Destination: Marinduque

A Philippine destination long popular with local Filipino vacationers, Marinduque Island, a nearly circular tourist paradise 18-kilometers off Quezon Province, Luzon, is quickly becoming more popular with overseas travelers.

Little Marinduque Island, probably best known for its Moriones Festival during the Lenten season, is easy and quick to reach by air via a 45-minute Zest Airways flight from Manila’s domestic airport terminal. To reach Marinduque island by sea, you can take a ferry route serviced by Aleson, JMVC, Montenegro, and Viva Shipping Lines. These boats depart from the port of Dalahican in Lucena City, Quezon. For your sea journey you can take either a two-hour trip to Mogpog’s Balanacan Pier, or a 2½ to 3-hour trip to Barangay Buyabod in Santa Cruz on Marinduque. There is also an alternate boat route from Pinamalayan in Mindoro Oriental to Gasan. However, you should note that this route is only serviced by outrigger boats. As the crossing can be over quite rough seas with few on-board facilities, only those with a strong constitution (i.e. an ironclad stomach) should consider this 3½ hour sea journey to visit Marinduque.

Many visitors flock to play upon Marinduque’s pristine and, happily relatively un-crowded shoreline, with the beach being an integral part of each seaside town. Within 12-kilometers of the Marinduque’s capital, Boac, you can find many clean, fine, gray-sand beaches; such as, Balogo, Baliasnin, Ihatub, Laylay, Lupac, Santo Domingo, Sun-Raft and Tabing Dagat. Although the local grey sand is not as visually attractive as white coral sand, you quickly forget about that given the other visual attractions. However, probably the best beach on Marinduque is Poctoy Beach at Torrijos, 60-kilometers from Balog. This kilometer-long, fine white sand beach is an ideal place to frolic in the sun, with the crystal blue/green sea on one side and a picture postcard backdrop of a real tropical island - and the lush, forest covered slopes of Mt. Malindig - on the other. 

If you are feeling a little adventurous, there are 17-outlying islands that can be reached by native banca from Marinduque, an experience that can only enhance your vacation. From Balanacan Pier, you can visit the small island of Nagtangco, an ideal spot for drift diving. From Barangay Silangan in Mogpog, you can travel to play, relax and swim from the spectacular beach of San Andres Island.

From Santa Cruz, it’s worthwhile to hire a local banca to take you on a 45-minute boat ride to Hacupan and Maniuayan Islands. If you want to go a little further, try Mompog Island, Polo Island, or Salomague Island; all are around a one-hour banca boat bjourney. All these islands are famous for their fine sand and large, fish-filled coral gardens.

For a boat to the Tres Reyes Islands of Gaspar, Melchor, and Baltazar, go to Barangay Pingan in Gasan. All of these islands are known for their excellent dive sites, each with several good underwater caves, sea walls, and gorgeous sea fans.

A ten minute boat ride from Buenavista takes you to the sheer cliffs and the un-spoilt, half kilometer long beach of Elephant Island.

Most visitors use Marinduque’s capital, Boac, as the starting point for exploring the island’s attractions and if diving is not your thing, but you want to be a little more adventurous than just lazing on a beautiful tropical beach, there is still plenty to do and see.

If you like trekking, day walking or camping - or are a nature lover, Marinduque  has a number of reasonably marked trails leading to the island’s many waterfalls; such as, Altar, Bagakawa, and Kawa-Kawa Falls in Santa Cruz, Bulusukan Falls in Buenavista, Kabugsakan Falls in Boac, and of course, the magnificent, seven-tiered, gently cascading, 100-foot drop Paadyao Falls in Mogpog. Of course, be aware that like many Philippine waterfalls, the best time to see these falls is not at the end of the dry season - unless you really like hiking to see a water trickle. 

For cavers, Marinduque has Duyay and Talamban Caves in Boac, Talao Caves in Gasan, and the three-chambered Tarug Caves in Mogpog. You can also explore Bathala Caves in Santa Cruz. Of course, you should never enter any cave unless you have local guides and the correct equipment - and on Marinduque you should also keep a wary eye out for snakes close to cool cave entrances.

If you are into climbing, or are a fit and experienced trekker, Marinduque has the 1,157-meter high, rarely climbed, Mt. Marlanga, and the 871-meter high, dormant volcano, Mt. Malindig.

As most travelers like to bring something back from their vacation, the recommended gifts and souvenirs from Marinduque must include the famous local wine brewed from mint leaves, Tawak, and a kalutang, a local wood instrument - but note depending upon your home country, you local customs officials may require that you have any wooden souvenirs radiation treated.

A little off the beaten track it may be, but if you are looking for a different Philippine destination with many attractions, Marinduque is certainly worth considering.