Travel Guide: Jomalig Island, Quezon

Summer is coming soon, and beaches in popular destinations near Manila are going to be really crowded as usual. For those looking for a different destination to visit this summer, Jomalig Island in Quezon offers an escape. It’s not that easy to get to, which means the place remains unspoiled. The golden sand beaches, agoho pine trees, refreshing atmosphere and naturally sights here are just stunning. Jomalig Island is best for those who enjoy unspoiled beaches. This is where you can enjoy back to basics camping away from the crowds.

jomalig quezon cove beach swimming

Since I previously wrote about our Weekend in Jomalig Island, I’ve been getting a lot of inquiries about how to get there and other questions. So here’s a travel guide to help you out with tips compiled from my experience, helpful locals who left comments on my previous post, Jomalig Quezon’s Facebook page and some 2016 updates from blog reader Senilicius (in the comments section).

WHERE EXACTLY IS JOMALIG ISLAND:

Jomalig Island lies about 75 nautical miles (139 km) southeast of Polillo, a group of islands in the northeastern region of the Philippines. Jomalig island is one of the smallest and farthest island municipalities of the Quezon Province. The nearest jump off point to the island from Manila is in Real, which is 3 hours away by private van. From the port in Real to Jomalig, boat rides can take 5 to 6 hours long passing through Lamon Bay, a large body of water connecting the southern part of  Quezon province to the Pacific Ocean. It’s even further than the exclusive members-only private island of Balesin.

HOW TO GET TO JOMALIG:

Bus to Real + Boat to Jomalig

  • From Legarda Terminal, catch a Raymond Bus bound for Infanta. They usually have a trip every hour and travel time takes about 4-5 hours.
  • Tell the driver to drop you off at Ungos Port, “kay Michael Tapado” who owns an ice dealer at the port area. Most of the van drivers knows him, so you will not get lost. There is a tiny hut by the port where passengers bound to Jomalig usually wait.
  • Ride a boat bound for Jomalig. Fare ranges from P200 – P350 depending on the type of boat. Travel time takes about 5-6 hours. There’s a boat that leaves for Jomalig at 7:00 am..
  • Some boats serve lunch, while some do not. It’s best to bring your own food, water and snacks because of the long travel time.

Van to Real + Boat to Jomalig

  • Vans bound for Infanta, Quezon will pass by Real. The terminal is just in front of St. Raymond Station. Fare costs P 220-P250.
  • Get off at the Ungos port and follow instructions above.

jomalig quezon boat kids swimming

Bus to Atimonan + Boat to Jomalig

Alternatively, you can also get to Jomalig from the old port in Atimonan, Quezon where the boats are bigger than those in Real.

  • Catch the bus going to Atimonan from Kamias or Cubao. JAC or Jam transit travels to the grand central terminal in Lucena City. Fare is P250 per head.
  • Take another bus or jeepney going to Atimonan for P75 pesos.
  • Once in Atimonan, take a tricycle or ask for direction to the old port. Most boats going to Jomalig are there or go to Island Link General merchandise. The owner is from Jomalig and regular shoppers are from Jomalig. The owner also owns MB Mary Rose
  • All boats bound to Jomalig in Atimonan are going to Brgy. Talisoy or Brgy. Moros
  • Take MB Nicole or Mary Rose, or just ask the guys at the port area which boats are heading to Jomalig.

jomalig quezon shore boat

Chartered Flights

  • Airline pilot Jonjie Guballa offers airplanes available for charter to Jomalig Island from Plaridel Airport in Plaridel, Bulacan. Jomalig has an airport in Talisoy that is no longer used commercially.
  • The plane that can seat 5 passengers is P30,000 (6K per head).
  • The plane that can seat 3 passengers is P20,000 (6.6+k per head).
  • They usually leave Plaridel at 7:30 am and arrive in Jomalig at 8:20 am. They will wait for you until 3:00 pm for the flight back to Plaridel.
  • If you want to stay overnight, it’s an additional P3,000
  • For inquiries, contact 09178542626. (He is an airline pilot so if he doesn’t reply immediately, it means he’s flying.)
  • From the airport in Talisoy, Salibungot beach is 30 minutes away by habal-habal motorcycle.

