Romblon is an archipelagic province located in MIMAROPA (also known as Region IV-B consisting of Mindoro, Marinduque, Romblon, and Palawan) region in the Philippines. I and my friends figured it’s less traveled compared to the famous Boracay, or Kalanggaman, or Palawan, so we knew we have to explore it first before it trends on social media and we’re caught with uncomfortable crowds. So I’m here sharing with you our quick and fun Romblon itinerary!
The province is well-known for its local marble industry and it’s also one of the highest producer of the mineral in the country. Aside from being home of quality marbles, Romblon also attracts tourists with its beautiful marine habitats
Traveling to Romblon is a little bit tricky, though. It’s good we did a great research and completed our itineraries and contact lists before getting there. Finally, since I and my friends have day-jobs during the weekdays, we decided to take the trip and compress them all in 3 days (plus almost a day of travel through ferry).
Hey there! My name’s May and you can view more about me here. I travel a lot for both work and leisure. Thanks to being an auditor and a content creator and, of course, to my love for travel, I barely feel I’m actually at work when traveling. And if I’m actually off work, I usually am with friends or family, discovering places and trying out new food. I’m juggling three jobs – the two mentioned + being a single mom. You think it’s easy? Of course not! But what glues me together is my passion and love for these three. More about my story here.
I love sharing what I know and how I do things, so if you haven’t read these yet, visit the following pages to view:
- how I take and edit my blog photos + what devices and apps I use;
- how I plan my travels;
- how I treat my sunburns (from the mildest to the wildest!); and
- what do I get from traveling, by the way?
About Romblon
Among its many islands and islets that are famous to divers and travel enthusiasts, the three main and biggest islands in the province are Romblon Island, Sibuyan Island, and Tablas Island. So don’t be confused! The province is called Romblon, and the main hub of the province is called Romblon island.
The inhabitants of Romblon are divided into three ethnoliguistic groups. One is the most common, Romblomanon. While the other two, Onhan and Asi, are widely spoken in Southern and Northwestern parts of Tablas Island. So again, do not get confused if you hear different languages while roaming around!
Other than the three main islands, there are 17 more smaller islands surrounded by deep waters. These islands are dispersed and accessible only by sea/water transportation except for Tablas Island where a domestic airport is located.
Source: Romblon Fun Divers
Pre-travel guide
How to get there?
Romblon at large is very much underrated. Sadly, when people hear Romblon they just see marbles and loooots of them. It’s nice that during the weeks I and my friends posted our photos, we got comments and questions like “where was this? it’s so nice!”, “where have you been? the beaches there looks great!”. I mean, these are just pictures. If you are into beaches and exploring islands, I’d recommend Romblon over and over again!
Most people know the way to Romblon is only via Roro/ferry. But that’s just one way to get there. Many are not aware there is an hour direct flight from Manila to Tablas via Tugdan Airport.
While it’s the only airport in Romblon, it also offers only one route – Manila to Tablas to Manila – via Cebu Pacific.
If you have more time, less budget, and brave heart (loljk) enough to sail the seas at night (hehe the thought of being a pirate in my past life hits me sometimes) you can take the ferry like we did. Another reason than budget (huhu) is the time to spare/rest while enroute. We traveled right after work so we’re really tired.
2Go Travels offers daily trip from Batangas Port to Romblon and Odiongan Port in Tablas. Better check their site for the updated schedules and rates, and book online. The trip is 6-7 hours long so you have enough time to rest or play Werewolf with your friends!
Pro tip: If you are in a group of 4, it’s best to book for cabin beds to get your personal and private space among the crowd in the ferry. Plus aircondition is better and you’ll get a personal charging station, I mean you’ll need that most, right? Rate is a little bit higher than the tourist class (also airconditioned but no rooms/separators), but it’s totally worth it.
Where to stay (for accommodation)?
To search for budget hotels or inns, I suggest Agoda or Booking.com. But if you prefer to rent a homestay (like what we did) that’s comfy (and Instagrammable!) you can always check AirBnB.
For specific recommendations, read my reviews for the following stays:
- Romblon: San Pedro Beach Resort
- Sibuyan: The Boathouse
- Tablas: Eco Escape Resort
How much budget to prepare?
Based on recent experience, we spent more than P6,000 per pax for the whole trip excluding food. What cost us too much was the private rentals of vans, but I’m sure you’ll get cheaper hotels and transporation along your planning phase.
How to get around?
Aside from renting private cars, you may opt to hire a local tricycle to help you roam around in less hassle especially on the way to more remote areas. Unless you itinerary is more than a compact 3-day schedule, tricycles and motorcycles are available in some areas.
