Sumilon Sandbar is the first sandbar I’ve ever set foot on and it was a great first! I had planned on going to Oslob way before I learned about Sumilon Island. All I wanted to see were the butandings and the waterfalls and never thought learning about this island and actually setting foot on it would be one of the most memorable highlights of the trip.
It was recommended to us by our tour guide and in spite of the boat rental being a bit expensive for us, we couldn’t say no. To save on the cost of the boat rental, my suggestion is to bring more friends with you to this trip or find other travelers in Oslob who might want to share the boat with you.
This trip is a part of our 6-Day trip around Dumaguete, Cebu and Siquijor. If you would like to know more about the entire trip, visit this blog entry here: DIY Tour Around Oslob, Apo Island, Bais and Siquijor in 6 Days
Where is Sumilon Island?
Sumilon is a tiny island about 20 minutes by boat from Tan-awan, Oslob. The island is part of Bancogon, Oslob and houses the Bluewater Sumilon Island Resort. It’s only about 24 hectares so tourists can roam around the island by foot in under an hour. Several activities are available in the island, especially if you have checked-in at the resort.
Read more about the Philippines: From Boracay to Palawan: A Guide to 8 Most Beautiful Islands and Best Beaches in the Philippines
How do I get to Sumilon Island?
First you need to get to Oslob
If you are coming from Cebu City, Oslob is a mere 4-hour bus ride or 3-hour drive if using a private vehicle. If you are coming from Dumaguete, you can take the pumpboat going to Liloan from the Sibulan seaport. From the seaport of Liloan, take the bus heading to Cebu City and ask the driver/conductor to drop you off at Tan-awan, Oslob. It should be a short 15-20 minutes ride.
From Oslob, you need to hire a boat from Tan-awan
Tan-awan is the famous place for whale shark watching. Other parts of Oslob, most likely in the town proper, also offer several boats going to Sumilon. The one we we used came from Tan-awan, which is supposedly the nearest point from mainland Oslob to Sumilon Island.
Where to book your tour to Sumilon Island
There are several ways for you to book your tour to Sumilon Island:
Cheapest Option: Book the Bluewater Sumilon Island Day Tour
This tour not only includes access to the sandbar but will also give you access to the exclusive Bluewater Sumilon Resort. Guests can enjoy unlimited use of lagoon water sports activities and can join island activities such as lagoon fish feeding & fishing, island trekking, kayaking, and volleyball (everything on first-come, first-served basis). Additionally, guests have complimentary access to the swimming pool and the beaches around the resort.
You will be picked up by their complimentary boat transfers which operates from 8:00 am to 3:00 pm on a first-come, first-served basis between Mainland Bancogon and Sumilon Island. On weekdays, a choice of Set Lunch or Beach Boodle Barbecue platter will be provided for a group of 4 adults along with one round of drinks.
BOOK THIS TOUR HERE: Bluewater Sumilon Day Tour via Klook
Best Option: Book Oslob Whale Shark Watching Tours
If you are planning to do whale shark watching in Oslob, you can book a tour that also includes Sumilon Island and other attractions in Oslob. This also covers a day tour in Bluewater Sumilon Resort but this tour is much more expensive as it also includes pick up from your hotel in Cebu City. The drive takes around 3 hours from Cebu City to Oslob.
A light breakfast is also included upon arrival in Oslob, then you’ll embark on a boat ride equipped with a life vest, mask, and snorkel for your adventure of snorkeling with the whale sharks for 30 minutes. Afterward, you’ll head down to Tumalog Falls where you’ll stay for about an hour. Then the trip continues to Bluewater Sumilon Island Resort, where you will have lunch at the Pulo restaurant with consumables of Php 500 per person on weekdays or a lunch buffet with free-flowing drinks on weekends.
You’ll also have complimentary access to the Pulo swimming pool, beach, and shower rooms, as well as the Sumilon sandbar. You can also use the resort’s facilities such as payag, kiddie park, and sun beds on a first-come, first-served basis.
