Here’s our MARINDUQUE travel guide with in-depth information on how to get there and a list of things to do and places to visit including Poctoy beach and Maniwaya Island. We also included a sample MARINDUQUE travel plan with budget estimates.
During my time in Marinduque earlier this month, not only did I feel the warmth of the Marinduquenõs but also their love for their province. I’m blown away by how earnest they are in promoting their beloved heart-shaped island, which, coincidentally, is also considered the geographical center of the Philippines according to the Luzon Datum of 1911.
Marinduque is undoubtedly living up to its moniker — the Heart of the Philippines.
Hva er dekket i denne guiden?
UNDERSTANDING MARINDUQUE
HOW TO get TO MARINDUQUE
HOW TO get around MARINDUQUE
WHERE TO stay IN MARINDUQUE
THINGS TO do in MARINDUQUEMoriones Festival
Poctoy Beach
Tres Reyes Island Hopping
Maniwaya Island
Mount Malindig
Malbog Sulfur Resort
Marinduque Visita Iglesia
Marinduque cultural and Heritage Tour
Luzon Datum of 1911 (Balanacan Station)
Marinduque Food Trip
Other Marinduque Attractions
SAMPLE MARINDUQUE ITINERARY
OTHER MARINDUQUE ideas FOR THE poor TRAVELER
FREQUENTLY ASKED questions about MARINDUQUEIs Marinduque safe?
When is the best time to visit Marinduque?
Are there ATMs in Marinduque?
More ideas on YouTube ⬇️⬇️⬇️Related Posts:
UNDERSTANDING MARINDUQUE
The island province of Marinduque lies between Tayabas Bay (north) and Sibuyan Sea (south). It is located north of Romblon, east of Mindoro (separated by the Tablas Strait), and west of Quezon (separated by the Mongpong Pass). Marinduque comprises six municipalities: Boac (the provincial capital), Mogpog, Gasan, Buenavista, Torrijos, and Santa Cruz. other than these towns, it also has offshore islands that include Tres Reyes Islands (Melchor, Gaspar, Baltazar), Elephant Island (Bellarocca), Maniwaya Island, Mongpong Island, and Polo Island.
The province’s economy relies heavily on agriculture, particularly coconuts and rice. but the tourism industry is poised to contribute a lot more as the opening of Marinduque airport is expected to pave way to lot of opportunities for services to flourish. It is already known for its Moriones festival held every year during the holy Week, but it has so much a lot more to offer: from its many cave systems to lively dive sites to sensational beaches.
More info about Marinduque:
Language: Tagalog (Marinduque dialect). The Marinduque Tagalog is said to be the result of the natural incorporation of pre-Spanish Tagalog, Bikol language, and Visayan language. They can understand standard Tagalog. English is also relatively spoken and understood.
Currency: Philippine peso (PHP, ₱). PHP 100 is around USD 1.91, EUR 1.70, or SGD 2.60 (as of April 2019).
Mode of payment: cash is preferred. as of writing, ATMs are limited, so be sure to bring enough cash with you.
Electricity Info: 220V, 60Hz. Socket type A.
HOW TO get TO MARINDUQUE
GODE NYHETER! You can now reach Marinduque from Manila in just an hour or less by air instead of going through the eight-hour-long land-and-sea transit. Cebu Pacific Air flies three times weekly between Manila and Marinduque.
On April 1, 2019, the inaugural flight from Manila’s NAIA terminal 4 to Marinduque airport was finally launched. This marked the beginning of Cebu Pacific Air’s Manila-Marinduque operations.
Marinduque airport is located at Barangay Masiga in the town of Gasan, near the border with Boac, which is the provincial capital. Cebu Pacific flies three times weekly — Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday — between Manila and Marinduque. The travel time is about an hour. You can book online and check the fares by means of Cebu Pacific website. The roundtrip fare ranges from P3,000 to P4,000, depending on the season.
If you like the bus and ferry, we’ll have a separate post for that.
HOW TO get around MARINDUQUE
You can travel the whole province within a day by means of its circumferential road that covers all of its six municipalities. but of course, it would be great if you spend a lot more days and stay long per stop. From the airport, you can either take the jeepney or the tricycle to get to the towns or to your hotel.
Jeepney. The main mode of transportation when traveling from town to town. The minimum fare is P10 per person and the maximum is P25. If you have no idea how much is the fare to your destination, the jeepney terminals display the fare matrix. The last trip is around 4 PM or 5 PM.
Tricycle. traveling within towns, the locals take the tricycles. The minimum fare per person is P13. The tricycle terminals also post the fare matrix to guide the passengers.