Private Chartered Boat

  • If you’re not able to catch the regular passenger boat, hiring a private boat can be very expensive. Cost varies on the size of the boat, but it might cost you between P10 to P25k because of the distance.

GETTING AROUND:

The only way to get around Jomalig is by renting a tricycle or a habal-habal (motorcycle). You can rent a motorbike for P600 a day. If you wish to go on an island-hopping trip, a small boat costs around P1,200 while bigger boats could be rented for P4,000.

For boat rentals and package tours to Jomalig and Polillo Island, contact Brian Coralde: 0908-6692469 (number left in the comments section).

jomalig quezon boat skimboard

WHERE TO GO / WHAT TO DO:

Enjoy the simple beach life: Swim, snorkel, sunbathe and camp out at Salibungot beach or any other beaches in Jomalig.

jomalig island kanaway beach view treees swimming

Go island-hopping: Hire a boat from local fishermen and visit nearby islands and beaches. Aside from Salibungot Beach, you can visit Manlanat Island, Kanaway Beach, and more.  Manlanat Island is a small island ideal for bird watching and rock climbing. Kanaway Beach is an isolated spot on the Easternmost side of Jomalig Island. Aside from Salibungot and Kanaway beaches, you can go to Manlanat by boat. Casuguran also has beach huts.

jomalig quezon kanaway sandbar travelup

Visit the 2-hectare mangrove area: Within Jomalig Island, there’s a large lake and mangrove area where you can paddle around by boat.

Watch the sunset: Walk along the golden sand beaches. Enjoy the sunset.

jomalig quezon sunset sand

Feast on fresh seafood: Pollilo Islands, especially Jomalig offers a variety of fresh and affordable seafood including different types of fish, lobster, shrimp and crab. Be sure to try surahan or unicorn fish if it’s in season.

jomalig quezon tanigue sashimi

WHERE TO STAY:

The best option is to bring your own tent and camp out on Salibungot beach or any of the island’s stunning beaches. As a courtesy, ask permission from Barangay Officials before doing so. There’s a small tourism fee of P10 per person. It was a bit stuffy in a tent, so I just slept on a hammock hung up in the trees. Bring your own hammock. There were several public restrooms near the beach campsite. Homestays are also being offered as an alternate accommodation.

hammock travel pillow beach camp

As of April 2016, there are two Tejada’s Resort (same owner) operating in Jomalig – one near the port and the second is near the beach in Sitio Landing. Both are owned by a municipal councilor. The one near the beach has rooms with CR inside the house (shared by two rooms) for P500/night & rooms with common CR (public bathroom) for P300/night. The public CR is also shared by those who rent the resthouse (kubo). Contact number: 0907-5375234 (Tatay Rudy – Owner)

The other Tejada Resort near the port has three rooms in the house and they have transient house that can accommodate up to 15 pax. Rate is P500 per night good for two, common bath and additional P100 per person. Room (only one) with own bath is P600 good for two, additional P100 per person. You can use their AC for P1,200 per night.

In my previous post on Jomalig, Gracy Henderson, a local from Jomalig, left a comment saying that her family might welcome visitors. They own two nipa huts beside their house near the church in Brgy. Talisoy, which is normally used by high school students during school months. The nipa huts have double deck papag, its own toilet and running water. Contact # 0930-7968650 (Baby Lopez).

jomalig island quezon beach turquoise waves

WHAT / WHERE TO EAT:

There were no commercial restaurants or eateries near the beach when we visited (Summer 2014) so most meat was purchased at the market in Real, Quezon, brought on the boat and cooked in the campsite. The seafood was bought from fishermen near the shore. You can buy fresh seafood at Sitio Apad at very low prices.jomalig quezon boodle fight

Seafood is widely available, meat is available once or twice a week, while fruits like bananas are widely available too. Bottled water is sold in stores from 6 litres to 200 ml. ranging from 100 to 10 pesos. There are small sari-sari stores near Salibungot Beach, and some bigger shops for buying supplies in Talisoy, which is 30 mins away.

