There are many, many islands in the Philippines. The whole country consists of larger and smaller islands and in total there are more than 7600 of them. During our three months in the country we managed to visit ... 30 islands.
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Islands in the Philippines
Most of the islands in the Philippines are small, with the 11 largest islands accounting for 91 per cent of the land area. The largest are Luzon in the north and Mindanao in the south. In the centre is the large archipelago of the Visayas.
Our journey among islands in the Philippines
Considering that there are over 7000 islands in the Philippines, we have really only visited a fraction. At the same time, it felt like we got a lot done. We have visited small islands and large islands, islands with no roads and islands with mighty high-rise buildings, touristy islands and islands where the children in the villages looked at us with wide eyes. On the map you can see all the islands we visited.
1. cebu
Cebu is a large island in the Philippines, where you will find, among other things, the larger city of Cebu City. Our flight from Sweden landed here, via a stopover in Qatar, and it was thus the first island we saw in the Philippines. In addition to Cebu City, there are some places that may be worth visiting, such as Moalboal.

17. palawan
Palawan is a large island in the western Philippines, which is often easiest to reach by air, for example from Cebu or Manila. The island is known for its dramatic scenery and the tourist town of El Nido and the underground river in Puerto Princesa, a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

29th Boracay
Boracay is perhaps one of the most famous tourist islands in the Philippines. The island has been gifted with a stunningly beautiful beach, White Beach, and receives millions of tourists every year. There are plenty of hotels and restaurants on Boracay, as well as opportunities for water sports and boat excursions.

More islands in the Philippines to discover?
Are there more islands in the Philippines to discover? Yes, of course there are! There are lots of great islands, and wherever you are, you can always take a boat trip to a charming island nearby. Do you have any other tips for islands in the Philippines?
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Some observations and reflections from the Philippines
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Pandanon Island in the Philippines - village and dreamy beaches
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BP says:
Well, then there are "only" 7,570 islands left;-)
I think you have made a fantastic trip in the Philippine islands. I'm just happy that I got (as usual) to ride shotgun with you. Your trip offered many "surprises" that I had not expected. So it was really fun!
Just wondering - why do they have such "strange" boats in the Philippines? The boats are not catamarans, but not ordinary boats either. Is there any explanation that the boats have "stabilisers" or whatever?
04 May 2023 - 21:08
Helena says:
Good question about the boats! All traditional Filipino boats have outriggers. The boats are often very narrow, so I guess they were built that way to stabilise the boat. It is not only in the Philippines, but similar boats can be found in Indonesia, for example.
05 May 2023 - 6:03