Best Islands in Philippines, this country is in the South Pacific Ocean, less than 14 hours by direct flight from London. There are roughly 2,000 occupied of the more than 7,000 tropical islands it boasts. The principal city is Manila on northern Luzon island. You can quickly fly or take a boat to get to the rest of the archipelago’s fun. The area offers more than just white sand beaches and clear blue water. It has dense woods, dramatic mountain ranges, and great snorkelling places. But how do you pick your little paradise? Find out which Philippine island is best for you by reading on.
Relax on Boracay’s fine, white sand
This island in the Western Visayas area of the Philippines used to be quiet, but it has quickly become one of the country’s most popular places to visit. White Beach, a four-kilometre stretch of powder-white sand, is home to various luxurious places, from the more laid-back Bamboo Bungalows to the five-star Henann Crystal Sands Resort, right beside the ocean. Get on a scenic boat to see the famous sunset. During the two-hour sail around the bay, you can enjoy live music, pica-pica (local snacks like Shanghai rolls), and cocktails.
At El Nido, Palawan, you can kayak through the stands of limestone
Palawan may not look very big, but it’s one of the country’s largest islands and is made up of a long mountain range. The Bacuit Archipelago, near El Nido but not very well known, comprises 45 limestone karst hills with hidden lagoons and coves. Ready to discover the magic of Bacuit Bay, the Big Lagoon, Seven Commandos Beach, and the Secret Lagoon? Book a full-day guided island-hopping tour with food, clear kayaks, and snorkelling gear.
Check out the Caramoan caves
On Luzon’s west coast, on the peninsula known as Caramoan, sits Caramoan National Park. It was made a national park in 1938. It looks like it came straight out of a cartoon heaven. The forest is 4,100 hectares big, and there are trails on the islands that go through rocks and valleys. These trails are good for people of all skill levels. Explore amazing stalactite formations and huge caves, like Umang Cave, which got its name from the Umang (crabs) that used to live there. It’s well-lit by two skylights that let the sunshine in.
Take a break in Siargao
There are a lot of thrill-seekers who love this tear-shaped island in the southern Philippines. That’s because the waves at Cloud 9 Beach and other surf spots often hit over two meters high. Surfers say that the best breaks happen early in the morning. Do you not like surfing? A pool at the Siargao Bleu Resort and Spa is only five minutes from the beach. You can also get a massage before going to the House of Crab to order their famous coconut crab soup.
At Coron Bay, you can dive through plane crashes
In westernmost the Philippines, Coron Bay sits in the Sulu Sea between the islands of Coron and Busuanga. In September 1944, an American air strike sank a Japanese supply fleet. Divers come here to look at what was left of it. The ships are some of the best places to dive in the area.
Enjoy views of the Chocolate Hills, Bohol, from all sides
These more than 1,200 grass-covered hills in the Bohol region were named a UNESCO National Geological Monument in 1988. From December to May, when it’s dry, they turn brown. It makes a huge pile that looks like Hershey’s Kisses and covers the whole land a long way off. You can take a beautiful picture there or go to the Chocolate Hills Adventure Park and fly a bike or “surf” over the hills.
Get to know wild sea turtles at Apo Reef in Mindoro
A massive coral reef system, Apo Reef is among the largest in the world. It is 33 kilometres long and spans the northern part of the Coral Triangle, off the coast of Occidental Mindoro. This beautiful place is a diver’s dream. It has two separate coral reefs that are separated by a 30-meter-deep waterway. You can choose from several snorkelling tours, and if you’re lucky, you might even get to swim with the old and beautiful sea turtles. There are times when they get so close that you can touch them.
Visit Batanes, which means “Home of the Winds.”
Batanes is the Philippines’ smallest province. To the south lies Taiwan, at 190 km, and to the north lies Luzon, at 162 km. This naturalist’s dream is just a two-hour flight from Manila and has canyons, hills, unique rock formations, and views of the sea that never end. One of the 22 active volcanoes in the country is Mount Iraya. From the top, you can see the whole area or walk along the three-kilometre Valugan Boulder Beach and look at the cute rock shapes that give it its name. The Vayang Rolling Hills are the most beautiful place on the islands. Around 5 p.m., when the sun starts to go down and the hills get a nice glow, is the best time to go.
Ardent Hot Springs on Camiguin Island is a great place to get away
Soaking in a hot spring is one of the most relaxing things you can do. The Ardent Hot Spring on Camiguin Island in the Philippines is one of the most beautiful in the world. Because it is at the base of Mount Hibok Hibok volcano, the water that runs out of the forest and into multi-level pools where you can swim is between 35 and 40 degrees Celsius. After lying in the sun on Agoho Beach, take a bike and ride into the forest to a spring-fed pool where you can relax.
