Sabtang Island, Batanes: 6 awesome places to visit on a Day tour

They say I should look forward to the journey from Batan Island to Sabtang. They say it is unforgettable. The waters between Batan and Sabtang Islands have a reputation of being rough, turbulent, frightening. This is where the currents of the vast West Philippine Sea (South China Sea) and the even bigger Pacific ocean clash. Sabtang is accessible via a 30-minute ride aboard the faluwa, the bigger traditional Ivatan boat. like the tataya, the Ivatan dory, they do not have outriggers (katig), either. They say every ride is quite an experience.

I slept through it. Attans! Blame the weather.

Sabtang Lighthouse
I arrived at Ivana Port as early as 6:30am. The balmy morning turned drizzly in an instant. From the port I could already see the dark clouds hovering over Sabtang Island. When we landed at the San Vicente Port in Sabtang, drizzly turned rainy. but the trip must go on.

I was greeted by our guide, driving a unique tricycle. In Sabtang, their version of the trusty tricycle has a cogon-roofed sidecar. Our first stop was the tourism Office, where we registered and paid the P200 (USD 5) environmental Fee. One can easily complain it is a steep rate, but considering that none of the attractions on the island collect entrance fees and that Sabtang will wrap and smother you with all kinds of beauty, I believe it is more than fair.

The faluwa that ferries passengers from Ivana to Sabtang, and the cogon-roofed tricycle.
Tourists are encouraged to spend at least one night on the island for a fuller experience, but day tours are a good option for those who don’t have time on their side. However, given that the last trip back to Batanes is at 1pm, day trippers will find themselves staying shorter at each stop and haunted by the threat of missing the last boat.

We waited for the rain to subside a little, and when it did it was on! here are the highlights of the tour.

Vad behandlas i den här guiden?

1. Savidug Village
2. Chamantad-Tinyan Viewpoint
3. Chavayan Village
4. Morong beach / Nakabuang Beach
5. Sabtang Lighthouse
6. San Vicente Ferrer Church

Fler tips på YouTube ⬇ Relaterade inlägg:

1. Savidug Village

Savidug is one of the traditional villages in Sabtang. three types of Ivatan houses flank the streets of Batanes: the maytuab, stone house with four-sloped thatched cogon roof; the sinadumparan, stone house with two-sloped cogon roof; and the jinjin, wood and cogon. Savidug harbors sinadumparan houses. The stone walls of these houses are all identical, but the doors and windows provide avenues for personal creativity. They add color to the otherwise monotonous structures.

An Ivatan woman wearing a vakul in Savidug Village
The Old Beaterio in Savidug
No thanks to the sour weather, the streets of Savidug were almost empty. Every now and then, bikers passed by and chickens sashayed their merry way across the alleys. A woman wearing a vakul, the cogon-covered headwear, led me to St. Thomas Aquinas chapel and the Old Beaterio, where two other Ivatan women were busy sweeping the grounds. even in the rain, I could not help but have a picture taken inside the Beaterio.

2. Chamantad-Tinyan Viewpoint

Or simply Tinyan Viewpoint. like in Batan Island’s Marlboro country (Racuh a Payaman), a foot trail takes visitors across rolling hills to a viewing area. Rocky cliffs rising from the slopes of the hills, creating natural frames for the fantastic vista of Chamantad Cove below.

Down to the cove!
A guy having a moment of transcendence
A couple doing a pre-nup pictorial by the cliff
But the visual spectacle did not stop there. The tricycle sped in between the supple beach and the mountain edges, presenting a showcase of more of Sabtang’s most incredible landscapes. even when the skies were not in the mood for the sunshine, the island’s colors were enough to brighten up our day.

3. Chavayan Village

When we reached Chavayan Village, the atmosphere was in good humor. A small dog dashed toward me and started nibbling on my shirt. Not the welcome I was expecting, but I would take it. I picked up my new canine pal and gave him back to the little girl that was running after him. It was only then that I had a good look at the village.

