Every list of the best islands in the Philippines is quietly wrong about the same thing. They crown the famous three — Boracay, Palawan, Siargao — and then move on, never once mentioning the island that locals fly home for and travellers fall hardest for. So let us say the unfashionable thing out loud: when it comes to the genuinely underrated best islands in the Philippines, the volcanic little place we call home, Camiguin, is the one the awards forgot. It has seven volcanoes, a white-sand sandbar that floats off its northern shore, hot springs in the jungle, a church drowned by the sea — and almost nobody fighting you for the view.
We are the family at Txaleta de Camiguin, and we wrote this from a clifftop in Mambajao, between Mt. Hibok-Hibok and the Bohol Sea. We have nothing against the famous islands. We have something better than an opinion about ours: we live here.
Written by the family at Txaleta de Camiguin. Last updated June 2026.
What is the most underrated island in the Philippines?
The most underrated island in the Philippines is Camiguin, the volcanic "Island Born of Fire" off northern Mindanao, famed for its shifting White Island sandbar, hot springs and almost no crowds. The rest of the quiet shortlist, in order:
- Camiguin — seven volcanoes, sandbar, springs, zero crowds.
- Romblon — marble island, dazzling Bonbon sandbar.
- Sibuyan — wild jungle, "the Galápagos of Asia."
- Catanduanes — windswept Pacific cliffs, empty surf.
- Camotes — Maldives-clear water off Cebu.
- Biri — otherworldly Pacific-carved rock formations.
- Apo Island — community-run reef, world-class diving.
Why the famous lists keep getting it wrong
Here is the inconvenient truth about the head term. In the 2025 Condé Nast Traveler Readers' Choice Awards — the ranking most travellers will still be citing in 2026 — Boracay placed 4th in Asia (90.54), Palawan 5th (90.23) and Siargao 7th (85.49), out of more than 700,000 readers voting. Those are not bad islands. They are loved-to-death islands. When the same three names win every poll, the same three names fill every flight, every shoreline, every sunset photo.
That is the quiet flaw in the genre. A "best of" list rewards what is already winning. It is a popularity loop, not a recommendation. And the more an island wins, the less of the thing you actually came for — silence, space, the feeling that you found something — it can give you. By 2026 the famous trio is at the point where the best version of them existed about ten years ago.
So the islands worth flying for are the ones the big lists bury or omit entirely. The ones a search for the truly underrated best islands in the Philippines turns up only if you dig. Camiguin is first among them, and we will make the case — honestly, including the parts that are not for everyone.
Is Camiguin worth visiting? An honest answer
Short version: yes, if quiet is the point of your trip. No, if you need nightlife, a party hostel scene, or a beach club playing the same songs as the one back home.
Now the long version, because "is Camiguin worth visiting" deserves more than a yes.
Camiguin is small — gloriously, navigably small. A single ring road of sixty-four kilometres loops the whole island. You can do a whistle-stop circuit in one or two days, see the highlights properly in three, and if you let it, lose five to seven days here without ever feeling you have run out of island. Smallness is the feature, not the bug. Everything is close. Nothing is a production.
It is also the rare island whose nickname is earned. They call it the "Island Born of Fire" — seven volcanoes for an island you can drive around before lunch, including Mt. Hibok-Hibok, which is still active and still watching over everything. That volcanic temper is why the soil grows the sweetest lanzones in the country, why hot springs bubble up under the trees, and why the beaches range from pale gold to the startling pure white of the sandbar offshore.
And it is safe. Properly, unguardedly safe — the kind of island where people leave the helmets hanging on their parked scooters and nobody thinks twice. That ease is part of what visitors feel and struggle to name. It is the absence of the low hum of vigilance you carry in busier places.
So: worth visiting? We are biased, and we will own it. But the travellers who arrive here quiet and curious tend to leave quiet and changed.
What is there to actually do in Camiguin?
A common worry about an island this size is that it will run out of things to do by day two. It does not. It simply asks you to slow down enough to find them.
White Island, the sandbar that moves
This is the image you have already half-seen: a bare crescent of blinding white sand, no trees, no buildings, sitting on turquoise water a short banca ride off the northern coast. White Island is uninhabited and unfixed — the sandbar shifts shape with the tide and the season, so the island you walk on this morning is not quite the one someone photographed last year. What stays the same is the 360-degree view: volcanoes ringing the horizon, the green bulk of Camiguin behind you, open sea ahead. Our hosts arrange a private banca out to the sandbar and the nearby Giant Clam Sanctuary; go at first light, before the day boats, and for a while it is entirely yours.
The church the sea took back
In 1871, Mt. Vulcan erupted and drove part of old Camiguin into the water. What remains is the most haunting heritage in the country: the Sunken Cemetery, marked now by a large white cross standing out in the sea, best at sunset when the light goes gold and the water turns to copper. Nearby, the Guiob (Bonbon) Church Ruins stand roofless and vine-covered, Spanish-colonial coral-stone walls open to the sky. You do not need a guide to feel the weight of these places. You just need to stand still in them.
