Living as an adopted son of Cebu since 2014 has, in a way, isolated me from what’s “hot” and “in” in my hometown of Iloilo. Indeed, I had no idea what the cool kids were up to. Not that I gave too much of a crap, anyways.
There were two things that caught my attention, though. Whenever I scrolled through my feeds on Instagram and Facebook, I’d encounter photos of people posing on top of this hill overlooking the sea and on a fallen tree precariously perched on the edge of a cliff. Over a span of a year or so, various Facebook and Instagram people with different sets of friends would upload photos showing those same two locations, so one had to think that these places are actual trendy things.
I would go on to learn that these two places are Mararison Island and Bucari Pine Forest. I would also go on to feel like the only Ilonggo to have never had their photos taken there (may or may not be accurate). Whatever, I paid no mind to that since 1.) I was too busy in my quest to conquer Cebuano beaches; and 2.) I was pretty sure I’d end up visiting the two trendy tourist spots someday.
Well, I finally got to visit Mararison Island aaaaaaaand well… let me tell you about it honestly and objectively *clears throat*.
First of all, to get to Mararison Island, tourists had to ride a bus from Iloilo City to Culasi, Antique where the island is located. Buses can be boarded at the Molo bus terminal near Molo plaza. Be sure to take an air conditioned bus even if it’s bloody cold because we took a bus without AC and what was supposed to be a 3-4 hour ride took around 5-6 to complete. This is because the driver, at the instruction of the conductor, would stop every single time a human being stood on the road side, thinking these people are potential passengers. Sometimes they’re right, often it’s ehhhhhh…
It’s hard to blame the driver/conductor from doing this as this is their livelihood and any opportunity to earn more money is welcomed, but this is a very annoying routine for passengers.
Anyway, once you get to the bus terminal in Culasi, you can hire a tricycle to take you to the mini wharf where motorboats are available for tourists. Rental costs around PhP 500 – 800 but can be negotiated with the owners. It takes about 20 minutes to reach Mararison from the wharf in Culasi.
When we arrived at the island, I was… let’s just say the beach was more hype than substance. Let’s get something clear, I’m not trashing the place. It’s just that this is another case of expectation vs. reality. Sure, the sand is white, the water is clear. The beach is definitely Instagrammable from the right angle. The problem is that the beachfront is a tourist trap.
I guess it’s not that much of a problem in and of itself. If you have no problem with tourist traps, then it’s all good. Problem is, I’m not okay with tourist traps. Cottages are built closely to one another to maximize space (and by extension, maximize income — more space, more cottages; more cottages, more moneeeey). You can clearly hear the conversations in your neighboring hut. Music becomes noise as one group plays their 🔥 tunes on a speaker, another plays ~their~ 🔥 tunes on a louder set of speakers and so on, you just can’t tell what song is playing anymore.
Also, this might be the most millenial thing that I’ll ever write, but the aesthetics there leaves a lot to be desired (lol). I mean yeaaaah, it was mostly a titos/titas convention during our visit to Mararison, not exactly the sort of island vibe that this millennial kid is looking for 🤷🏻♂️.
However, the hike up that famous hill more than makes up for the crappy beach experience (Note: do not go up there at around noon unless you want to experience self combustion lol). By the way, the caretakers of the island won’t let you go up the hill without a guide, usually a local kid (which means more money to shell out, but it’s okay since we get to help the locals).
It’s a nice 30 minute walk up the trail from the beach, and you can encounter interesting fauna and flora along the way. Without a doubt, the coolest things on your way to the hilltop are the Pitcher Plants that line the grassy hillsides. Even if you’re not a nature nerd, you have to admit, carnivorous plants are rad.
Once you get to the top of the hill, the view of the island and the surrounding sea definitely lives up to the hype. It takes away some of the haggardness brought about by the trek under the sun. The view is another reminder that the Philippines is full of sites worth taking time to visit. Most importantly, the hilltop is 10/10 Instagrammable. That’s the only thing that matters, right?
Would I recommend Mararison to people asking “where to next?” Sure, with a caveat! Avoid the beach. Take a quick dip, take a photo or two (from the right angle), then get the heck away from there. Spend more time up the hill. Talk with locals (my antisocial ass actually did). You’ll learn something insightful or two. And again, take the AC bus.
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