Kinatarkan Island little-known Paradise

CEBU, Philippines —  Many travelers to Bantayan Island, towards the northwestern tip of mainland Cebu, do not know that just 12 kilometers away there’s a little paradise called Kinatarkan. It belongs to the town of Santa Fe, one of the three towns comprising Bantayan. Incidentally, Santa Fe is where the main port of Bantayan Island is located.

Kinatarkan’s anonymity serves it in two contradictory ways. As the little island is not in the list of most travelers, it does not have the problems that often result from the influx of visitors – pollution, moral corruption etc. On the other hand, the island does not also get the popular praise and admiration that’s due it, or the economic boost that usually comes with the hordes of visitors.

This little island is accessible via Santa Fe, which is about an hour’s ferry boat ride from Hagnaya port in San Remigio town at mainland Cebu. From the port of Santa Fe, Kinatarkan is just a few more minutes away by pump boat. The view that greets visitors to the island is simply… well, breathtaking.

Long white beaches line most of Kinatarkan’s edges, except where there are rock faces with caves, high rock cliffs that drop straight to the sea, and coves. One would just know that the possibilities for fun on the island are seemingly endless.

Kinatarkan is composed of three barangays: Hagdan, Kinatarkan and Langub.  One of the main attractions of the island is its La-aw salt water lagoon. From the beach, the lagoon is about 20 minutes of walk into the island. The local people – numbering about 8,000 as of the 2015 census – are most eager to point the way or even willing to accompany visitors there.

It is possible to come upon local youngsters enjoying their time at Laaw lagoon, which is between 7 and 10 feet deep. There is a low cliff on the side that serves as jumping platform into the water below. It is possible, as well, that visitors will have the lagoon all to themselves.

Sadly, Kinatarkan has to endure certain problems that should no longer be around in this day and age. It does not have sufficient electricity supply. On most days, electrical power is available only from 6 to 10 o’clock in the evening.

Potable water is scarce on the island. Kinatarkan gets its drinking water mainly from Bantayan Island, which has its own water problem too. Theoretically, scarcity of water can lead to health problems; and healthcare services on Kinatarkan are not really adequate, due to its rather isolated location.

The local people rely mainly on fishing and some farming for livelihood. Considering the growing population on the island, these resources are sure to come short in the near future. Tourism is a potential alternative, but it has to be approached with good caution.

Without proper planning, the very features that make Kinatarkan attractive to tourists can be the first collateral damage from the influx of visitors. This writing about the island is itself a double-edged sword.  This can help promote the little island, while doing so also exposes it to possible damage.

At the city’s Cebu North Bus Terminal, there are buses bound for Hagnaya port, where visitors may get on a passenger ferry for Santa Fe at Bantayan Island. The tourism office of Santa Fe is a reliable source of information and guidance on Kinatarkan. Accommodation can be an issue on the island, and visitors may just camp out on the beach areas during their stay.

It may help to allow only environmentally responsible tourists into Kinatarkan. But how to do that is the challenge. This little-known paradise is probably meant for everyone to enjoy – so long as everyone remember to “leave no trace” of their visit to the island.