CUATRO ISLAS: DIY Budget Travel Guide + Itinerary To The Hidden Treasures Of Inopacan Leyte

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If you’ve been smitten by Kalanggaman Island of Palompon then you might be surprised to know that the underrated province of Leyte has many more treasures up its sleeves. Down south in Inopacan lies not just one, not just two nor three but four beautiful islands known as the Cuatro Islas! Imagine paradise four times the charm! That’s exactly what these stunners are about. Allow me to introduce you to each one of them.

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Digyo Island

This one is my favorite. It is the smallest among the four but is definitely not the least. Its shores are of white sugary sands. It also has a sandbar that stretch to about 50 meters. What sets this island apart from the other three is its pristine waters teeming with so much life. The water surrounding it is as clear as crystal that I can literraly see the colorful world several meters deep down the surface from where I sat on our boat.

Mahaba Island

Mahaba Island is for me the most beautiful among the four. It has a very long stretch of white sugary sands hence its name. What I love about this island is how clean and natural it was. There was only one small native cottage there and that’s it. No other signs of human intervention and best of all, there was not a single trash.

Apid Island

Apid Island is a fishing village and a beautiful one for that matter. This is where you will get to interact with the locals and learn about their culture and way of living. What I didn’t like about this island is how it is slowly degraded by irresponsible and unmanaged waste. I hope the local tourism of Inopacan would take the time to educate the locals of proper waste management in order to preserve this precious island for future generations to see.

Himokilan Island

I really couldn’t say anything about Himokilan Island since I didn’t have the chance to see it due to severe weather. I tried to do me some reading online about this island but the info are pretty limited. All I know is that if you wanna see this island then you must be willing to pay its hefty price tag.

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HOW TO GO TO CUATRO ISLAS

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From Manila – Fly to either Ormoc or Tacloban. From Ormoc, Inopacan is just an hour and 45 minutes of travel away riding the van (P95). Going to Inopacan from Tacloban on the hand may take 3 hours. Fare is P170. Alight in front of the Municipal Plaza. Walk for 10-15 minutes from the highway to the port which is situated at the back the of the Municipal Hall.

From Cebu – Ride a Supercat or OceanJet fastcraft to Ormoc. Travel is 3 hours and fare is P800 (Supercat) & P1000 (Oceanjet) for tourist class seat. From there, Inopacan is just over an hour away by van.

From Kalangaman Island –  From Palompon, simply ride a van to Ormoc (2Hrs : P120)  then another van to Inopacan.

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TRAVEL TIPS & USEFUL INFORMATION

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• Touring all 4 islands can be done within a day given that you start early in the morning.
• Island hopping tours normally start at 8AM but can be delayed during unfavorable weather.
• There are days when touring to Cuatro Islas are prohibited due to severe weather condition so be flexible when planning your itinerary.
• Budget inns and accommodation in Inopacan are hard to find. There are pretty limited options and some can be a bit pricey. Camping in Digyo or Mahaba Island is one of the best options if you plan to stay overnight. You may also rent native huts. If those aren’t your thing then you may seek shelter in the nearby town of Hilongos or Baybay for better choices.
• There is a store in Digyo Island where you can buy food and water but expect the prices to be higher than usual.

• Entrance fees are collected on the island. P20 for Digyo and Apid Islands while a donation of any amount is accepted in Mahaba Island. Himokilan Island requires additional environmental and entrance fees.
• Canigao Island is just 45 minutes away from Inopacan and a cheaper alternative to Cuatro Islas. From Inopacan, you can ride a van directly to the port where boats to Canigao are docked. Fare is P50.
• It rains more than half the time in Leyte so make sure to waterproof your belongings.
• Himokilan Island is just 15 minutes away from Digyo Island but it belongs to the Municipality Of Hindang. Including this island on your tour may involve additional boat, entrance and environmental fees.

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WHERE TO STAY IN/NEAR CUATRO ISLAS

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Camping overnight in one of the islands of Cuatro Islas is still the best form of accommodation there is to travelers. But in the event of unfavorable weather, these budget inns and hotels near Inopacan may provide you shelter for the night.

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BUDGET & OTHER ESSENTIALS TO YOUR CUATRO ISLAS TRIP

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My visit to Cuatro Islas was part of my Leyte- Bliran Adventure. Check out a full travel guide to know the full story and see where else had I wandered within these two underrated provinces.

SUMMARY OF EXPENSES	Van Tacloban-Inopacan - P170 Island Hopping Tour @ P3000/3 - P1000 Registration Fee - P60 Food - P150 Van To Ormoc - P120 Van To Palompon - P130 Sleep - P350 Total <<>> P1980 From Cuatro Islas, I headed to Kalanggaman Island. Click here for the full itinerary
THINGS TO BRING	Tent Camping Gears Lamp Flashlight Dry Bag Food Cookset Toiletries Clothes Sunblock
ISLAND FEES	BOAT Small Boats (up to 10pax) - P3000 Big boats (up to 20pax) - P4000 COTTAGES Closed Cottage - P500 (Day trip) + P50 for overnight use Open Huts - P300 (Day Trip) + P50 for overnight use Tent Rental - P200 Tent Space - P50/tent
CONTACT INFO	Local Tourism Bong Abenoja - 09486231860 Lemin Polo - 09103649464

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GREAT NEW BEGINNINGS

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My trip to Cuatro Islas would have been in jeopardy if it weren’t for  these two gorgeous ladies, Lanie and Edz who I met in Inopacan. I was already having 2nd thoughts of exploring the islands due to unfriendly weather and expensive cost but these two are my life savers. I could never thank them enough for all the wonderful times we shared. 🙂

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There you have it lovelies. Until next time. Stay tuned for more posts from my recent trip to Leyte and Biliran. For questions and suggestions, leave your comments below. Don’t forget to share this to your friends!