Apo Island Travel Guide: Tips, Getting There & Where to Stay

Where is Apo Island?

Apo Island is one of the top highlights of the Philippines. The island belongs to the Visayas and is located in the Negros Oriental region, about 7 km off the southern coast of Negros. At roughly 1.5 km long and 1 km wide, Apo Island is tiny. The Visayas also include well-known islands like Cebu, Bohol, and Siquijor.

Things to Do on Apo Island

Even though Apo Island is a pretty small island, there’s plenty to keep you busy — you won’t get bored anytime soon.

The island is known for its community-managed marine sanctuary. The reef off Apo Island is one of the most beautiful dive sites in the Philippines and is home to over 650 species of fish and more than 400 different coral species.

When you arrive, you pay a small fee of 100 pesos per person (about $2) at a little hut on the beach. You only pay this once, no matter how long you stay.

A large portion of the money goes directly to the island’s residents and is used to improve infrastructure for the local community.

Diving

If you’re a certified diver, a dive here is absolutely non-negotiable! Jenny had trouble with her ear on our visit and Basti didn’t have his diving certification yet — so we pushed it to our next trip. We’re sure it won’t be our last time.

You can book dives at the dive shop under Liberty Lodge or at Mario’s Scuba Diving and Home Stay. One dive including equipment and a boat ride costs around $25–30. Depending on the dive site, an additional fee of $4–6 goes toward the sanctuary.

Snorkeling with Sea Turtles

Our absolute highlight was snorkeling with huge sea turtles right off the shore.

The turtles come to feed every day, right up to the edge of the beach, and they’re completely unfazed by snorkelers. It’s seriously fascinating to watch these incredible animals up close.

Snorkeling equipment and life vests are available to rent right on the beach for very little money.

For 300 pesos ($6 for a group of up to four people), a local will get in the water with you, point out the turtles, and happily take photos of you swimming alongside them. That last part alone was worth every peso — we came away with amazing shots of the turtles right next to us.

We stayed at Liberty Lodge and borrowed the snorkeling equipment for free from their dive shop. We’re not sure if that was an oversight or standard for guests — but since no one asked for our room number, just whether we were staying there, we assume it’s the latter.

The best time to snorkel is late afternoon, around 3:00 PM. In the morning and at midday it’s low tide, so the turtles only come in to feed once the tide comes back in.

Even without an overnight stay, a day trip from Dumaguete is totally worth it just to see the turtles.

Hike to the Lighthouse

A 30-minute hike takes you to the island’s lighthouse.

The trail starts right behind Liberty Lodge Resort and heads up via steep steps.

The lighthouse itself isn’t anything spectacular, but the hike is still worth doing. The panorama from the top is absolutely stunning, and the family living up there will let you climb the lighthouse for 50 pesos per person.

You climb up on ladder rungs, roughly 15 to 20 meters high. If you’re afraid of heights, this one’s probably not for you — Basti also preferred to wait at the bottom.

Bring plenty of water when you head up. There’s nowhere to buy anything along the way.

Just Relaxing

Honestly, the best thing to do on Apo Island might just be sitting back and doing absolutely nothing. We loved spending time on the terrace of Liberty Lodge Resort, gazing out at the ocean or getting lost in a book.

We personally didn’t find the beach that inviting for sunbathing, but we’re generally not big beach loungers anyway. That said, there were always some people stretched out there enjoying it.

The beach is clean, with a mix of rocks and sand, and there are almost always boats anchored just offshore.

How to Get to Apo Island

The easiest and fastest way to reach the island is from the college town of Dumaguete (pronounced: Doo-ma-GEH-teh) on the island of Negros. There’s even a small airport there, with flights from Manila and Cebu.

You can also reach Dumaguete by ferry. There are connections from, among other places, Cebu (about 4.5 hours) and Bohol (about 2.5 hours).

Boats to Apo Island depart from the small village of Malatapay, Zaboanguita, about 30 minutes south of Dumaguete. The boat ride takes about 45 minutes. You have four options for getting to the dock:

Option 1: Public bus to Malatapay

One of the best ways to get from Dumaguete to Malatapay is by public bus. The bus terminal is a bit outside the center of Dumaguete — a tricycle ride takes about ten minutes and costs 8 pesos (about 20 cents).

Buses in that direction run fairly often, at least every 30 minutes. Just look for the bus with Bayawan listed as the destination.

Buy your ticket directly on the bus (25 pesos / about $0.50) and tell the ticket seller you’re going to Apo Island. They’ll let you know when to get off.

The bus ride takes about 30 minutes, then it’s another five-minute walk to the dock.