Pump Boat. For transit between the mainland and the nearby islands. boat rental fee depends on the size of the boat, the destinations, and other inclusions.
Own vehicle. You may also bring your own car or motorcycle (even bicycles!); however, this will incur an additional fee on top of your ferry transit fare. The RoRo cargo fee charges P1,000 for motorcycles and around P2500 for cars. Make sure to gas up before going to Marinduque as gasoline in the province is relatively pricier than in Quezon.
Merk:
As of writing, bicycle and motorcycle rentals are not yet popular in the province. Tricycle excursions are also rare if none at all. If diy is not your thing or if you have seniors and kids with you, you can seek the service of DOT-accredited excursion agencies and operators. one of the highly recommended is dream favor travel and Tours.
WHERE TO stay IN MARINDUQUE
As the capital of Marinduque, Boac is the center of commerce. It harbors a lot of of the government offices and commercial establishments such as restaurants, shops, banks, market, and accommodations. It is also the only town that shares borders with all the other five municipalities; therefore, Boac is the preferred jump-off point to all other vacationer attractions in Marinduque.
During our visit, we stayed at the relatively new Balar hotel and day spa in Boac. It has all the basic amenities like toiletries, towels, and lounge. aside from that, it has complimentary Wi-Fi, a day spa service, a restaurant, and a bar. If you want a taste of history, you may reserve a room at Boac Hotel, the oldest hotel in Marinduque (52 years!). It only has 16 rooms, so you have to book in advance, especially if you are checking out during the holy Week. There are other budget hotels, guesthouses, and inns.
If you want to stay near Poctoy Beach, here are the other accommodations in the town of Torrijos:
Villa Briones. check rates & Availability!
Joey’s Crib beach Hostel. check rates & Availability!
THINGS TO do in MARINDUQUE
Moriones Festival
One of the country’s oldest festivals, Moriones, locally known as “Moryonan”, has become synonymous to the province of Marinduque. Held every year during the holy Week, Moriones is widely celebrated by both locals and tourists. local participants dressed in Roman soldier uniform march down the main road connecting the towns of Gasan, Boac, Mogpog, and Santa Cruz. Usually, the two largest towns — Boac and Santa Cruz — present the reenactment of the moment when an unnamed Roman soldier (a blind “Moryon”), struck Jesus in his side with a lance while crucified on the cross and was able to see after the blood droplets from the wound touched his eyes. If every province has an official mascot, the Moryon is a no-brainer choice for Marinduque.
Poctoy Beach
Surrounded by bodies of water, the island province uses excellent beaches that can be took pleasure in all year round. The beaches of Marinduque are not too crowded (yet). Poctoy beach in Torrijos is the most famous beach in Marinduque. It has fine cream-colored sand and clear cerulean waters. Mt. Malindig is visible from the beach, so you can revel in its appeal while swimming or just chilling on the beach. This is where the locals normally hang out, so food and cottages are not a problem. A few resorts are also being constructed in and around the area.
Tres Reyes Island Hopping
Gaspar, Melchor, and Baltazar, collectively known as the Tres Reyes Islands, are the popular island-hopping destinations in Marinduque. From the Gasan freedom Park, these islands are already visible. There are locals residing on the greatest island, Gaspar. Island hopping rates are P1,000 – P1,500 for all three islands and P500 – P600 for Gaspar Island only.
Maniwaya Island
Maniwaya Island is another popular island destination in Marinduque. From Buyabod Port, boat rental rate is P1000-1500 per boat ride to Maniwaya Island and around P4,000 for Maniwaya Island, Palad Sandbar, and Ungab rock Formation. If you are coming from Maniwaya, the boat rental for Palad and Ungab is around P1,500.
Mount Malindig
Located on the southernmost portion of the province and towering at 1,157 meters above sea level, mount Malindig is the highest height in Marinduque. It is a favorite hiking destination, boasting a rich endemic flora and fauna. It is said to be a potentially active stratovolcano, which makes it a lot more interesting. It has three peaks — the central (location of the old caldera), the south (the rockies), and the north (the highest). From the main road covering the towns of Buenavista and Torrijos, the mountain proudly announces its presence as it dominates the landscape.
Malbog Sulfur Resort
Springing from the mighty mount Malindig is another crowd magnet — the natural sulfur baths in Barangay Malbog, Buenavista. Malbog Sulfur resort is located at the foot of the mountain. Locals and foreign patrons frequent the place for its healing properties, especially those with skin problems and diseases as it is said to successfully cure them. P45 is the entrance fee for adults and P30 for kids, PWDs, and senior citizens.
