Saturday, July 30, 2011

Canigao Island: A Gem in Leyte


I never heard of Canigao Island until my mom brought me to this place.  It was February of 2010 when we attended the Sto NiƱo fiesta in Brgy. Tab-ang in Matalom, Leyte. Per tradition, the locals would hie off to a nearby island with white sandy beach a day after the fiesta and on Easter Monday.  

That nearby island is Canigao. On the scheduled trip to the island, we woke up before the break of dawn. But the guy who was supposed to ferry us to there had to catch some sleep after a night's dancing. Finally, at seven in the morning, we embarked on our excursion. It took us twenty minutes to get to the island.

On our way to the motorboat



Our ride




Canigao Island is definitely a piece of paradise in Leyte. It boasts of powdery white sand, marine sanctuary, clear blue green waters and a tranquil environment. It's a perfect place if you need some respite from a chaotic world.



We rented a table and several chairs and found a spot near a tree which was also close to the shore. Then we started to stroll down that long stretch of white sand on that clear, sunny Sunday. The island is fairly small so it can be explored in an hour (for those on a leisure walk) or even less. A part of the island is off-limits because the seas serve as a marine sanctuary. 






The island was generally quiet and almost uninhabited save for a few cottages, a tree house, a monkey cage, pitched tents and beachcombers. There is a sari-sari store but it is best to bring your own food and supplies. Grilling areas are found in a designated area in the island.

Most of the guests stay in the island for the day but others opt to stay overnight although be warned that there are no fancy accommodations around. Hence, tents do come in handy. Security-wise, tanods patrol the place at night.

We swam, snorkeled, had lunch, chatted with gusto, stretched out our bodies on the powdery white sand, visited the monkey in its cage, walked around, swam again and repeated the same routine until it was time for us to go home.


Kinilaw na locot (or pansit sa dagat) and donsol


What it is like on a crowded hour.

Canigao Island is a recommended intermission from the mad chaos of the metropolitan life.


1 comment:

Pinoy Adventurista said...

I had a great time in Canigao... truly, it's one of Leyte's gem!

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