Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
Panay

ANTIQUE [Mararison Island]

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Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
For someone who lives in an archipelago, riding a small boat at night as you battle northeast monsoon waves to get to an island is pretty much normal. But for views like this, it’s all worth it.

🇵🇭MARARISON ISLAND ADVENTURE PRIMER🇵🇭

✈️🛳🚌 How to get to Mararison Island, Antique:
⏺ Take a plane from Metro Manila to Caticlan (e.g. Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific and AirAsia).
⏺ Hail a tricycle to get to the bus terminal.
⏺ Ride a bus that will pass by the town of Culasi, Antique (travel time: 1.5 – 2 hours).
⏺ Ride a tricycle to get to the registration area.
⏺ Register and charter a boat that will take you to the island.
⏺ Alternatively, you may take a plane to Iloilo City or Kalibo then make your way to the bus stop where you can catch a ride en route to Culasi.
 
🏄🏝🚴 Sites to Explore/Activities:
 
Rolling Hills
Kawit Sandbar
Luyo Beach
Nablag Islet
 
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
I first saw Mararison Island’s hills online when a friend of mine from the travel community posted her photos when she made her visit in 2015.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
I always have a thing for rolling hills so I immediately asked her if getting here is just a piece of cake. I was really mesmerized by the color of its grasslands.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
My friend also posted some pictures of the island’s beach and I knew right away that I had to include this place on my adventure list.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
Back then, only a few blogs about Mararison Island can be found on the internet so details accessible to the public about this place were quite scarce.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
One great thing about the island is its proximity to the famous Boracay so travelers usually include Mararison in their itinerary as a side trip.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
Aside from trekking and exploring its verdant hills, Mararison Island also boasts of this awesome beach with a sandbar.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
This first trip of mine to Mararison Island transpired in November 2015 when I joined an organized travel event in Panay and together with my newfound friends, we traveled from Estancia to Culasi after our trip in Gigantes as part of our adventure leg. It was already dark by the time we arrived at the town proper. We called our boatmen who would still have to travel from Mararison to the wharf to fetch us. After waiting for a while, our ride finally arrived. I may have had experiences of battling rough seas at night when I was younger but I was on board a RORO ferry back then. This time would be my first ordeal with big monsoon waves in the dark aboard an outrigger boat. We held on to our life vests as if they were our long-lost lovers. It was exciting yet scary. The girls in the group would squeak whenever we would be hit by a large swell that we could not see. The West Philippine Sea really knew how to frighten us. After 40 minutes or so, our boat finally docked at the shore. It would have been a faster ride but the sea condition prolonged our agony. We walked for a few minutes to get to our homestay. It was time to rest.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
We woke up at dawn and started our trek to these rolling hills. It may be a quick walk but scaling the assault portion was pretty much the perfect exercise that early morning. It was still dark when we reached the top. I couldn’t really hide how ecstatic I was the moment I saw it in the flesh. This photo was taken during this first trip of mine in Mararison. While waiting for the golden hour, some of us continued our way to Luyo Beach and Nablag Islet then went back again to the highest point when the sun was finally up. The hills glistened as the rays of the sun touched the grassland. My bad for the quality of the image.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
We headed right away to Kawit Sandbar upon our descent. Our breakfast was already waiting for us in one of the cottages. We took some photos of the beach before going back to our homestay to pack up. We bid goodbye to Mararison with our souls filled with unforgettable moments in the island. Upon reaching the mainland, we rented a van that will take us to the municipality of Tibiao for the second phase of our Antique adventure.

⏰⏳ SAMPLE DAY TOUR ITINERARY:

6:00 AM ETD for Culasi
8:00 AM ETA Culasi / register and charter boat
8:30 AM ETD for Mararison Island
9:00 AM ETA Mararison / secure guide/s
9:30 AM Start trek to rolling hills
12:00 PM Lunch
1:00 PM Swimming/free time
4:30 PM Head back to Culasi
5:00 PM ETA Culasi
 
💰💶 ESTIMATED BUDGET (for a solo traveler): Php 2,000 – Php 2,500 (exclusive of airfare)
***Expenses may vary depending on personal consumption of food and other necessities. If traveling alone, you will solely shoulder the guide fees and boat transfer rates.
 
