White Island is a bare, crescent-shaped sandbar a short pump-boat ride off Agoho and Yumbing on Camiguin’s north-west coast. There are no trees, no huts and nothing permanent on it — just white sand, clear water and an uninterrupted view back towards Mount Hibok-Hibok and Mount Vulcan.
Its shape shifts with the tides and the seasons, and at high tide much of it disappears. That emptiness is exactly the appeal: come early, swim off the sand, snorkel the shallows and head back before the midday sun turns the white sand into a reflector oven.
What to see and do: White Island
Go at sunrise
Early morning brings soft light on the volcanoes, calm water and few people. Boats start leaving the mainland shore at dawn; by late morning the sandbar is busy and very hot.
Swim and snorkel
The water around the sandbar is clear, with patches of coral and fish in the shallows. Watch for boat traffic and currents at the edges.
Shoot the volcano view
The classic Camiguin photograph — white sand curving towards the green cones of Hibok-Hibok and the Old Volcano — is taken from here.
Combine with Mantigue
Island-hopping tours pair White Island in the morning with Mantigue Island on the other side of Camiguin. Compare them on our tours page.
How to get to White Island
- Boats leave from the White Island departure point in Agoho/Yumbing, on the coast road a few kilometres west of Mambajao.
- You pay an environmental or entrance fee and hire a pump boat; boat fees are usually per boat, so it is cheaper in a group. Check current rates at the counter.
- The crossing takes only a few minutes. Agree the pick-up time with your boatman before you land.
Insider tips
- There is no shade at all: bring a hat, reef-safe sunscreen, water and perhaps a small umbrella.
- Take everything you bring back with you — there are no bins on the sandbar.
- Rough seas, especially during the northeast monsoon, can cancel trips — keep a flexible day.
- Stay close to the sandbar if you swim; boat lanes and currents are real.
Tours that include White Island
These GetYourGuide experiences are the easiest way to see White Island without arranging your own transport:
Private island-hopping tour from €117 Camiguin: White Island & Mantigue Island Hopping Private Tour
A private day on the water: a boat to the White Island sandbar off the north coast, a stop at the Katunggan mangrove park and a crossing to Mantigue Island’s marine sanctuary for swimming and snorkelling. Pickup is available and it is the only Camiguin product on GetYourGuide with reviews so far.
- Boat out to the White Island sandbar
- Swim and snorkel at Mantigue Island
- Stop at Katunggan mangrove park
Private island-hopping tour from €115 Camiguin: Full-Day Private Island-Hopping Tour
A private full day that pairs the White Island sandbar and the clear water around Mantigue Island with an evening soak in the volcano-heated pools of Ardent Hot Spring. A newer listing with no reviews yet — read what is included before you book.
- White Island sandbar
- Swimming at Mantigue Island
- Finish in the Ardent Hot Spring
Private full-day tour from €231 Camiguin: Full-Day Island Tour & Optional Island Hopping
The most complete single day on GetYourGuide: a private ten-hour tour that can combine the land sights — falls, springs, the Sunken Cemetery and a turtle sanctuary — with island-hopping to White Island and Mantigue. Also the most expensive, so it suits small groups who want everything in one go.
- White Island and Mantigue Island
- A turtle sanctuary, falls and springs
- The Sunken Cemetery
