Plan a winter trip to Malapascua Island. Explore neighborhoods, restaurants, places to stay and practical local advice from AVARA's full editorial guide.
Malapascua Island — TL;DR
Cebu's thresher-shark diving island, small enough to walk end to end, where Hippocampus Beach Resort hosts the best beach bar.
Malapascua Island overview
November to May (dry season) offers the best diving conditions for spotting thresher sharks.
The island is small enough to walk end to end in about 45 minutes, with Bounty Beach the main hub 10 minutes from the port and North Beach a further 30-minute walk or motorcycle ride away.
Philippine Peso (₱)
Cebuano. Filipino and English are widely spoken.
PHT (UTC+8)
Malapascua's hospitality scene continues to center on its world-famous thresher shark diving, with Tepanee Beach Resort's luxury oceanfront amenities and Hippocampus Beach Resort's best-beach-bar reputation reflecting a small island that has built a full range of accommodation and dining around its singular diving claim to fame.
Where to eat, drink & do in Malapascua Island
Malapascua Island neighborhoods
Bounty Beach The main hub, a 10-minute walk from the port, home to most restaurants and dive shops.
North Beach A half-hour walk from Bounty Beach, home to Hippocampus Beach Resort and its beach bar.
Oceanfront luxury district Home to Tepanee Beach Resort, the best luxury accommodation on the oceanfront.
Practical info for Malapascua Island
Getting around in Malapascua Island? The island is small enough to walk end to end in about 45 minutes, with Bounty Beach the main hub 10 minutes from the port and North Beach a further 30-minute walk or motorcycle ride away.
When to go in Malapascua Island? November to May (dry season) offers the best diving conditions for spotting thresher sharks.
What's changing now in Malapascua Island? Malapascua's hospitality scene continues to center on its world-famous thresher shark diving, with Tepanee Beach Resort's luxury oceanfront amenities and Hippocampus Beach Resort's best-beach-bar reputation reflecting a small island that ha
Seek out North Beach's quieter pace in Malapascua Island? A half-hour walk from Bounty Beach, home to Hippocampus Beach Resort, offering a quieter alternative to the busier port-adjacent Bounty Beach.
Base yourself in Bounty Beach in Malapascua Island? The main hub, a 10-minute walk from the port, home to most restaurants and dive shops. Known for main tourist hub near the port.