Island Hopping In Burias ~ The Verga Island

After our lunch, it was time for us to pack up our things and leave the island of Sombrero. Based on our original itinerary, we were supposed to visit the Alibijaban island in Quezon but we had a sudden change of plans. Our “bangkero” gave us a much interesting offer that we simply can’t resist. He promised to take us to two more islands in Burias and one of which is rarely visited by travelers. We were all intrigued by this island called “Castillo” but before heading to this unspoiled paradise, we were taken to another island which is equally stunning ~ The Verga Island

I really love the fact that each island offers different characteristics. Snake Island, for an instance, offers that unique rugged structure while Animasola boasts its picture-worthy rock formations. Tinalisayan Island is proud of its Sand bars while Sombrero has become the traveler’s favorite camp site. Not to mention the Iniwaran island and its natural caves!

So what makes Verga Island so special and distinctive from the other islands we visited? For me, if there is a perfect term or name to describe this Island, the Island of Life could fit so well.  Simply because we were welcomed by an overwhelming amount of marine creatures here. The shallow shore is painted with green because of the corals and other marine plants. We spotted so many sea creatures from starfish to sea urchins.

The rocky shore of Verga Island. Unfortunately, I cannot find any details about the island and why it is named such and it was not even included in San Pascual’s promotional vouchers but one thing is clear, Verga Island is definitely another treasure and a hidden gem of Burias.

Before leaving our boat and exploring the island, our generous bangekeros (boatmen) treated us with these freshly captured squid. It was my first attempt to eat a grilled squid (with no spices or anything to enhance its flavor).
Verga may not have that fine white sand much like in Tinalisayan and Sombrero but you can still appreciate its unspoiled beauty.
A sea sponge?
A jellyfish lost its way on the shore
It’s funny that i spotted so many strange marine creatures that i am not really aware of haha
And there goes my first encounter with a sea urchin!

Good thing we were given enough time to swim in Verga and also to explore the island
The green shore of Verga Island is indeed a sight to behold but if you really want to enjoy your visit in full extent and if you are up for a challenge and thrill, then you must try something more adventurous that this island is known of ~ cliff diving!

Reaching the diving spot requires a minor trek and you can see the huge amount of people (both travelers and locals) lining up and waiting for their turn to jump off that cliff.

The cliff was not that high compare to what we saw from Iniwaran and you can see the crystal clear water and its sandy bottom from the jump point. It wasn’t that deep either.

Cliff diving has been on my bucket list for a long time and I never get enough courage to fulfill such and now that I am finally just few walks away to prove that I can do it, my fear conquered and swallowed me in the very last minute. I stepped back and just satisfy myself watching others fearlessly jumping off that cliff and that’s one thing I really regret of not doing during our island hopping adventure in Burias


The clear blue water and the stunning view from the summit of Verga island
You can actually spot the Island of Sombrero from here

Verga Island didn’t fail us at all. I may not able to experience that cliff diving activity in this island, i was greatly satisfied by its beauty.

How to Get to Burias Island
►This tour was actually hosted by a travel agency so we didn’t need to do anything as the driver will do the rest of the job going to Burias but if you are planning to go here via public transportation, here are the details you should know.
►If you are going to take the Port of San Andres , Quezon, the Superlines buses have direct trips to San Andres (via Unisan) (check the schedules of their trips here). Once you get to the town proper of San Andres, you need to ride a tricycle and ask the driver to take you to the San Andres Port. From there, you can charter a boat for your island hopping tour. As far as I know, the boat can be rented for 7,000 and above (depends on the number of islands you want to visit and also the number of days you want to stay). The amount is good for at least 10 pax

Where To Stay in Burias
►We stayed for a night in Sombrero Island island. The place is ideal enough to accommodate many tourists. There are decent open and closed type cottages in the island and as well as resto and stores. They also have clean comfort rooms and electricity in the island. Cellphone have signals too!
►If you are looking for Hotels in Masbate, you can check the suggested list here

After exploring the Verga Island, we were finally taken to Castillo Island, a place that is rarely visited by the tourists! It’s true that we saved the best for last and Castillo gave us more than what we expect! It turns out to be the best destination we have visited in Burias and I am going to share the rest of our wonderful experience in this paradise in my next and last #IslandHoppingInBurias entry

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Feel free to watch this video summary below and don’t forget to subscribe!

Just in case you missed my previous entries, feel free to check them here

►Island Hopping In Burias ~ Prologue
►The Islang Dapa / Snake Island
►A Glimpse of Iniwaran Island / Templo Island
►Animasola Island
►Tinalisayan Island and Sand Bar
►Sombrero Island
►Verga Island
►Castillo Island