First time visiting the Philippines? Unsure of which islands are worth your time?
We get it.
For a country made from over 7,000 islands and a visa that usually lasts only 30 days for most Europeans and Americans – getting to every island in that time would be impossible.
Here is our guide to 3 must-see islands after squeezing every last drop out of our 30 day visas.
Cebu Island in the Visayas
Flying into the Philippines, regardless of your destination island, will likely route you through one of two major transport hubs: Manila on the country’s largest island, Luzon, or Cebu, located in the heart of the southern island group of the country.
We knew we were heading south, so we decided to fly by way of Cebu and explore the Visayas region since we were going to be landing there for our flight anyways.
Cebu island is long and narrow, and the airport in Cebu City is located fairly centrally on the east coast.
We used this to our advantage to do two things: explore the local food scene, and trip to the west side of the island to explore its incredible nature in Moalboal.
Food Scene in Cebu City
Cebu is famous for serving up some of the best Lechon in all of the Philippines. If you don’t know what Lechon is – see our blog post “3 Foods You Must Try While in the Philippines.”
Basically it’s a Filipino delicacy where a suckling pig stuffed full of herbs and aromatics before being slow roasted for hours to the point of falling off the bone and crisping up the skin into a candy-like texture. Yeah, it’s that good.
And if you are in Cebu, you are in one of the best places in the world to get the real stuff at unbeatable prices. You can check our blog “Best Lechon in Cebu” to find the specific locations where your money will go furthest to get you the absolute best Lechon of your life.
Moalboal Adventure Beachtown: Canyoneering, World-Class Snorkeling, and Incredible Mountain Views on Cebu’s West Cost
If you do nothing else on the island of Cebu, you must make the journey across island to visit Moalboal to see the most famous Sardine Run in the world, and spend a day Canyoneering in Kawasan Canyon.
The three hour journey across the island may seem like a lot, but cliff jumping into the turquoise canyon waters of Kawasan Canyon, swimming through the shimmering silver patterns of the unusual and unexplained sardines just off the coast of Panagsama Beach, and contemplating the stunning sunset views of the Visaya Islands from Osmeña Peak promise to make the journey 100% worth it.
For more details on each of these once-in-a-lifetime adventures, you can see read more at our other blogs “Kawasan Falls Canyoneering” and “Sardine Run Guide.” And for when you are hungry from your outdoor activities in Moalboal, check out our guide on where to eat in Moalboal for your time there.
Siargao Island
Siargao is probably the most famous island where backpackers, vacationers, and digital nomads are flocking to in the Philippines in 2026 and for good reason: great food, great surf, and great people cover this green oasis on the Philippines’ Eastern edge.
For a more comprehensive outline of how to spend 2 Weeks in Siargao, you can view our other blog posts dedicated to everything there we loved (and didn’t love) about our time in Siargao.
General Luna & The South
General Luna is home to the reason why Siargao has become increasingly famous: its surf. Cloud 9 is a World Famous reef break and boardwalk that allows surfers and tourists alike to walk out to the edge of the reef where the waves break. Cloud 9 is just one of several waves in this area tracing the outline of the main tourism hub on the Siargao: General Luna.
General Luna is a small beach city loaded with restaurants, surf shops, jungle cafes, and bars.
Whether you are just getting started on your surf journey or you already have experience and just want solid, consistent swell: General Luna has waves for you.
When you get tired of the ocean, just before the sun sets, head down to Malinao where the surf-skaters pack the street in front of vendors selling street food, jewelry, and other souvenirs. You can rent a skateboard to get in on the action, or just enjoy the vibes of the music, smells of grilled food, and watch the orange light paint the sky.
Escape Tourist Traffic in Siargao’s North
Just 30 minutes north of General Luna feels like an entirely different planet: fewer motorbikes, coconut trees as far as the eye can see, and empty beaches. But in our experience, it won’t be that way for long. Still touting impressive surf breaks like Pacifico, Wantaw, and Burgos, the North of Siargao also has impressive rock pools, cold springs, and some restaurants that are worth the drive like Chévere Venezuelan Food in Pacifico, The Hub by Lokal Lab in Burgos and North Dirty Kitchen in Alegria.
Palawan: The Last Frontier
Palawan is a group of islands on the Philippines’ Western Front facing the West Philippines Sea. Also called the “Last Frontier” because it remains one of the least developed and ecologically intact places in all of the Philippines.
It is a long skinny group of islands stretching from North to South, covered in limestone cliffs, untouched rainforests, and home to indigenous peoples and biodiverse coral reefs all the way down.
In essence, it’s a place where nature is still the dominating characteristic.
Coron
Starting in the North of Palawan, Coron is an island and the name of a city that serves as a launchpad into some of the most amazing snorkeling and island hopping you can do in the Philippines.
You can read more details about the various tours offered in Coron at our blog post titled “Is the Super Ultimate Tour in Coron Worth It?”
But it’s not just a place for one or two day trips, its airport also makes it an excellent starting or ending point for the rest your time in Palawan.
We used it as a starting point – where we took a 3D2N expedition leaving Coron and heading for El Nido, with stops to camp at remote islands along the way.
Port Barton
We arrived back on land in El Nido, but to be honest we weren’t impressed by the over-tourism of the this town. While it was definitely full of restaurants and things to do, we found it was expensive and too busy for our liking.
We opted to continue a few more hours south to a small oceanside town called Port Barton for a few quiet beach days – and it did not disappoint.
Port Barton is one of those places that makes you realize that sometimes, the best destinations are the ones you need to go out of the way for.
The best thing we did was rent kayaks for the day and explore the various islands and beaches right off the coast: Starfish Island (where we didn’t see any starfish 😔), White Beach, Papaya Beach, and Coconut Beach.
We hope this guide helps you decide where to go on your next trip to the Philippines!
For more help in planning your trip, see some of our other guides for the Philippines:
How to Travel Philippines Without Cash
Our 2 Week Itinerary in Siargao
How to Choose a Tour in Coron, Philippines