Cebu, eat your heart out
In the middle of the Philippines, Cebu is a busy city where traditional and modern Filipino culture has coexisted with the country’s Spanish colonial past. The Spanish left their mark on places like the Basilica del Santo Niño, which is the oldest Catholic Church in the country, and the Sinulog Festival, which happens every January (on January 19, 2025) and is thought to be the biggest religious and cultural event in the Philippines. People celebrate Jesus’ birthday yearly with parades, processions, and street music. Enjoy the fun while eating traditional foods like sour dried mangoes and lechón, a young pig roasted on a spit and enjoyed at parties.
To show variety, Luzon
Luzon, the Philippines’ largest and most heavily populated island, is home to Manila, the country’s capital, with its busy streets and fancy shopping malls. This huge island north of Manila has many interesting sights, such as 2,000-year-old rice fields, hanging coffins in Sagada, and the old colonial city of Vigan.
In contrast, the southern part of Luzon is famous for its coconut-flavored cuisine, its rugged, windswept eastern coast, and the perfect cone-shaped Mount Mayon, the most active volcano in the Philippines.
To get away from the crowds, Ticao
Little Ticao is an island in Masbate Province. It lies right off the coast of Luzon at its southernmost point. The area has only two resorts, a few small villages, and one small town. Its scenery comprises golden beaches, rainforests, and waterfalls that are all spread out. You won’t likely meet any other tourists here, and the beaches are usually empty.
The great places to swim are often also very quiet. Many sharks and manta rays, like blacktip reef sharks, whale sharks, and even hammerheads, like to hang out in the water near the coast.
To watch birds, Olango Island
Olango Island, five miles east of Mactan Island, is home to more migratory birds than any other island in the country. About 77 species of birds, such as egrets, sandpipers, terns, and black-bellied plovers, stop at the island to rest on their yearly journey from Siberia, northern China, and Japan, where they breed, to Australia and New Zealand.
The island was made a wildlife reserve in 1998, and about 16,000 native birds live there. Most of them live in the island’s northern half, which has a wide, shallow bay and large areas of mudflats and mangroves. The area is at its best from September to November, when people are moving south, and from February to April, when people are moving north.
To find peaceful areas with sand, Panglao Island
Panglao Island is a great place to go diving in the tropics. It has beautiful sandy beaches and a friendly main city with an old Spanish church. The east coast has some of the best quiet white sand beaches that haven’t been built on. Beaches like Libaong, San Isidro, and Bikini are perfect for unwinding and enjoying nature.
The reef at the western end of Panglao is in good shape. It’s only a few minutes by Banca from Alona Beach and has healthy corals, lots of reef fish, and underwater rocks that drop 50 meters.
For a country setting, Guimaras
Guimaras is a small island province in the Philippines known for its sweet and juicy mangoes. It is located between the islands of Panay and Negros. The ocean’s thinnest swath separates Guimaras from the Panay mainland. It’s a calm island with few problems. Most people there make a living from farming and are friendly and interested in guests.
Tourists have arrived in Guimaras, but the city is still struggling to maintain its popularity. In the countryside and most barangays, people still live and work by picking coconuts, citrus fruits, and rice. Other businesses, like fishing, making charcoal, making baskets, and weaving mats, are also very rural.
To make unexpected discoveries, Panay
Panay, the large island shaped like a triangle, is mostly unknown to tourists. Possible explanation: the allure of Boracay, just off its northern tip, is causing everyone to flock there. There is still a lot to find and do on Panay, though. The island has a long coastline and a mountainous, jungled interior that hasn’t been fully mapped out yet.
Want to plan a trip to a more interesting place? Check out our list of the coolest places to visit or read our guide to the best things to do on the Fiji islands.
For fun and exciting trips, Sibuyan
The strange, saw-like shape of Mount Guiting Guiting dominates the easternmost island in the Romblon group. This is Sibuyan Island, and it’s perfect for adventurers. Sibuyan is known for its beautiful shoreline, densely forested interior, and high mountain peaks.
This beautiful green island, which is 450 square kilometres, has one of the most untouched natural environments in the whole country. In 1996, part of Sibuyan was made a reserve to protect this natural beauty.
Malapascua for its natural beauty
The island of Malapascua is eight kilometres off the northern tip of Cebu. It has been called the “next Boracay” because of Bounty Beach, a stretch of white sand on the south coast of the island where a dozen simple villas have sprung up, giving visitors many options for where to stay.
Malapascua is beautiful because it’s just as scenic as Boracay but not as developed. At 2.5 km long and 1 km wide, it’s even smaller than Boracay, and there aren’t any big hotels or trendy nightclubs. Instead, there are just a few beach bars that divers tend to visit.
To get away from it all Island of Bantayan
Bantayan Island is just off the northwest coast of Cebu. It is peaceful and rural, with flat land that can be farmed. It doesn’t have the moody mountains of mainland Cebu. Even though there isn’t much coral left along the shore, it’s a great place to learn about the ocean. Most of the island’s resorts and beaches are near the cute little town of Santa Fe on the southeast coast. This is also where ferries from Cebu Island come.
Are you about to travel to the Philippines for the Best Islands in Philippines? Check out the 10 reasons to visit, as highlighted in The Destination Guide to the Philippines.
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