A boy collecting sticks by the shore
Chavayan Beach
A stone house in Chavayan Village
One narrow street weaves the small settlement, lined with sinadumparan stone houses. A tiny chapel and a house mark the end of the concrete road and the start of the sandy shore. children in the street played a version of piko; those on the beach picked up sticks to help their parents. One corner lodged tataya boats, waiting for another fishing session. The sand here is far from fine but mixed with shingles and small pebbles. The waves, ferocious as usual.

4. Morong beach / Nakabuang Beach

The sea is tamer at Morong Beach, fringing the other side of the island. also known as Nakabuang Beach, it is a short stretch bookmarked bY låga, gräsmattor. Dess mest framträdande funktion är en båge, kallad Nakabuang Arch eller Mahayaw Arch (du väljer), som har blivit en ikon för Sabtang och Batanes som helhet.

Den ikoniska Nakabuang -bågen
Det finns en restaurang i närheten, vilket gör det till ett vanligt lunchstopp. Vår guide tog oss emellertid till mindre Carinderia nära hamnen efter turnén, där vi hade några av de mest utsökta rätter vi har haft hela resan. (Jag saknade platsens namn!)

5. Sabtang -fyren

Sabtang fyr
Sabtang-fyren ligger på en klippa precis bredvid hamnen och är den första konstgjorda strukturen som hälsar dig när du närmar dig Sabtang Island och den sista som bjuder adjö på väg tillbaka till Batan. Tornet har en murverk i spillror hela vägen till galleridäcket, vilket ger det ett dominerande organiskt tilltalande. Ett rött lyktrum krönar det runda huvudtornet, som bäst ses från hamnen där kraschvågor tar förgrunden.

6. San Vicente Ferrer Church

San Vicente Ferrer Church
Om du fortfarande har tid, gå in i San Vicente Ferrer Church, alias Sabtang Church. Stående precis mittemot hamnen är den bäst kvar till sist, medan du väntar på din resa tillbaka till Ivana. Den allra första strukturen på plats var ett litet kapell, byggt av Dominikanerna 1785. Sedan dess har sten-och-lime-kapellet gått igenom vågor av utmaningar: en övergivande när invånarna var kraftberelokat till Ivana efter det uppror som leddes av som leddes av Chieftain Aman Dangat 1891 och en tyfon som förstörde dess klockstapel 1956.

Turnén var kort, knappt varade i fem timmar, men den var rik. Jag ville stanna och tillbringa minst en natt, men min flygning sattes nästa dag. Batanes -flyg är inte billiga; Att boka en spontant skulle tredubbla kostnaden.

Vid 13:00 var jag redan tillbaka i San Vicente Port, redo för resan tillbaka till Batan Island och upphetsad över att bevittna havets ökända ondska.

Gissa vad? Jag sov igenom det igen. Jag skyller på turnén. och vädret.

Hur man kommer till Sabtang Island: Från Manila, flyga till Basco. På flygplatsen (eller staden), ta en trehjuling till Ivana -hamn (P440 tur och retur, bra för 2 personer). Styrelse Faluwa till Sabtang (P70/Head). I hamnen är trehjulingsturer tillgängliga för endast P800 (bra för 2 PAX).

Lista över utgifter:
TRECHICELE RIDE FRÅN BASCO TOWN REAL TILL IVANA PORT: P440 (bra för 2 PAX)
Faluwa -åktur från Ivana till Sabtang: P70
Turism/miljöavgift: P200
TRICYCLE TOUR OF SABTANG: P800 (bra för 2 PAX)

Fler tips på YouTube ⬇

Relaterade inlägg:

South Batan Tour: 12 Must-Besök platser i Batanes

Du är min chef: 10 filmplatser i Batanes

5 Must-See Places på Laoang Island, Northern Samar: En motorcykeltur

Culion, Palawan: Budgetreseguide

Valugan Boulder Beach, Batanes: The Ferocious and the Pacific

De tre fyrarna av Batanes: Basco, Tayid och Sabtang

Corregidor Day Tour: 12 historiska platser att besöka

Corregidor Overnight Tour: 5 saker att göra (annat än spökjakt)