BOOK THIS TOUR HERE: Oslob Whaleshark Watching & Sumilon Island Day Tour via Klook
Book Direct with Local Operators
If you would like to book your tour directly with local operators, you can try and contact Kuya Jeff who is a tour guide in Oslob. His contact number is 0998-559-7198 or 0923-530-6331. He also has a habal-habal and he could take you around Oslob’s waterfalls and town proper. He could also arrange for your accommodation if you do not have the time.
Book an overnight stay in Bluewater Sumilon Resort
If you are a guest of the resort, you’ll have unlimited access to the sandbar plus the facilities of the resort. If you have not booked an airport transfer, you will need to head down to Puerto Sumilon or Bluewater Sumilon Resort Port in South Cebu. This port is located in Barangay Bangcogon, one barangay away from Tan-awan where the famous whale watching is. The resort will pick you up from there since they have complimentary boat transfers from the port.
BOOK YOUR STAY IN BLUEWATER HERE: Bluewater Sumilon Island Resort via Agoda
The Sandbar
Having been able to see at least 3 sandbars during our 6-day trip around Cebu, Dumaguete and Siquijor, I would have to say that Sumilon is quite unique for several reasons.
- It’s thicker (for a lack of a proper technical term to describe sand). It’s not like other sandbars which are mostly flat and disappears easily under water. In fact, you have to climb up a little bit to get to the surface.
- Its visibility is not much affected by the tide (due to its thickness). I asked around in Tan-awan about the right time to visit the sandbar and they said I could visit anytime. Other sandbars are only visible at certain hours in the day depending on the tide but this one is visible the entire day.
- It changes shape but so does other sandbars but what’s interesting is its shifting location. Depending on the month of the year, the sandbar would have varying locations on the map, giving Google maps a hard time. 🙂
Are there affordable accommodations near Sumilon Island?
Yes, there’s a lot of cheap resorts and inns in mainland Oslob. If you prefer to stay in mainland Oslob and just explore the Sumilon island sandbar, you can visit my list of budget accommodations in mainland Oslob here: Cheap Accommodations in Oslob. This list includes accommodations located in Tan-awan and other nearby barangays.
What are the things that I can do in Sumilon Island?
Although we were not able to do a lot of these activities as most would require you to be checked-in Bluewater Sumilon Island Resort or have purchased the Bluewater Sumilon Day Pass, here are several activities that you can do. Some of which (particularly the first 3 in the list) can be done even by those who are not guests of the resort.
- Snorkelling
- Picnics
- Bird-watching
- Diving
- Fishing
- Hiking/trekking
- Paddling
- Trekking up to the lighthouse and baluarte
How much will the expenses be to go to Sumilon Island?
Here are the expenses during our trip to Sumilon Island. We were not guests of the resort so we had to hire a boat from Tan-awan, Oslob. This excludes transportation expenses and accommodation in Oslob.
- Entrance fee: P50 per head
- Boat to Sumilon Island: P2,000 for the entire boat (can sit 10 pax or more)
- Snorkeling gears with fins: P200 per set
These prices are subject to change without prior notice. Original price of the boat was P2,500 but we were able to haggle ours for P2,000 since there were only 2 of us in the trip.
How much is the entrance fee to Sumilon Island?
The entrance fee is P50 per person and this covers the environmental fee for the island.
Tips for your Trip
- If you are not a guest of Bluewater, please bring your own supply of water and food as you will not have access to restaurants in the island.
- The same goes with snorkelling gears. Bring a set from the mainland. Snorkelling gears are available in Tan-awan for P200 or so per set. Just ask around.
- Make sure you are ready to soak up the sun. There are no huts or cottages on the sandbar so there’s nowhere you could go to for a shade. It’s just a sandbar with nothing on it. There are several shaded areas under rocks at the right side of the sandbar and that’s it. If you cannot find any shade, there’s always your boat.
- Don’t forget to bring your camera and your underwater camera if you are snorkelling. I heard marine life is abundant.
- There are no bathrooms or toilets in the sandbar so if you would like to take a shower, you can do this in mainland Oslob.
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