TRAVEL TIPS & USEFUL INFO:

  • Lamon Bay is connected to the Pacific Ocean, so be prepared for a bumpy ride.
  • Waterproof all your bags in case. A dry bag is a must for gadgets.
  • Electricity only runs from 6:00 pm to 2:00 am. Bring powerbanks and extra batteries in case you can’t charge your gadgets. Conserve smartphone use.
  • Globe and Smart both have signals on the island.
  • Bring enough cash if you plan to rent a boat for island-hopping.
  • Expect delays in travel time. There’s no strict schedule for boat departures and arrivals. Sometimes, they have to wait for other passengers before leaving the port.
  • It helps to be early at the port in Real (around 4 or 5am) to ensure that you can get a slot on the passenger boat.
  • Bring drinking water and snacks for the boat. Playing cards and lambanog will also come in handy.
  • It’s really useful to have a travel pillow and hammock for this kind of trip.
  • The best time to visit Jomalig is during Summer Months: March, April & May because the waves are relatively calm.
  • Locals say that the best time to visit is April and May because there are festivities in town like dancing at the town plaza.
  • Traveling to Jomalig during the months of October, November, December and January is always rough. However, there are still boats coming to and going out of the island to bring supplies, but prepare to be stranded for a couple of days as weather during those months can be unpredictable.
  • During town fiestas, most houses have plenty of food,and each of them are open to visitors, you can just simply walk in and ask for food, they will be more than happy to feed you. However, this also means that there are more people in town, so plan your trip accordingly.
  • April 27 to 28: Town fiesta of Brgy Apad
  • May 4 or 5: Town fiesta of Brgy. Gango
  • May 14 to 15: Town fiesta of Brgy. Bukal
  • May 18, 19, 20: Town fiesta of the capital town of Talisoy
  • June 18 to 19: Town fiesta of Casiguran

CONTACT PERSONS:

  • Ms. Kelly Bautista of Quezon Province Tourism Office at 0922-9491145
  • Mr. Elmer A. Gariguez, the Acting Tourism Officer of Municipal Tourism Office at (042) 795-0600
  • Facebook Page: Jomalig Quezon

68 thoughts on “Travel Guide: Jomalig Island, Quezon”

  1. Hi Sen, unless you have to hire a chartered boat the whole way to the island, that should be more than enough for a weekend for 2 people. You might want to join with other people if you’re going to hire a small boat for island hopping once you get there. Or just stay on the mainland beaches.

  2. Help me with my itinerary! I will have 9 days from 29th of April to 8th of May! I want surf, snorkeling, I want Jomalig and Mindoro and dont know where to start 😉

  3. Hi Kara!

    Thanks to your blog. I enjoyed my stay in Jomalig. Just a few updates that may help your readers.

    Tejada’s New Contact Number: 09075375234 Tatay Rudy (Owner)
    There are two Tejada’s Resort (same owner) one near the port and the second is near the beach.

    The one near the beach, I was not able to confirm their rates but when they say Private bathroom, it is still a common bathroom but it is inside the house, shared by two rooms.

    The common bathroom they are referring to is a public bathroom shared by people who decided to rent their rest house (kubo).

    The other Tejada Resort which is near the port, this is where my partner and I stayed. They have three rooms in the house and they have transient house that can accommodate up to 15 pax (maybe). 500 per night good for two, common bath and additional 100 per person. Room (only one) with own bath is 600 good for two, additional 100 per person.

    You can use their AC for 1,200 per night.
    The Island hopping using motorbike is now 600 per person. Luckily, we opted for Island hopping using a boat for only 1,200! 😀

    Thank you again and hoping this is helpful to you too!

  4. Hi Sen, glad to hear that you enjoyed Jomalig and thank you for taking the time to send me updates! I wish more readers would take the initiative to contribute helpful info 🙂 Will edit this post to include your new information.

