Caramoan
Limestone Islands On The Pacific Side Of Bicol, Used By International Survivor Productions For Years And Awkward Enough To Reach That It Stayed Quiet · Caramoan, Camarines Sur
CARAMOAN IS A PENINSULA OF LIMESTONE TOWERS AND WHITE COVES ON THE PACIFIC SIDE OF BICOL that looks very much like El Nido and is a fraction as busy, FOR ONE REASON: GETTING THERE IS GENUINELY AWKWARD. It is a long road from Naga followed by a boat, or a boat from Sabang, and there is no convenient airport. FOR YEARS IT WAS THE FILMING BASE FOR MULTIPLE INTERNATIONAL EDITIONS OF SURVIVOR, which built roads, accommodation and a reputation, and then largely left - so the peninsula carries infrastructure slightly out of proportion to its visitors. THE ISLAND-HOPPING IS THE POINT: MATUKAD, LAHOS, COTIVAS, SABITANG LAYA, coves between rock walls, and a lagoon on Matukad holding milkfish that locals say must not be taken. IT FACES THE PACIFIC and the weather is not gentle. Crossings are cancelled for days at a time in the typhoon months, so build spare time into any plan, carry cash because banking is thin, and take the Sabang boat rather than the road.
Caramoan Peninsula, Camarines Sur, Bicol, Caramoan, Camarines Sur, Philippines
CARAMOAN IS REACHED FROM NAGA, which has an airport with flights from Manila - then EITHER A LONG ROAD OF SEVERAL HOURS around the peninsula OR A BUS TO SABANG AND A BOAT CROSSING OF ABOUT TWO HOURS, which is the usual way and is WEATHER-DEPENDENT. THERE IS NO GATE; island hopping is arranged through resorts or the municipal tourism office as BOAT DAY TRIPS leaving mid-morning, with separate small ISLAND FEES collected at some landings. THE PENINSULA FACES THE PACIFIC and crossings are cancelled in rough weather; the safest window is roughly MARCH TO MAY. TYPHOON SEASON, ROUGHLY JUNE TO NOVEMBER, HITS THIS COAST HARD. Facilities are limited outside the town and the resorts - carry cash, because banking is thin.