Manifesting a beach trip to Gigantes Islands & Carles, Iloilo ✨ Clear waters, hidden lagoons, fresh seafood, and stunning sandbars. If Northern Iloilo’s been on your list, this is your sign to go.

What I Shared

Tiktok video @detouristahq

view on Tiktok, Instagram, Facebook, Threads.

How to Get There

Gigantes group of Islands and Sicogon Island are located in the town of Carles in the northern tip of Iloilo. From Iloilo City, it’s a 3 hour drive to Bancal Port, the main jump-off point. The boat ride from Bancal Port to Gigantes Islands or Sicogon typically takes around 1 hour. The easiest way to explore the area is joining an island hopping tour or chartering a private boat.

Gigantes Islands Day Tour

Choose the joiner tour for the cheapest way to visit these highlights: Tangke Lagoon, Cabugao Gamay, Antonia Beach, Puting Baybay, Bantigue Sandbar, Pandan Island & Lantangan Beach, Gigantes Sur.

Book here
compare prices on Trip.com, Agoda, Klook

The package includes roundtrip boat transfers from/to Bancal Port, seafood lunch (unlimited scallops if availabe) and professional guide. I recommend choosing the “shuttle service” option if you’re coming from Iloilo City.

Discounted price for the joiner tour on Agoda is ₱1,018 per person if you use my promo code DETOURAGODA. Including roundtrip transfers with hotel pick-up in Iloilo City, the price with discount applied is ₱1,697/pax.

How to avail discounts on Agoda? Before you start searching on the app, tap the links below first to redeem the promo codes.

🔖 DETOURAGODA — up to 5% OFF Agoda Activities. $10 / ₱600 max discount

Redeem here

🔖 DETOURISTA — up to 8% OFF Agoda Hotels. $100 / ₱6K max discount

Redeem here

Or redeem it manually by navigating to the “Deals” page on the Agoda app. Then, enter my promo codes: DETOURISTA + DETOURAGODA. Make sure to do it before you do your search & enter in ALL CAPS.

How to avail discounts on Klook? Tap the links below to redeem the promo code.

🔖 DETOURISTAKLOOK — up to 5% OFF. ₱800 max discount

Redeem here

see more: travel promo codes & how to book.

Gigantes with Sicogon Island Day Tour

This tour includes a stopover at Buaya Beach in Sicogon Island in addition to the highlights in Gigantes.

Book here
compare prices on Agoda, Klook

Huni Resort

Book a room at Huni Resort if you want to stay overnight in Sicogon Island, enjoy a more relaxed visit to Buaya Beach and do the sunrise/sunset hike to Mt. Opao summit.

Book here
compare prices on Trip.com, Agoda, Klook

Solina Beach Resort

Conveniently located along the highway on the Carles mainland, this is a great place to stay if you’re planning a day tour to Gigantes. Travel time from Solina to Bancal Port is only around 10–15 minutes, so you can skip the 3-hour trip from Iloilo City. If you’re coming from Manila, consider flying to Roxas City instead since it’s just about an hour away from Carles.

Book here
compare prices on Trip.com, Agoda, Klook

Customized Gigantes + Sicogon Island Hopping Tour

If you want to visit the Spanish-colonial lighthouse in Gigantes Norte, Pawikan Cave in Gigantes Sur, Cabugao Dako Island and other spots not typically included in the joiner tours, you’ll need to book a private tour directly with the tour operator. I recommend booking through Gigantes Island Tours and Services.

Sample Gigantes Day Tour Itinerary

5:30am — Iloilo City departure
8:30am — Bancal Port, Carles arrival
9:30am — Pandan Island, Cabugao Gamay
12:3pam — Lunch at Lantangan
1:30pm — Antonia, Puting Baybay, Bantigue Sandbar, Tangke
4:30pm — Bancal Port arrival
8pm — Iloilo City Arrival

Places to Visit in Gigantes Islands & Carles

Plan your trip better by tapping below and saving the pin locations on Google Maps.

Gigantes Islands

Tangke Lagoon — Save location.

Cabugao Gamay — Save location.

Antonia Beach — Save location.

Puting Baybay — Save location.

Bantigue Sandbar — Save location.

Pandan Island — Save location.

Lantangan Beach, Gigantes Sur — Save location.

Pawikan Cave — Save location.

Cabugao Dako — Save location.

Gigantes Norte Lighthouse — Save location.

Sicogon Island

Buaya Beach — Save location.

Huni Resort — Save location.

Mt. Opao — Save location.

Carles mainland

Solina Beach Resort — Save location.

Greenland — Save location.

See also:

Iloilo

Traveling to Iloilo soon? This detailed day-by-day itinerary guides you from the historic, food-filled Iloilo City to the pristine beaches of Guimaras and Gigantes Islands.
Explore the heart of the Philippines. Plan your Iloilo itinerary with this guide on the top things to do and interesting spots to visit in Iloilo.

See all Iloilo travel guides.

Philippines

Where to go in an archipelagic country of over 7,600 islands? Here are my top picks for travelers who want to discover beautiful destinations in the Philippines.
Do you love chasing beautiful waterfalls? Check out The Philippines’ most beautiful waterfalls + tips on how to get there.
Craving for fun under the sun? Check out the Philippines’ most beautiful beaches and islands + tips on how to get there.

See all Philippines travel guides.