Option 2: Tricycle to Malatapay

You can also take a tricycle directly to Malatapay. Depending on your bargaining skills, you’ll pay around 200 to 300 pesos ($4 to $6) for this route.

Option 3: By Jeepney

Jeepneys are old military jeeps modified for passengers. You flag one down, ask if it’s heading your way, climb in the back, and take a seat on the bench in the cargo area.

Along the way the jeepney will stop repeatedly to pick up and drop off passengers, so the ride takes a bit longer than a bus or tricycle. They’re definitely not the most comfortable way to travel, but they’re usually the cheapest.

Option 4: Organized transfer

You can also ask your accommodation on Apo Island to pick you up in Dumaguete. This is by far the most convenient option, though it costs a bit more. Liberty Lodge charges 350 pesos ($7) per person for the transfer to the boat dock.

How Much Does the Ferry from Malatapay to Apo Island Cost?

There are scheduled crossings at fixed times, and it’s also possible to rent a boat privately.

We took the regular 10:00 AM crossing. You pay 300 pesos ($6) per person each way.

For a private boat, you pay 2,000 pesos for a small boat (up to four people) or 3,000 pesos for a larger boat (up to eight people).

Tips for the Crossing to Apo Island

When we say “ferry” here, don’t picture a large boat. You’ll be traveling to Apo Island on small bangkas — open boats where you sit very close to the water. There’s a good chance you’ll get wet.

To board, you have to wade in up to your calves and then climb aboard via a small wooden walkway. Don’t worry about falling in though — the Filipinos look out for you really well and someone will always be holding you from at least one side.

All bags go below deck and ours stayed dry. That said, we wouldn’t count on it every time.

Our tips for a (reasonably) dry crossing:

Wear a bikini bottom under your shorts, or go with board shorts. The latter are super practical throughout the Philippines. Men should change into swim trunks beforehand.

Switch to flip flops or sandals so you don’t have to carry your regular shoes all the way to the boat.

If you have valuables or electronics in your backpack, pack them separately in a waterproof bag and don’t put them below deck. We carry a 20-liter dry sack to keep our laptops and cameras safe in situations exactly like this.

Where to Stay on Apo Island: Our Recommendation

You don’t have to stay overnight — an organized day trip from Dumaguete is a great option too.

That said, we really do recommend spending at least one night on the island. We stayed two nights in a sea-view room at Liberty Lodge and would have happily stayed longer.

There are two resorts and several homestays on Apo Island. Liberty Lodge Resort is the more affordable of the two, and you can book rooms online easily.

More expensive — but more luxurious — is the Apo Island Beach Resort. Bookings here are made by email through their website or by phone.

There are also various homestays that are simpler in terms of comfort but naturally cheaper. One that stood out to us was Mario’s Diving and Homestays. You can find a few more homestay options here on Booking.com.

Our Pick: Liberty’s Lodge and Dive Resort

We spent two nights here and loved it.

The resort is built directly into the cliffside right on the coast. At the very bottom is the dive school, and just a few steps up you’re already in the resort and restaurant area. You can enjoy breakfast, lunch, and dinner with an ocean view from a large terrace.

The food is good and the menu is à la carte — pretty impressive for such a small island. Prices are very reasonable.

Our tip: Try the chocolate rice pudding. Seriously delicious.

The Rooms at Liberty Lodge Resort

Directly above the restaurant are four simple bamboo and wood bungalows, each with a fan and a private balcony. The rooms are separated from each other only by a wall and are open at the top, with about three meters of space between the room and the roof.

The two outer rooms (Seaview 1 & 4) have a private bathroom, a double bed with mosquito net, a fan, and a private balcony — and yes, you can wake up to a sea view. These rooms are also better ventilated, with not only a door to the balcony but also side windows, so a fresh breeze flows through constantly.

They’re a bit pricier than the two middle rooms (Seaview 2 & 3), which also have a double bed, a fan, and a private balcony. We’re not sure whether those rooms have a private bathroom as well.

Beyond these four rooms, there are several more built into the rock from stone, located beside and above them.

Good to Know Before You Visit Apo Island

The island runs entirely on generators. Electricity isn’t available all day — only during set hours. But it’s more than enough time to charge all your devices.

The locals collect rainwater for showers and toilets. In most accommodations, you’ll get a large bucket of water to flush the toilet and to shower with.

Liberty Lodge Resort had Wi-Fi that actually worked surprisingly well by Philippine standards. We’d braced ourselves for two offline days and were pleasantly surprised. That said, on Apo Island you really shouldn’t be surfing the internet — just enjoy being there. Though we all know how that goes.

There are no ATMs on Apo Island. Make sure to bring enough cash before you arrive.