fish feeding, etc. This marine sanctuary is also situated in San Vicente, Olango Island. Entrance is only twenty-five pesos (P25). If you want to do other activities, prepare between one hundred to five hundred pesos (P100 to P500) depending on which activities you want to do there. If you go island hopping, rates are P1600 for 3 islands and P1300 for 2 islands. Maximum capacity is 8 persons.

San Vicente Marine Sanctuary - San Vicente, Olango Island, Lapu-Lapu City

CAW-OY FLOATING RESTAURANTS

Lapu-Lapu City is known for its seafoods and how they cook them, arguably the origin of the term SuTuKil (SugbaTuwaKilaw), the Caw-oy Floating Restaurants offer a variety of live seafoods to choose from and you decide how you want them cooked. Me and my auto-tour guide (the tricycle driver) ate at Arnold and Candie Seafood Restaurants (the owner is very nice, she even asked me to drop by their house). There are at least 4 floating restaurants there and one of the most famous is Arnold and Candie Seafood Restaurant. Note: The restaurants are pricey regardless of whether which restaurants you chose, so add this up to your expectation. The floating restaurants are on Caw-oy, Olango Island.

Caw-oy Floating Restaurants Olango Island - Caw-oy, Olango Island, Lapu-Lapu City

SHALALA BEACH RESORT | SABANG BEACH

Just like Island Eco Tourism Park, this is situated in Sabang, Olango Island - home to probably the best beach destination in Olango Island. With its white sand beach and crystal clear waters, Shalala Beach Resort or any resorts in Sabang should be part of your itinerary on your visit to Olango Island. I love it that this is too homy (inato lang) and the staff there are nice. The amenities in Shalala Beach Resort may be basic but the beach will definitely catch your attention. Entrance is only P20 and if you want to stay overnight, aircon room is for P1500 and non-aircon is P1300, both good for 2 persons.

Shalala Beach Resort Olango Island - Sabang, Olango Island, Lapu-Lapu City

SAGASTRAND BEACH RESORT

This beautiful beach resort is situated in San Vicente, Olango Island, not too far from the bird and marine sanctuaries. This is probably the most popular beach resorts in Olango Island. I stayed there overnight and the staff and the owner there are nice. Sagastrand Beach Resort is well maintained and more developed with amenities ranging from swimming pools, restaurant, billiards table, badminton court, short-ranged golf course, children's playground and of course private beach. While I also love the beach here, unlike in Santa Fe, Bantayan Island and Paradizzo, low tides in probably most parts of Olango Island is really really low, thus you'll see a lot of boardwalks on your visit to this very beautiful island. More on this beautiful beach resort on a separate blog.

Sagastrand Beach Resort - San Vicente, Olango Island, Lapu-Lapu City

Sagastrand Beach Resort Olango Island - San Vicente, Olango Island, Lapu-Lapu City

TALIMA BEACH VILLAS AND DIVE RESORT

This is another popular beach resort in Olango Island, situated on the opposite side near Caw-oy Floating Restaurants. This yet another beautiful beach resort is situated in Talima, Olango, Island.

Talima Beach Villas and Dive Resort - Talima, Olango Island, Lapu-Lapu City (Photo: Agoda)

OLANGO PARADISE ISLAND RESORT 

This is another beautiful resort in San Vicente but sadly I have not been there but must be within the vicinity of San Vicente Marine Sanctuary or Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary. 

Olango Paradise Island Resort - San Vicente, Olango Island, Lapu-Lapu City (Photo: Tripadvisor)

MARIBAGINI TREE

The Maribagini Tree plantation is along the main road. You pass by these trees on your way to the marine and bird sanctuaries in San Vicente. Location: San Vicente, Olango, Island. 

Maribagini Tree - San Vicente, Olango Island, Lapu-Lapu City

BIKING | ISLAND HOPPING

One of the most popular activities in Olango Island is biking. You can actually rent a bike there and roam around the beautiful island yourself. Another popular activity you can do there is island hopping to nearby islets. I think you need to go to Santa Rosa Port if you want to go island hopping or while in San Vicente Marine Sanctuary, book an island hopping tour there.

Olango Island Biking

SANTA ROSA PORT
Santa Rosa Port is the point of entry to Olango Island. There are not much to do in Santa Rosa but it is the main barangay or simply, the capital barangay in Olango Island, so anything you need that are not in other barangays must be available in Santa Rosa.

Santa Rosa Port - Santa Rosa, Olango Island. This is your pont of entry to Olango Island. A ticketing booth on your way back to mainland Mactan Island can be found here.

HALF-DAY OLANGO ISLAND TOUR

Did you know that you can tour the entire island on half day only? I did when I get there. I did the tour before checking in to my hotel of choice that day, Sagastrand Beach Resort. If you don't want to stay there overnight, you still can enjoy the island on half day and go back to mainland Mactan Island, Lapu-Lapu City on the same day after the tour. All of the above are on my half-day tour excluding Talima Beach Resort and Olango Paradise Island Resort. I intentionally did not drop by at Talima Beach as I want to stay or check out that place on my next visit to Olango Island.

HOW TO GO TO OLANGO ISLAND VIA HILTON PORT OR MOVENPICK PORT

1. Ride a taxi, Grab or Angkas to Parkmall or J Centre Mall
2. Disembark at the PUV Terminal in Parkmall or J Centre Mall
3. At the Parkmall PUV Terminal, ride a jeepney heading to Punta Engano or if you are coming from J Centre Mall (JMall) PUV Terminal, ride a jeepney heading to Soong. If you took the Soong jeepney, disembark at Marina Mall and from Marina Mall, ride another jeepney heading to Punta Engano
4. Disembark at Movenpick Hotel. Beside the hotel, you will see a small road heading downwards, use that road, it will lead you to Hilton Port or Movenpick Port.
5. Buy a ticket bound for Santa Rosa Port. Fare is only P15 and a minimal terminal fee (if any). I only paid P15. (Travel time from Hilton Port to Santa Rosa Port and vice versa is only 15 to 20 minutes).
6. Board a motorized banca heading to Santa Rosa Port.
7. From Santa Rosa Port, ride or charter a motorbike or tricycle to bring you to your desired destination. Most drivers will ask P50 to P120 if you want to go to one destination. If you want to do the half day tour like I did, prepare P300 to P500 depending on your desired destinations. That's it! 

• The quickest way to get to Hilton Port or Movenpick Port is to ride a taxi, Grab or Angkas for Movenpick Hotel then see steps 4 to 7 above. Another route to Olango Island is via Angasil Port. 

If you have to bring your vehicles with you, you can board a barge/vessel and just pay for the fare and cargo.

Olango Island - Barge for Bikers. This barge looks like dedicated to the bikers out there.

We did not disembark from the vehicle. It was one hot day when we went back to Olango Island aboard Jomalia Shipping barge on the last week of May 2021.

At Sagastrand Beach Resort. Late lunch. May 2021.

Jomalia Shipping barge/vessel for Olango Island

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