  5. Hi Mam. Ask lang if kapag may private van kame, may parking ba sa main land?kahit may fee ok lang as long as safe yung sasakyan pag iniwan namen.
    Thanks

  6. Hi Eds, yung van namin balikan lang kasi but I’ve read that other people who bring private cars opt to park near Ungos Port in Real. Maybe you can talk to locals once you get there if there are better places to park or pay them to ensure that your vehicle will be safe.

  7. Hi Mam, I’ve just read that there is a boat leaving at 7AM for Jomalig. Is it a public boat and is the fare just the same? I am thinking about contacting their tourism office about this boat. Gusto lang namin na ma-sure and if so, we can plan and leave early sana. Thank you!

  8. Hello Sen,

    How much did you spend on your jomalig trip for two?? We are planning to visit the island at the end of May

    Thanks in Advance 🙂

  9. Hi Ms. Kara,

    Is there a need to ride habal habal from Jomalig port to Salibungot beach or Tatay Rudy?

  10. How much po kaya needed budget for 2pax? we’re also planning to bring our dog with us, is it possible? thanks!

  11. Good day po pinaplano kong isupresa ang wife and my 2 kids ask ko lang po sa 10k isapat nba yun for 3days and ano mga pwedeng ma experience like diving .

  12. Hi Albert. Ok na siguro budget of about 5k for 2 pax for a weekend. Medyo mahaba yung boat ride. Kawawa naman yung aso niyo. Sanay ba siya sa biyahe? Not sure if pets are allowed on the passenger boats. Maybe you can contact the tourism people for more advice. Their contact info is there at the end of the post.

  13. Hi Ms. Kara,

    Can you help us? me and my friends are planning to go to Jomalig ( May 19-21) .
    Is there any cheaper van going to Jomalig?

    Thank you!

    Chrisz

  14. Hi Chrisz, sorry but that’s the only information I have. A local was the one who told me the rates for the public van. I was with a group when we went and we rented a van, which might be more expensive for your group.

  15. Hello po 🙂 ask ko lang sana kung safe po ba mag punta sa jomalig kasi po balak po namin ng mga friends ko na mag punta jan sa May 20 pero may nakapag sabi po sa isang friend ko na taga Quezon na marami daw pong NPA jan sa certain Island. kaya nagdadalawang isip po kami. pero nong kayo po nagpunta sa tungin mo po safe naman po ba? salamat po 🙂

  16. Hi Kara. How about the food? do we need to bring our own? Do locals offer food? how much?

  17. Hi.. I just want to know if it is possible to get to jomalig island if we get to real at around 1pm?? Is there a schedule for the boats?? Thanks.. ???

  18. Hi Jenny. Please read the guide again 🙂 I included that info in the “What/Where to Eat section.” We brought our own food and bought from fishermen there for cooking.

  19. Hi Kara,

    Do you think it’s still good to visit Jomalig this coming July? We are planning to visit the island on July 02, 2016 and I am not sure if it is advisable to travel during this rainy season.

  20. Hi Allen, though locals still travel back and forth, it’s not really advisable for tourists during the rainy season. The waves can get really rough there.

  21. How was your trip? Masyado bang rough yung byahe? Planning our anniv kasi by July 14-16 gusto ko sana sya ispend sa Jomalig.. Pero baka ndi na advisable kc maulan na.. Pero I’m still hopeful. Ok naman trip nyo?

  22. Sa mga interested mg tour as jomalig quez0n at mg island hopping sapolilio island s quez0n eh just contact me brian coralde 09086692469.mron po kmi bangka na pwde irent at my pckage din po kmi pwd i offer

  23. Gn0n po b mam cge po f ever po n my mg inquire sau eh bgay mo lng po c0ntct numbr ko. 09086692469

  24. hi mam, im the new acting tourism officer( effective July 4, 2016) pls contact our hotline numbers for more info: 0917-4317007 & 0939-1774888. our facebook: Jomalig, Quezon with official logo of municipality as profile pic.thank you!

  25. Balak po namin pumunta this oct 4 sana mdjo ok yung panahon matuloy kmi. Meron ba jan matutulgan like inn ? At magkano pwde ibudget ? Dalawa po kmi salamat 🙂

  26. Thank you so much Ms. Kara for this blog, It’s help me a lot, With this i think we are well prepared, and ready to go for the next summer.

