Travel Guide Bantayan Island

The island of Bantayan lies to the north-west of Cebu and comprises three municipalities: Santa Fe, with a beautiful beach and almost all the hotels and restaurants; Bantayan, the capital, with 90,000 inhabitants and one of the oldest churches in the Philippines; and Madridejos, a typical small town to the north. During colonial times, the Spanish built forts to protect themselves from Moorish invasions from Mindanao: these forts were called Bantayan sa Hari (King of Spain's observation towers), hence the name of the town and island. Today, the island is renowned for its egg production (don't miss the giant chicken coops): it is said to produce two million eggs a day! Bantayan is a quiet island, off the beaten tourist track. People come here for its beautiful beaches - Kota Beach, Alice Beach, Paradise Beach - and translucent waters, its unruffled calm and the warm welcome of its inhabitants.A haven of rest, except during Holy Week? The island has long been known as the pig capital of the world during Holy Week. Indeed, on this occasion, the island was invaded by thousands of Filipino tourists who came to feast on suckling pig on the spit! In 1843, Pope Leo XII is said to have issued a bull authorizing the inhabitants of Bantayan to eat meat on Good Friday, due to the difficult fishing conditions at that time of year. Since then, "Holy Week" has been synonymous with "meat week". Since 2023, a high-ranking representative of the island has wanted to put... the Church back in the middle of the village, by asserting that this legend was no longer relevant and that Holy Week rhymed with solemnity and not with pig feasting in Bantayan: no more meat here than anywhere else.