The calm, clean and beautiful Camotes Islands

In 7,107 island of the Republic of the Philippines, four of these islands are form the Camotes Island. The island of Camotes is located in the east of Cebu Island, southwest of Leyte Island and north of Bohol Island.

Camotes Island has three main sub-islands and this island is divided into four municipalities.

Poro: Are the municipalities of Poro and Tudela

Pacijan: is the sole municipality of San Francisco

Ponson: is the sole municipality of Pilar

Tulang: is part of the barangay Esperanza, which is part of San Francisco

The Camotes are low-lying islands and this island is hilly. The highest point of the island is 386 meters above the sea level. This island lies about 562km southeast of Manila, 62km northeast of Cebu and 25 km west of Ormoc. The island of Camotes has a total size of 20,964 hectares over all. The dominant plant on the island is the Palm Trees and there are also numerous native varieties of fruit trees and other plants.

Camotes Island has their own festival, which is celebrated in every year on the march 19. They celebrate its town fiesta in honor of the town Patron Saint Joseph. At this day there are many activities to take place. This festival is called Soli-Soli Festival. This holiday event features colorful parades with people wearing traditional clothing and performing indigenous dances.    

Economy and Origin of the Camotes Islands

The main industries and the main life living of people in the Camotes Island are Farming, fishing and tourism. They can plant corn and rice, breeding or rising animals like pigs, chicken and cattle. They also make a hollow blocks, furniture and they also offer their own soap-making.

In tourism people can introduce many attractions into the tourist like their underground resorts, caves and mangrove plantation.

The word Camotes is Mexican for sweet potatoes, the Camotes name is from the popular story that is centuries ago when the Spaniards first arrived in the island and they encounter some native farming villager, and ask them what is the name of the island. The villagers thought that the Spaniards are asking what kind of root crops they were putting in their basket and replied Camote. Therefore the island was called Camotes Island.

Camotes Island is also known as “The Lost Horizon in the South” because of its pure beauty, rich in cultures and heritage, hospitality and smiling faces of the people around Camotes. They also called Camotes Island as “Island of Imagination” because of its abundance of natural resources and attractions and far from the destructive touch of the modern living.

Camotes is also known of their delicacy the marinated tilapia.

The island of Pacijan and Poro are connected by a paved road that called a causeway that approximately at 1.5 km long. This causeway is constructed by the people of San Francisco during the Spanish era.    

The Ponson is separated by the Camotes Sea that lying about four kilometers northeast of Poro.

Tulang is located of the northern tip of Pacijan.

First of the three Sub Islands “Pacijan Island”

Pacijan is one of the three main sub-islands groups of Camotes Island.

This island has only white beaches and is where most of the places to stay are located.

This is also the main island in Camotes.

Pacijan has a fresh water lake around two kilometers in length.

  

San Francisco is the sole municipality of the island. San Francisco is known as San Fran by the people living there. This municipality has a lively market, a church, a giant basketball complex, a pretty little town square and it has plenty of colorful murals. This town started as a barrio called Sulangan because of the abundance of tree called sulangan. The name San Francisco was given in honor of a righteous man named Francisco and after his death Sulangan was replaced with San Francisco.   

Esperanza is the Pacijan second largest town and has a main street lined with a yellow painted pot plants. This town runs along in a white sand beach, with fishing boats. It has also a school, a church, shops and a basketball court. Esperanza is about half an hour from San Fran.  

Attractions and beaches in Pacijan Island

The main attraction here is the Danao Lake which is a five kilometer long and a guitar shaped lake in northern part of the island. It has two parks on its shore the Lake Danao Park and the private owned Green Lake Park. Today this lake is the main source of livelihood of the people because of the abundance of tilapia. There are also plants like soli-soli grows around the lake shore and are also used for many people in surviving of living.

It has also the Carmen Lake Danao Fisheries Complex that is on the southern bank of Danao Lake behind at the town of Union (oon-yon). This fishery performs research in different water fish. The fish here are farmed in floating pens by the lake’s edge where there are nice views to be had.

Santiago Bay Garden and Resort is one of the favorite place where to hang out for both locals and foreign. This is located at the south eastern part of the island. This resort has a cheerful family atmosphere with lots music. The basic rooms are on the hillside that is overlooking a vast, that is crescent shaped bay with a white beach. The water of the bay is very shallow and the tides are consequently massive. This resort is fronted by a terraced restaurant that has a wonderful view.

Mangodlong Rock Resort is one of the most visited beaches in the whole Camotes; it has a white sand beach that is located in fisherman’s village of Mangodlong, Himensulan, San Francisco. This resort has a private cove with a small beach and has a good snorkeling area. It is also have comprises deluxe, native style rooms, a thatched roof-bar and a restaurant and also a cute mushroom cottage that have been built on the rocky outcrops at the water edge.

Bakhaw Beach is located in Bakhaw, Esperanza, San Francisco; it has a sugary beach and has crystal clear water that is very safe for the children.

“Poro Island” and its Attractions are also a good sightseeing trip

Poro Island has two municipalities which is Poro and Tudela that are both same located in Poro.

Poro Island is best lesser of the two main island of Camotes. It is lacks of the beaches of Pacijan and there’s nowhere really to stay or eat. Poro has an historical church which is built in 1849 by the Augustinian fairs. Each cube of the walls are made of coral stone from the sea and stone roofed with tile. Until today this church is still the center of the social activities which revolve around the island.

In the town of Poro they have their own language which is a Porohanon or the Camotes Visayan spoken. Porohanon is distinguished by the way of locals substitute the “Y” that sound for “Z” for example, “Maayong Buntang” in Cebuano it would be changed to “Maazong Buntag” in Porohanon. And Naa diha in Cebuano, Ara dira in Porohanon.

  

Poro Island has also an attraction to offer, the Alta Vista and Mount Three Peaks, is the serene plateau that has a comfort room, there is also a small tree house and three other open cottage that make up the Camotes highest region are Elijan, Kaban-kaban and Kantomaro.          

Bulikat Cave is one of the most visiting places, it is about 6km inland from Tudela and it is well hidden. This caved is named after the founder Bulikat and this cave also was used as a shelter from Japanese during the World War II.

Pugsa and Tangub Caves is a little unknown and seldom visited by tourist, these large caves high in the hills that are approached by a steep and extremely rugged tail from Tigues village.   

Boho Rock Resort is on the southwestern tip of Poro Island; this resort is an absolute gem of a swimming spot.

The last and smallest Sub Island is “Ponson Island”

Ponson has two towns Pilar and Kawit. 

Pilar is the sole municipality of the island. This island is composed of thirteen Barangays which is also composed of three sitio. There is no telephone line in this island and the electricity is available only from 12:00 P.M until 1:00 A.M.

In Kawit is the more picturesque of the two, it’s with a lovely long white sand beach.

There is no established to stay in this town.