5 Islands to Explore in Calabarzon

Alibijaban Island is one of the best beach getaways near Manila. It is known for its white-sand shores surrounded by mangrove trees. At over 400 hectares in size, it’s home to a local community whose one of the main incomes is tourism. There are homestays and cottages open to tourists staying on the island.

A destination of unmatched natural beauty located off the eastern coast of Luzon in the Philippines, Balesin Island is a 500-hectare tropical island paradise with 7.3 kilometers of pristine white-sand beaches. It is one of the best tourist places in this area.

Caballo Island is a bluff, rocky island located at the entrance to Manila Bay in the Philippines. It is about 1.2 km long with the highest elevation at 381 feet high. Caballo, along with the larger Corregidor, divides the entrance to the bay into two broad and deep channels, known as the North and South Channel. The whole island was formerly occupied by Fort Hughes, a U.S. defense fortification before World War II. It was heavily bombed during the war.

Cagbalete Island is one of the jewels of Quezon Province. Located off the coast of the town of Mauban, it is a small island paradise in the province surrounded with cream sand that exposes significantly during low tide. The 1,640-hectare privately owned island is home to a diverse ecosystem. With a unique variety of birds, rich marine life, and the abundance of unique species of plants, the island is a complete paradise for adventurers and nature lovers.

Verde Island, or Isla Verde as it’s popularly known, is among these beautiful spots in Batangas. Its beaches are carpeted with coarse beige sand, mixed with corals pieces and seashells. It may not have the fine white sand beaches, but this island is also a paradise for a healthy marine environment. Isla Verde is in the center of marine biodiversity which is the Coral Triangle—the Verde Island Passage.