Guimaras | Philippines: The Land of the Sweetest Mangoes

Guimaras is an island province in Region 6 (Western Visayas), it is located in between the islands of Panay and Negros. This island is very well known of its sweetest mangoes!

When in Iloilo, you shouldn't miss visiting Guimaras as this is just approximately 15 minutes away from Iloilo by motor boats. Take the motor boats from Ortiz to Jordan to get there. The trip starts as early as 5:30 AM and the last trip back to Ortiz is until 6:30 PM. Motor boat fare is at 14 PHP per way.

We are very glad that we booked a hotel just walking distance to the wharf.

In Guimaras...

When you reach the Jordan port and is unsure where to go first or is maybe confused because the port is a busy place filled with tourists, locals and drivers, don't hesitate to approach the Eco-Tourism Office. The people there are very approachable and very helpful to tell you where to go.

Tell the officers about your trip plan (either you want a land tour, island hopping or both), you can also inform them specific spots that you want to visit. We went to the office with specific locations in mind and preferred only to take the land tour. The Eco-Tourism office seemed to have an interesting take on the tours that we ended visiting all the Land Tour sites.

The Office will also give you transportation options with the corresponding prices:

Tricycle (good for 4 - 5 pax) @ 1,500 PHP

Multicab (good for 10 pax) @ 2,500 PHP

There are other transportation options that you can take, but these are the only ones I remember. Apologies. Haha! To be honest, their tricycle is quite small and is not an ideals means of transportation if you are traveling in a group of 4. There was just 2 of us and it almost felt uncomfortable the entire duration of the trip (my boyfriend is tall) and we just can't fit.

Our tricycle driver has been really nice to us the entire trip or maybe people in Guimaras are really nice in general. They are all accommodating and they do not overcharge.

So basically, our 1,500 PHP land tour includes all the tourist attractions excluding the entrance fee for Roca Encantada and donation for the Guisi Lighthouse. We travelled the island from South to North (or maybe the other way around?) and back to the Jordan Port. The entire trip is approximately 6 to 8 hours.

Land Attractions We Visited

The Smallest Plaza

It is the smallest plaza in the Guinness Book of World Records and remains to be the smallest plaza in the Philippines. I wasn't able to take photos though.

Mango Research Center

It is located in San Miguel, Jordan, Guimaras

The San Lorenzo Wind Farm

The windmills are located in San Lorenzo, Guimaras. They call it the first wind farm in Visayas.

Our Lady of the Philippines Trappist Monastery (i love their souvenir shop too!)

This is the only Trappist monastery in the Philippines. It is located in Jordan, Guimaras. It was founded in 1972 and ran by monks of the Cisterian Order of the Strict Observance. These monks follow the rule of St. Benedict.

Guisi Lighthouse

This lighthouse is a ruin of an 18th Century Spanish parola located at the Guisi Port of Barangay Dolores in Nueva Valencia. It is also the third oldest lighthouse in the entire country!

Roca Encantada or Enchanted Rock

It is located in Buenavista Tow, Guimaras. It is owned by the Lopez clan built on top of the hill and was built in 1910. This has been declared by the National Heritage Institute as a "Heritage House."