Olango Island lies five kilometers east of Mactan Island off the eastern coast of Cebu Island. It is a popular tourist destination, known for its wildlife sanctuary and excellent scuba diving.
Most of Olango Island is preserved for its rare ecosystem that includes mangroves, seagrass beds, sandflats and extensive offshore coral reefs. The reef that surrounds Olango is one of the largest in the Central Visayas.
Visitors flock to this nature island as often as the migratory birds, which descend every year from late July until November to enjoy much warmer climes. The 920-hectare Olango Island Wildlife Sanctuary ensures that the birds have all the protection they need. Some 97 species of bird can be found on the island, 56 of them migratory.
The rest of this flat island boasts the largest mangrove swamp in Cebu province and three excellent scuba diving spots. Mabini Point is a 35 meter headwall littered with sharks, Baring is even longer and teeming with fish, and Santa Rosa is known for its lovely coral gardens. Tours and excursions can be arranged on Mactan Island or in Cebu City.
Getting There & Away
It’s quite easy to reach Olango Island since it lies so close to bustling Mactan-Cebu International Airport. Visitors can either head into Cebu City and catch a boat directly to Olango Island or stay on Mactan Island, where the airport is located, and catch a boat to Olango from a number of coastal ports. Cebu’s airport has regular links with Manila, from where a wide range of international flights are available.