Off the coast of northern Cebu there is the tiny island of Malapascua. This island is famous for the diving as it’s one of the few places in the world where you can see the Thresher sharks up close. Besides diving, you can soak up the slow-paced island vibes and relax on the beautiful beaches. The remote location makes it a long journey, but getting there is not too difficult. A few busses and a ferry will get you to paradise and ready to find the elusive Thresher shark on your dives. Here’s my little guide to Malapascua with all you need to know.

To do in Malapascua

Dive with the Thresher Sharks at Monad Shoal

The main reason for visiting Malapascua is diving with the Thresher sharks. Malapascua is the only place in the world where you can see Thresher Sharks all year round. All encounters are natural with no feeding, cages or baiting. This is their natural habitat and we observe from a distance and never approach, but they may approach you.

The sharks live and hunt deeper down, but around the early morning they rise to shallower water to be cleaned. Small fish, such as cleaner wrasse, remove parasites, bacteria, and dead skin.

I personally think the most professional dive centers are Devocean and Sea explorers.

Snorkel with baby sharks in the Dakit-Dakit Adjoining Marine Protected Area

The beach in front of Tepanee Beach Resort gives you access to Dakit Dakit protected marine area. They don’t allow people to swim there when the tide is too low. This resort has a small beach with the perfect view for sunset as well.

Do a sunset/night dive to see the mandarin fish

The colorful mandarin fish become active around sunset, so this is the best time to see them. This is also the time that they mate. If you’d like to see this process, you’ll have to do a sunset dive. They are quite small, so it’s not easy to see, but very special!

Watch the sunset at Logon Beach/Kaon Nilumad

A beach known for clam waters and some really nice beachfront hotels and restaurants. The restaurant ‘Kaon Nilumad’ has front row seats to the sunset and has a happy hour! Usually they have some live music after sunset as well.

Visit the beaches up north

If you have some time to spare you can rent a scooter and head north. The island is tiny, so it will only take 10/15 minutes to drive all the way north. I

Grab a Cocktail on the Bounty Beachfront

The bounty beachfront is the most lively part of Malapascua. It is the Island’s main beach and is therefore probably the most commercialized with a lot of hotels, restaurants, and dive shops.

Also visiting Moalbaol? Go here for my guide

How to get to Malapascua

From Moalboal to Maya Port:
Taxi: Price: P4,000/€63, Travel time: 5 hours
Bus: Take the Yellow CERES Line Bus from Moalboal to Cebu City (it stops at South Terminal), transfer to North Terminal and take the Yellow Ceres Line Bus to MAYA PORT. Cost ~250 PHP/€4 per bus. Total: 500PHP/€4, Travel time: 9 hours.

From Cebu City to Maya Port:
Taxi: Price: P2000 to P3000 /€48-€32, Travel time: 2-3 hours
Bus: Take the Yellow CERES LINE BUS from North Terminal to Maya Port, Price: 250PHP/€4, Travel time is 4 to 5 hours.

The buses from Cebu to Maya run 24 hours a day. Non-AC buses run every 30 minutes while Aircon buses run every hour.

 

 

There are also mini vans, that try to sell you a ‘faster’ trip, but often they make a lot of stops and it’s not actually faster. They also cram them quite full, so in that case it’s less comfortable than a bus.

From Maya Port To Malapascua
At Maya Pier you can purchase a ticket for the ferry Malapascua. Price: 200PHP/ €3,2o, Travel Time: 30 -60 minutes depending on the wind. The ferry runs from 07:00 am to 17:00 pm.

Restaurants

Nacho Mama: Approved by a Mexican friend! Everybody loved this place. Only downside for me personally is that the menu is very meat heavy, but I enjoyed their quesadillas.

Kaon Nilumad – Vegan Eatery & Café: Perfect spot for sunset and wonderful to find vegan options on the island! They have nice, juices, coffee, cacao and besides a a la carte menu, they also have a vegan buffet.

VillaPotenciana Restaurant: As a vegetarian Im always happy to find restaurants catering specifically to vegetarians or vegans. They often have live music which supplies good vibes and the food is very decent. One of the best options in town for sure.

Angelina Beach resort & Italian restaurant: Located on the beautiful Logan Beach and serves a decent pasta or pizza! It’s nothing extraordinary, but if you’re craving Italian food this will hit the spot.

Where to stay on Malapascua

It’s only a tiny island, but if you plan on going diving it’s nice to stay close to your dive school. Especially since you have to get up early for the thresher sharks. A good budget option is Malapascua budget inn. Don’t expect anything special, as it’s called the budget in, but great for backpackers.

Right on Logan beach there is Angelina Beach resort. Friendly staff, comfy rooms and great location!

If your budget allows you a little more luxury then have a look at Ocean Vida Beach and Dive Resort. Beautiful rooms, right on the beach and a dive shop right there.