Waterfalls, springs and a cliff at sunset
Katibawasan Falls drops the longest single thread of water on the island into a cold mountain pool. Ardent Hot Springs does the opposite, warm volcanic water under a jungle canopy, best at dusk. And for the day's last act, Tongatok Cliff hands you the kind of sunset you will be quiet through. For those who want to climb, a guided ascent of Mt. Hibok-Hibok is the island's serious hike. For those who want to float, Mantigue Island is a green islet ringed by coral, ideal for a slow afternoon of snorkelling and a Picnic To-Go from the kitchen.
If you want this mapped into actual days, we keep a separate, road-tested Camiguin itinerary you can lift straight into your trip.
How to get to Camiguin (it's easier than the lists imply)
Part of why Camiguin stays underrated is a stubborn myth that it is hard to reach. It is not, anymore. There is a daily direct flight from Cebu to Camiguin on Cebu Pacific / Cebgo that lands in under an hour. If you prefer the slow road, the ferry route via Bohol takes roughly eight to twelve hours and is its own kind of pleasure. The island's airport is a short drive from us, and we arrange a complimentary transfer, so the gap between "wheels down" and "feet up by the pool" is mercifully short.
We walk through every route, schedule logic and connection in our full guide on how to get to Camiguin from Cebu — worth a read before you book flights.
Camiguin vs Siquijor — the comparison everyone asks about
If you have been researching quiet Philippine islands, you have hit this fork: Camiguin vs Siquijor. They are cousins, not twins.
Both are small, soulful, and gloriously low on crowds. Siquijor leans mystical — folk healers, hilot, an air of old magic, waterfalls and a backpacker-friendly scene that has grown noticeably busier. Siargao, by contrast, is the social one: surf, hostels, a young crowd, music after dark.
Camiguin sits where many travellers actually want to be: quiet like Siquijor, but volcanic, greener, more dramatic underfoot — and even less crowded. You get the calm without the growing crowds, plus seven volcanoes, a sunken cemetery and a sandbar Siquijor cannot match. We made the full, fair case in Camiguin vs Siquijor, including who should pick which.
The honest shortlist: underrated islands worth flying for
Camiguin is our home and our number one, but we promised honesty, so here are the other islands the awards keep overlooking — each with a real reason, not just a pretty adjective. Note the categories: some are single islands, some are whole provinces.
| Island / Province | What makes it special | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Camiguin (island) | Seven volcanoes, White Island sandbar, springs, sunken cemetery — and almost no crowds | Quiet couples, slow travellers, heritage |
| Romblon (province) | Marble island with the dazzling Bonbon sandbar; island-hopping is roughly ₱2,500 for a boat of six | Budget escapists, sandbar lovers |
| Sibuyan (within Romblon) | "The Galápagos of Asia" — among the cleanest rivers in the world, wild untouched jungle | Hikers, nature purists |
| Catanduanes (province) | Windswept Pacific cliffs, raw eastern-edge coastline, empty surf | Surfers, solitude seekers |
| Camotes (islands, off Cebu) | Maldives-clear water, easy reach from Cebu | Day-trippers, swimmers |
| Biri (island, N. Samar) | Otherworldly rock formations carved by the Pacific | Photographers, geology lovers |
| Apo Island (off Negros) | Community-run marine-protected reef, world-class diving (day trip from Dumaguete) | Divers, snorkellers |
| Kalanggaman (islet, Leyte) | A sandbar so protected it caps visitors at 500 a day | Pristine-beach pilgrims |
One number tells the whole story. Island-hopping in Romblon runs about ₱2,500 for a boat of six. The equivalent in El Nido, Palawan, runs ₱10,000 to ₱12,000. You are not paying for a better sea in El Nido. You are paying for fame.
What it costs to explore Camiguin
We keep prices transparent so you can plan before you arrive. These are the real rates our hosts arrange:
| Experience | Price (PHP) |
|---|---|
| Scooter rental | ₱450 / day |
| SUV / AUV rental | ₱2,850 / day (₱1,500 half day) |
| Local driver | +₱1,000 / day |
| Jet ski | ₱7,000 / 3 hours (+₱1,500 per extra hour) |
| Private banca to White Island + Giant Clam Sanctuary | arranged on request |
| Guided Mt. Hibok-Hibok ascent | arranged on request |
The most romantic way to take the island is the slowest: rent a scooter, ride the sixty-four-kilometre ring road, and stop wherever the light is good. Everything you need is on our experiences page, and our hosts will tailor any of it to how you like to travel.
Where to stay: a clifftop home in Mambajao
You can sleep cheap and basic in Camiguin, and many do. But if you have chosen a quiet island precisely to feel something, where you stay becomes the trip.
