Poro Island is one of the four Camotes Islands in the Philipipnes. It is the only island with two towns, Poro and Tudela, though it receives less traffic than its neighbor Pacijan.
This island has the highest elevation of the Camotes archipelago. Mount Three Peaks is the highest point, and it’s a great place for hikers to get a view of the seascape and the entire chain of islands.
Poro Island is also home to the oldest settlements in the Camotes, and a few archeological treasures have been pulled from the many onsite caves. Bukilat Cave is the most impressive due to its underground swimming pool.
The other attraction of Poro is its historic church. Built in 1849, the Spanish colonial structure was pieced together with forced labor from pressed coral stones and a mortar made from egg whites.
Getting There & Away
Poro is connected to Pagijan Island via paved road, and visitors are more likely to visit on a daytrip than stay overnight. Fast-craft ferries depart Poro twice daily and can reach Cebu in around 2 hours. The other option is to drive to Pagijan and catch a boat to Cebu (anywhere from 2 to 4 hours). Cebu’s airport is second only to Manila’s and enjoys international links to cities across Asia.