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
Fast forward to May 2018, I included Mararison in our Panay travel itinerary. I knew deep down that I’ve been longing to see the island again.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
I also wanted to collect better shots of the island this time. I may have taken a lot during my first visit but I only got my cheap action camera back then.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
My friend and I arrived at the bus terminal in Iloilo at 1:00 in the morning. There were already loads of passengers waiting for our ride. After waiting for about 30 minutes, the first bus finally came. It was going to be a long ride to reach Culasi. At least we still got ample time to sleep.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
We originally planned to hike Mt. Igmatongtong in Laua-an that day but our contact person was not responding to my messages so we just opted to change our itinerary.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
We immediately hailed a tricycle to take us to the registration area when we reached Culasi. After having breakfast at a nearby eatery, we headed to the tourism office then paid the fees and secured our boat that would take us to the island.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
We were welcomed by a huge number of people swimming at the sandbar. One of the local officials of the island greeted us the moment we got off the boat. I messaged him beforehand that we would be visiting.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
I noticed right away a lot of changes since my first visit. More cottages were now built along the shoreline.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
We walked past Kawit Sandbar which was crowded with tourists. It just proved that the island has finally become a famous tourist destination compared to a few years back when it was only known among hardcore backpackers.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
I could still remember the rustic feels of this island during my first visit. The place may be easily accessed from the mainland but it still was hidden from mainstream tourism radar back then.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
But this time, what I felt was quite the opposite. I am not saying it’s a bad thing. It’s just surprising what social media can do. Silver lining though, the locals are now given another source of livelihood through the tourism efforts of the town’s LGU.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
My friend and I were directed to the registration area and we were assigned with a tour guide for our trek. I lost count of the number of homestays as we walked through the path going to the hills.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
The sun was already scorching hot by the time we commenced our trek. I was bathing in my sweat throughout our photo session at the top.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
Saying that I was roasted would be an understatement. Since it was extremely hot, I was actually not wondering that we were the only souls exploring these rolling hills.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
I couldn’t complain though. The rays of the sun made my photos exquisitely full of life.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
I noticed ongoing construction projects along the way whilst we continued our trek. I just hope that the beauty of the rolling hills will be preserved. You wouldn’t want your pictures of the grassland photobombed by man-made structures.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
I’d assume these hills would look greenish during rainy season. But these orange hues every summer and dry season actually give the grassland personality and character. I prefer the latter.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
By this cliff, you can easily spot Kawit Sandbar from afar and the inviting turquoise water of the island. And that huge landmass over there is mainland Panay. That’s how close Mararison Island is to civilization.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
Yeah, I know. I’m such a loser. It would have been cooler (completely the opposite of the temperature we were feeling in this picture because of the fiery sun) had I decided to purchase a drone prior to this trip.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
Bird’s-eye view shots of Mararison Island would be awesome. At least I could rely on my skills and my camera’s zoom.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
This is my most favorite spot of Mararison Island where one could get a panoramic shot of the hills’ curves.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
I was not able to get photos of this part during my first visit so taking pictures here this time was a nice addition to my portfolio.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
We traced the seemingly circular trail of Mararison’s hills then descended to Luyo Beach.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
We took a breather and drank some soft drinks when we reached the other side of the island. We passed by a newly constructed resort here at Luyo Beach fronting Nablag Islet.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
We headed back to the trailhead and captured some more pictures before returning to the registration area.
📜✏️ Tips/Reminders:
📌The boat ride to reach the island takes about 20 – 30 minutes but may take longer depending on sea condition.
📌The trek to get to the rolling hills takes about 15 – 30 minutes depending on your pace. Minimize sun exposure and bring enough hydration as the trail is open.
📌There are available homestays in the island if you wish to spend the night.
📌Expect rain and rough sea condition during monsoon season (June-February).
📌Always observe the LNT principles.
 
☎️ Contact:
📌Roldan Macuja (09107615919) – he will assist you once you arrive at the island. You may also coordinate with him for available accommodations if you want to stay overnight.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
Since Mararison Island was not originally part of the plan, the best we could allot was just a few hours of exploring. I would have wanted to spend two days so I could witness the sunset considering it’s facing West Philippine Sea.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
We reached the jump-off point then thanked our guide for her service. We rested for a while before walking towards Kawit Sandbar.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
There were only a few people swimming. It was past 12:00 PM and the harsh sun was preventing other tourists from playing by the shore.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
The sand granules of Mararison are relatively coarser compared to some of the beaches I’ve seen but this beach is still lovely in its own right.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
We took advantage of the opportunity for this quick pictorial by the beach since it was no longer crowded.
Mararison Island, Culasi, Antique, Philippines
We then strolled towards our parked boat and asked the crew to take us back to the town proper. Our trip may be extra quick but it was definitely worth it.

***For other destinations in Panay, you may visit this link.

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