  27. Hi Kara, I just want to ask if there schedules for boat transfers from Jomalig to Ungos Port? Thank you. Btw, this blog is helping me a lot.

  28. Hi Lloydie, sorry, but I don’t have updated information on boat transfers or schedules. More recent blogs say the boats now leave at 9 or 10 AM. But based on my experience, they don’t really depart on a fixed schedule. Sometimes, they have to wait for it to get filled up with passengers.

  29. Okay. Thanks for the response. I’ll update you once the visit’s done. We’ll be there in 2 weeks. Hoping to enjoy the place as much as you did.

  30. Hi,

    My friends and I are planning to go here next weekend, we plan on arriving at Real by 4am so we can depart from Real at 5am. we are planning on spending just a night on the island and be back on sunday night in manila. (cause work lol) anyway, I’ve been searching for itineraries and most of the boat leaves the port earliest 7am, some even 10am, and because our time is limited, we want to be in jomalig early( ive read that the boat ride is 6 hours and if we don’t rent a boat, we might arrive in the island at 6pm which is not very nice considering we have to leave early the next day.

    do you have anyone you can refer to us where we can rent a boat good for 17 pax?

    hope you can help.

    thank you for doing this.

    regards,
    Drew

  31. Hi!

    I’m planning to visit jomalig with my family. I’m thinking how much should I prepare for every person if we will be there in 3d/2n? Thanks in advance 🙂

  32. Hows the weather in Jomalig Island usually during month of January ? We are a group of Bikers from Laguna , heading to Jomalig Island on Jan. 20-22 , 2017. Pls. Can you give us idea or advice what will we have to expect ….. Thanks

  33. Hi guys, we are looking for new freinds na pwede makasama sa Jomalig this April 08-09,join us po… text me at 09167020281

  34. Hi RJeey, total travel time is about 9-11 hours from Manila excluding waiting time. Manila to Real by van is 4-5 hours. The boat trip from Real to Jomalig is 5-6 hours.

  35. Hi Ms. Kara! We’re are planning sana to go to Jomalig this holy week (holiday). May I ask if it is crowded from April 13-14/15? And how much kaya estimated budget for two, overnight lang sana. We’re on a tight budget ksi. Or mas makakamura po ba kame if mdme kme? Thank you!

  36. Hi is it safe ba to go there with kids 4yrs old and 8yrs old? planning to go kasi with my family this August. and Ok din po b ang weather during those months?

  37. Hi Anna Liza, it’s a pretty long boat ride. 6 hours din yun. If you’re willing to risk taking your kids on the boat and if they don’t mind staying in a place with no electricity, restrooms, camping out etc. I personally wouldn’t take my nephew who’s 7 years old, but if your kids are used to traveling, baka kaya naman. Locals say the best time to visit Jomalig is during Summer Months: March, April & May because the waves are relatively calm. Waves can be rough during rainy season including August.

  38. Hi Ms. Kara, san po banda sa Legarda ung mga van bound to Real/Infanta? Thank you

  39. hi.. kung mag dadala po ba ako ng car hanggang port ngbreal may pay parking po ba duon salamat po

  40. This is my same query. Makakahabol pa ba kami sa schedule ng boat if in case 1pm na kami makarating sa real?

  41. Hi! Paano if we are going to bring our own vehicle? Same parin ba ng drop offs? I hope I can get a reply. We’re planning to go here this weekend! 🙂

  42. .gudpm..driver/despatcher ako ng van terminal sa legarda to infanta-real,Quezon..baka sakali lang maghanap kau ng van for hire available po kami..14 -18 sitter.pwede rin dto sa metro manila o sa mga probinsya around Luzon daytour o overnight..kung kailanganin nyo..09289827889 # ko..god bless at salamat poh

  43. Ma’am Kara,

    Do you think it’s a good idea to bring MTB in Jomalig? So instead of riding habal-habal, I’ll just ride my bike getting around.

  44. Thank you for your reply Ma’am Kara. I really appreciate it.

    Regards to also OutsideSlacker.

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