Txaleta de Camiguin is a family-owned boutique resort — fourteen rooms — set on a clifftop in Mambajao, between Mt. Hibok-Hibok and the Bohol Sea. The name Txaleta is Spanish for a small home, a cottage, and that is the whole idea: not a hotel that processes you, but a house that takes you in. Filipino Heart, Spanish Soul. Our infinity pool reaches out over the Bohol Sea and is open from sunrise; breakfast by the water is included every morning; and the Filipino-Spanish restaurant is open to resort guests and walk-in visitors alike.
A few ways to come home to Camiguin:
- Ocean View Glamping — a proper bed under canvas at the cliff's very edge, with a private deck above the Bohol Sea. This is glamping with the sea at eye level. Reserve it here.
- Premier Seaview Suite — a king bed, floor-to-ceiling glass, a private terrace, and White Island sitting right out there on the water.
- Deluxe Garden Room — a double bed wrapped in tropical garden, cooler and greener, for travellers who want the trees over the tide.
Mornings here have their own rhythm. Almusal sa Bahay, our heritage breakfast — tsokolate, pan de sal con keso de bola, garlic adobo, and Camiguin mango — on the water. Sunrise Saludo, gentle cliffside yoga as the sun comes up. La Merienda at golden hour. And when the day is done, Tahimik Nights under more stars than a city ever shows you. The kitchen's paella is the house favourite; the gambas al ajillo and croquetas are how the evening should start. (A 5% service charge applies; see the full menu.)
Frequently asked questions
What is the most beautiful island in the Philippines?
Beauty is subjective, but for sheer variety packed into a small space, Camiguin is hard to beat — seven volcanoes, a shifting white sandbar, vine-covered church ruins, waterfalls and hot springs, all within one sixty-four-kilometre loop. It is often called the most beautiful island most travellers have never heard of.
What is the least touristy island in the Philippines?
Among genuinely accessible islands, Camiguin is one of the least touristy — quieter even than Siquijor, with no party scene and few crowds. Romblon, Sibuyan, Catanduanes and Biri are even quieter still, but harder to reach.
Which island is best for couples?
Camiguin. It is calm, safe, romantic and small enough that nothing feels like effort — sunrise swims, sunset on Tongatok Cliff, a private banca to a sandbar, and cliff-edge glamping with the sea at eye level. Couples come for the quiet and stay for the feeling.
What is the best island to relax?
Again, Camiguin — built for slowness. Most travellers spend three days on highlights, but five to seven is where the island really works on you: hot springs, an infinity pool open from sunrise, breakfast by the water, and no schedule worth keeping.
Is Camiguin worth visiting?
Yes, if you want quiet, nature and heritage over nightlife and crowds. It is small, safe, easy to reach by a sub-one-hour flight from Cebu, and offers volcanoes, a white sandbar, springs and a sunken cemetery. For party-seekers, no. For everyone else, emphatically yes.
Camiguin or Siquijor?
Both are quiet and soulful. Choose Siquijor for mystical, folk-healing atmosphere and a livelier backpacker scene; choose Camiguin for volcanic drama, a sandbar, heritage ruins and even fewer crowds. See our full Camiguin vs Siquijor comparison.
What is the safest island for tourists in the Philippines?
Camiguin ranks among the safest — very low crime, and a relaxed culture where people leave helmets on parked scooters without worry. That everyday ease is one of the first things visitors notice.
How many days do you need in Camiguin?
One to two days for a whistle-stop loop, three days for the highlights done properly, and five to seven days to truly relax. We recommend at least three; the island rewards the days you give it.
What is the quietest island in the Philippines?
For accessible quiet, Camiguin leads the pack. For deeper isolation, Sibuyan (within Romblon) and Catanduanes offer wild, near-empty landscapes — but expect longer, more complicated journeys to reach them.
When is the best time to visit Camiguin?
The drier months from roughly March to early June are the most reliable for swimming and island-hopping. October is special in its own right: the Lanzones Festival celebrates the island's famously sweet, volcanic-ash-grown fruit.
Come home to Camiguin
The famous islands will keep winning the awards, and they have earned a version of that crown. But the island worth flying for is the one the lists keep skipping — volcanic, gentle, safe, and still, somehow, a secret.
When you are ready, we will have the airport transfer arranged and the pool open. Book your stay at Txaleta de Camiguin — and pick your room, from cliff-edge glamping to the Premier Seaview Suite. More than a resort. A place to belong.
Come for the views. Stay for the feeling. Welcome home.
Txaleta de Camiguin · Purok 6, Puting Balas, Mambajao, 9100 Camiguin, Philippines · +63 917 770 4656 · WhatsApp / Viber · txaletadecamiguin.com
White Island sandbar off Camiguin, one of the best islands in the Philippines, with the volcanic skyline behind
