The white sand of Lakawon Island, with shallow turquoise water and a line of cottages
Photo by Choi2451, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized for this page. CC BY-SA 3.0.

North of Silay

Islands Near Silay: Lakawon and Carbin Reef

North of us the sea goes shallow and clear. Lakawon is a long white island off Cadiz, and further up, Sagay keeps a marine reserve where a sandbar appears and disappears with the tide. These are full days, an early start and a late return. Go when the sea is calm, carry your trash home, and come back to the river.

The stay is at Bukaw, by the Malogo River in Silay.

Drive times on this page are approximate, from Silay City proper, not measured from our gate.

Last checked 27 October 2026.

A nearer day, by car, is written up in Day Trips.

Plan the ride back before you leave town. Pickups get harder as you go north. Getting around covers the apps and the airport.

Lakawon Island

The white sand of Lakawon Island, with shallow turquoise water and a line of cottages
Photo by Choi2451, via Wikimedia Commons. Resized for this page. CC BY-SA 3.0.

Island

Lakawon Island

Open. Book a day ahead.

Boats from Cadiz Viejo port, Purok MainuswagonAbout 1 hour to 1 hour 15 minutes, approximateBoats at 7, 9 and 11am. Later trips are special trips.Around ₱900 for an adult day package. Check before you go.

A long, thin island of white sand off Cadiz, with shallow green water on every side. The boat ride is short, about 15–25 minutes, and after that the tide sets the pace. Bring a book, not a schedule.

The day package is around ₱900 for an adult, and it covers entrance, the terminal fee, the round-trip boat and a cottage. Ages 5–12 are around ₱600. Seniors and persons with disability are around ₱760. Children 4 and under go free. A 2026 promo listing showed around ₱650 if you book ahead and around ₱750 for a walk-in. Promos change. Scheduled boats need about 20 passengers each way. Below that, a special trip is around ₱1,000 for up to 10 people, or around ₱1,500 for 11 or more. Book online at least a day ahead, and pay at the mainland office. The 7am boat is the quiet one. Check before you go.

Sagay Marine Reserve

Carbin is a sandbar. Suyac is a mangrove the island's own community looks after. Panal and Maca are two further reefs in the same protected sea. Reserve Carbin with the city tourism office, and book the boat only through the Sagay Island Ferryboat Operators' Association.

Reef

Carbin Reef

Open. A reservation is needed.

Boats from Old Sagay PortAbout 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, approximateA day trip. Go early.₱100 per non-resident, plus the boat.

A white sandbar about 200 meters long in the middle of a protected sea. At low tide it lies flat and bright under the sky. At high tide the water takes most of it back. Snorkel the clear shallows, then sit still and watch the water.

The fee is ₱100 for a non-resident: ₱50 admission, ₱40 for the reserve and ₱10 at the port. Seniors and persons with disability pay ₱82. A child 12 and under pays ₱40. The boat is ₱1,200 round trip for 1–10 people, and ₱1,500 for 11–15. Visitors are capped at about 100 a day, about 70 reserved and 30 walk-in, with no more than 15 snorkelers in the water at once. Reserve with the Sagay City Information and Tourism Office, (034) 488-0649.

Island

Suyac Island Mangrove Eco-Park

Open

An add-on to the Carbin boat, from Old Sagay PortAbout 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, approximate

A mangrove forest run by the island's own community, with a bamboo boardwalk and a mangrove said to be about 300 years old. It's quieter than the sandbar, and greener. Walk slowly and listen to the roots.

Pair it with Carbin on one boat. The island asks visitors not to wear two-piece swimwear, and not to smoke outside the designated areas.

Island fees are not confirmed here.

Reef

Panal Reef and Maca Reef

Check before you go

Sagay Marine Reserve, from Old Sagay PortAbout 1 hour 15 minutes to 1 hour 30 minutes, approximate

Two more reefs in the same protected sea, if you want a longer day on the water.

Ask the boat association which reefs are open the day before.

A separate boat charge for these reefs is not confirmed here.

Getting there and fees

The figures above are the ones we can stand behind. Lakawon is phrased as around, because that package moves. Check before you go.

Getting there

Ports

Lakawon boats leave from Cadiz Viejo port, at Purok Mainuswagon, not from Tinampa-an. Boats for Carbin Reef, Suyac, Panal Reef and Maca Reef leave from Old Sagay Port.

Getting there

By bus

Bacolod North Terminal, or the highway in Silay

Ceres buses from Bacolod North Terminal run to Cadiz and to Sagay. A listing puts Cadiz around ₱118, and Sagay around ₱150, with Sagay about two hours from Bacolod. From Silay, flag a northbound Ceres bus on the highway. Treat the fares as a guide, not a tariff.

Best season and rules

Calm seas are most reliable from March to early June. June and July can be choppy, and the habagat months, roughly July to October, bring rain and rough water. A typhoon warning cancels the trips. This is general guidance. Confirm it with the operator the day before.

On the Sagay Marine Reserve:

  • Carry out everything you bring in.
  • Don't touch, take or step on coral and shells.
  • Don't feed the fish.
  • Cook only in the designated areas.
  • No more than 15 snorkelers in the water at Carbin at one time.
  • Book boats only through the ferryboat association.

Prices here are from 2024–2026 sources. They will move. Check before you go.

Islands FAQ

How much is the Lakawon Island day tour?

The basic day package is around ₱900 for adults, including entrance, the terminal fee, the round-trip boat and a cottage. Ages 5–12 are around ₱600, seniors and persons with disability around ₱760, and children 4 and under go free. Promos change, so check before you go, including on lakawon.ph.

Where do Lakawon boats leave from?

Cadiz Viejo port in Cadiz City, at 7, 9 and 11am when there are at least 20 passengers. Smaller groups can book a special trip.

Do I need a reservation for Carbin Reef?

Yes. Visitors are capped daily, so reserve with the Sagay City Information and Tourism Office at (034) 488-0649.

How much does a Carbin Reef trip cost?

₱100 per person in fees, plus ₱1,200 for a round-trip boat for up to 10 people, or ₱1,500 for 11 to 15. Seniors and persons with disability pay ₱82, and children 12 and under pay ₱40.

When is the best time to visit the islands?

March to early June usually has the calmest seas. Avoid days with typhoon or gale warnings, when trips are cancelled.

The river after

Stay at Bukaw

Go out for the morning. Come back while the light is still on the water. River time and the river does not rush are the two essays we mean by that.

Flying in? We can meet you at Bacolod–Silay Airport with a van. Pickup is an extra charge. Write to us and we will arrange it.

Stay at Bukaw