Marinduque Visita Iglesia
Marinduque is dotted with historic and captivating churches. well established in1977, katedralen-parisk av den plettfrie unnfangelsen og bispedømmehelligdommen til Our Lady of Biglang Awa eller Simply Boac Cathedral er en av de berømte kirkene i Marinduque. Den sitter på en høyde ved sentrum og leverer en pittoresk utsikt over byen. I nærheten av kirken ligger Church Museum. Tilsvarende ligger St. Joseph Church i Gasan på en høyde, og gir pilegrimer og besøkende en pittoresk utsikt over byen og Tablas -sundet. Kirkens indre er et kunstverk også! Ikke gå glipp av “kokosnøttskallmosaikken” som gir en spesiell karakter til kirken. Andre kirker i Marinduque er Church of the Holy Child i Buenavista, St. Ignatius fra Loyola Parish Church i Torrijos, Holy Cross Parish i Santa Cruz og San Isidro Labrador Church i Mogpog.
Marinduque Cultural and Heritage Tour
Marinduque er fremdeles provinsiell i ordets virkelige forstand – ingen byer, alle byer. Den største byen, Boac og Santa Cruz, har den store konsentrasjonen av innbyggere, men selv disse kommersialiserte byene er fremdeles avslappet uten tilstedeværelsen av moderne bygninger, kjøpesentre og til og med hurtigmatkjeder som gjør provinsen mye mer sjarmerende. Byene er fremdeles dominert av lokale strukturer som puster kultur og snakker om arv som de gamle forfedres husene (både standard filippinske og spanskpåvirkede hus), Boac rådhus, Casa de Don Emilio, kirkene og mange andre.
Hvis du vil vite mye mer om Marinduque -historien, kan du også besøke National Museum of the Philippines – Marinduque (også kalt Boac Museum). Hvis du vil handle Pasalubong, er markedet et bra sted å undre seg over og kjøpe Marinduques berømte produkter som den lokale maten, standard håndverksprodukter og Moriones -masker.
Men jeg vil aldri glemme min “Putong” -opplevelse! Denne tradisjonen, som de også kaller “Tubong” er Marinduqueños måte å ønske og hedre sine gjester og venner. Selv uten Putong følte jeg allerede varmen fra Marinduqueños, men å delta i det var noe jeg vil huske resten av livet. virkelig en inderlig velkomst!
Luzon Datum av 1911 (Balanacan Station)
Vis fra Luzon Datum
Interessant nok er Marinduque, “Heart of the Philippines”, også stedet for Luzon -datumet fra 1911 National Landmark. Funnet på toppen av Mt. Mataas i Mogpog, er dette den monumentale rockemarkøren som identifiserer den som det geodetiske sentrum av Filippinene. Bortsett fra markøren, er det også et utsiktsdekke som gir besøkende et panorama i områdene rundt, inkludert Tayabas Bay, Mompong Pass og en del av Tablas Strait.
Merk at du må klatre opp 468 trinn for å nå poenget. Men ikke bekymre deg! Det er flere utpekte hvileområder må du føle behov for å ta en pause. Det er best å dra dit sent på ettermiddagen for å vente på solnedgangen – et virkelig tilfredsstillende syn etter den slitsomme stigningen opp de betongtrinnene. Ikke glem å registrere deg på Barangay Hinanggayons kontor. Du kan også vurdere å ansette en trehjulssykkel for å sikre at du vil ta en tur tilbake, spesielt hvis du planlegger å se solnedgangen.
Marinduque Food Trip
Fraværet av populære næringskjeder og restauranter jobber til fordel for det lokale kjøkkenet. Det fremhever smakene til Marinduque, og gir rik karakter og identitet til hvert måltid. Casa de Don Emilio bruker autentiske lokale retter som Ulang-ulang (sur suppe med reker og ung kokosnøttkjøtt), Kare-Kare (som ser ut og smaker mye mer som bopier og Dinuguan), og Dinilawan Na Native Chicken (bruker gurkemeie for flavor and color).
Here are other must-try products: pinaltok (version of ginataang bilu-bilo), tuba drink, bibingka “lalaki”, sinagol (buco noodle soup), saludsod (cassava pancake), Arrowroot cookies, coco sugar, and gulay na santol. You can get your pasalubong at Rejano’s Bakery, Boac Hotel, and the marketplace.
Other Marinduque Attractions
Elephant Island is also known as Bellarocca, the once exclusive luxury resort and day spa that has ceased its operation a couple of years ago. At present, there are no available boats going th