Batanes is the northernmost province in the Philippines. It’s also the smallest as far as land mass and population. This is a nature lovers dream with plenty of opportunities for fishing, diving and hiking. This small group of islands sits where the Pacific ocean meets the China Sea and is home to some of the rarest corals in the world.
Sabtang
Two of the more popular islands are Sabtang and Itbayat. Both are accessible by boat from the capital Bacso. Sabtang is only a 30 minute ride by boat while Itbayat can take 4 hours. Charter planes are available that can make the trip in 30 min. If you do choose to go by boat be prepared for active ride. The seas can be a little choppy. Itbayat terrain consist of rolling hills and semi level plateaus surrounded by continuous massive cliffs rising up to 70 meters above sea level. There are no shorelines. Sabtang is quite different though, it has many small flat areas spread out on its coasts and its interior consist by steep mountains and very deep canyons. Sabtang does have some stretches of sandy beaches and or rocky shorelines.
Batan
Batan is another great island to visit for hikers. It’s similar in topography as Sabtang. It offers long stretches of hills where animals graze, a ghost town, deserted after years of beatings by storms and the “radar Yuron” an abandoned weather station that offers a 360 degree view of the island.