3-day DIY Romblon itinerary
Three days might me too short to explore the whole province, but it gave us enough time to appreciate Romblon and gave us more reasons to go back there.
Note: The following itinerary section is in tabs format. You may click the headings to view the contents for each day of the trip. I also shared important contact details below in case you need resources/references for your Romblon trip.
On our first day, we decided to explore Romblon Island first then go island hopping. When you get to the port, there are tricycle drivers offering rides to where you prefer to. In our case, we got to the island at 6 or 7am and headed for the island hopping right after breakfast, thinking we had to maximize our time.
Island Hopping
- Alad Island – This interesting island is home to different rock formations and small caves. If you are adventurous enough to try a little caving, then this spot if right for you.
- Marakay-rakay Cliff – One of the most photographed part of Romblon island hopping is this cliff nearby Alad Island. We got there along some other tourists who probably just finished their turn cliff diving. There were also local kids that gave my friends a taste of fresh sea urchin. Hmm. Yum?
- Bonbon Beach – Bonbon beach is a remote beach with an expansive and beautiful sandbar. It’s one of the most-suggested beach to visit while you’re in Romblon. Aside from it’s just along the coast of Romblon Island (no need to rent a boat!), it also offers the same wonders a lone sandbar can offer.
- If you have time, you can also ask your boatman to get you to Cobrador and Logbon Islands.
Marble Shopping Center – In less than a kilometer from the sea port, you’ll find a market selling marbles and marble furniture in their lowest prices. If only I have enough space in my pocket and strength (lol) I’d buy more of those stuff for home.
Fuerza de San Andres – I saw pictures of this fort in one of the blogs I read while researching and I didn’t stop until my friends said “okay fine, we’ll go there”. From Romblon Plaza, we rented tricycles to get us to Fuerza de San Andres. From the main road, you’ll have to trek a little to the fort entrance. There’s no admission fee, but you are encouraged to leave any amount for donation that will definitely help the local maintain the beautiful fort. From atop, you’ll get a very nice view of the sunset you can take advantage for your IG feed. #FeedGoals
Read my full story and view more photos on our first day in Romblon HERE >>
Travel time from Romblon to Cajidiocan port in Sibuyan is at least 4 hours. So basically, we preferred to experience the beautiful Cresta de Gallo in the morning and spend the rest of the day enjoying our stay in The Boathouse.
From the island of Sibuyan, you will need to hire a tricycle (provided by our host, Ate Laarni) to Azagra port where boats to Cresta de Gallo awaits. It’s also advised to prepare packed lunch as well for your trip as there are no restaurants or food stores in the island. You can also check with your boatman if the locals in the island offer cooking services in which you just need to buy and bring your raw, fresh ingredients from Azagra Market.
If you have spare time, there are rivers and falls around Sibuyan that the locals are excited to show the tourists, including the most-visited Cantingas River.
Read my full story and view more photos on our second day in Romblon HERE >>
It was our last day so we decided to take it slow (lol) as teh next day’s office day AGAIN! Don’t you hate it when a great trip was going well and super fun then one snap you’ll need to go back to the real world again? Uggh.
On our third and last day, we visited and enjoyed Looc Fish Sanctuary in Tablas. We were supposed to go to Carabao Island next but the transportation took us very long we felt suddenly tired sitting in a small un-airconditioned van (which charged us a high rate but we had no choice because #NoTimeToComplain). But again, another reason to come back!
Read my full story and view more photos on our third day in Romblon HERE >>
Tricycle in Romblon Island: Kuya Boyet +63 921 269 6283
Boat for Romblon Island Hopping: Kuya Gil +63 910 520 4594
Navios Shipping (Romblon to Cajidiocan, Sibuyan Island): +63 908 146 2243
San Pedro Beach Resort, Romblon Island: Ate Mina +63 928 273 0515 or +63 995 189 3343
The Boathouse, Sibuyan Island: Ate Laarni +63 917 936 6223 -
Starhorse Shipping Lines: +63 948 548 0767
Tricycle in Tablas Island: Kuya Jovi +63 908 968 3736
Wrap-up
There’s definitely a lot more than marbles in Romblon. I hope this Romblon itinerary and travel guide made you appreciate that.
I really wished we stayed there longer. So next time, I’ll try harder to convince my friends to spend at least a week exploring more of Romblon!
When all things get better, we’re sure to visit Carabao Island and the falls and rivers in Sibuyan as well. Not to mention a lot more interesting spots in Tablas! Do you know more spots to see and add to our Romblon itinerary?
Have you been to Romblon yet? What do you think about this itinerary? Which part of the Romblon itinerary would you like to try the most? Or if you have been here already, do you have other recommendations and tips? Let me know!
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