Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Spanish forts, a cathedral built in 1726 and breathtaking views across the Romblon
Strait from Sabang lighthouse
Romblon Town
One of the most attractive towns in the Philippines, low-rise
ROMBLON TOWN
, the
provincial capital, sits at the back of a deep, tortuous bay, with red-roofed houses lining
the water's edge and thickly jungled hills behind. Happily dozing in the balm of a more
sedentary age, the town feels a few centuries behind the rest of the Philippines. In the
mornings all you can hear is cockerels and in the afternoons almost everything stops for
a siesta, stirring again at 3pm when the worst of the heat has gone from the sun and
children can play along the shore.
The town has a few sights, all reachable on foot. Slap in the middle, overlooking
the quaint little Spanish plaza, is
St Joseph's Cathedral
, a richly atmospheric
seventeenth-century church where almost everyone in town turns out for Mass on
Sunday at 8am and on weekdays in the early evening. On the seafront are the remains
of
Fort San Andres
and
Fort San Pedro
, reminders of the risk Romblon Town once faced
from pirates.
6
Beaches and resorts
There are good beaches with very simple hut accommodation on the coast near
Lonos
,
3km south of Romblon. Around 500m long,
Bonbon Beach
is accessed from the road
between Romblon and Lonos, and has a gently sloping ocean floor that makes it safe
for swimming. A little south of here,
Tiamban Beach
is a short stretch of white sand
flanked by palm trees and wooden shacks. Further still, a number of resorts have
sprung up along the stretch of coast from Tiamban south to
Ginablan
and the nearby
barangay of
San Pedro
.
INFORMATION
ROMBLON ISLAND
Tourist information
There's a helpful tourist o
ce
(Mon-Fri 8am-noon & 1-4pm;
T
042 507 2202,
W
romblonprov.gov.ph) in the Provincial Capitol Building
in Romblon Town, a short tricycle ride from the pier.
ACCOMMODATION AND EATING
ROMBLON TOWN
Blue Ridge Hotel
Gov Fetalvero Ave
T
0919 991 8132.
A few minutes' north of sister hotel
Romblon Plaza
, this
small place near the market has
clean,
comfortable rooms
with stylish furnishings and TVs.
P1200
Republika Bar & Restaurant
Near the ferry pier.
Cosy
place to sample
surprisingly good Western favourites,
including pizzas and fresh fruit shakes. Daily specials
including chicken and mushroom pie with mash, vege-
tables and gravy (P250).
Daily 7am-9pm.
Romblon Deli
Near the ferry pier.
Almost next door to
Republika
, this welcoming place has great food and reliable
travel information. British owner Dave and his wife Tess
offer a taste of Blighty for homesick Brits in the form of
bangers and mash (P210), fish and chips (P195) and some
good old-fashioned northern hospitality.
Daily 7am-9pm.
Romblon Plaza
Roxas St
T
042 507 2269.
Set one block
back from the pier, this four-storey building has several
categories of room, from en-suite doubles to superior
suites, also with private bathroom (P1400). The hotel has
its own very pleasant rooftop restaurant
with da
ily specials,
including some delicious fresh seafood.
P1000
TIAMBAN BEACH
Tiamban Aqua Club
T
0939 509 1901,
W
emc.com
.ph/tiambanp.
Well-run place with native-style cottages
right on lovely Tia
mban
Beach, many with shady verandas
and sunset views.
P800
SAN PEDRO
San Pedro Beach Resort
Brgy San Pedro
T
0928
273 0515.
A few minutes' drive south of Ginablan, this
charming, relaxing hideaway has cottages nestled along
a hillside overlooking sandy Talipasak Beach. There's home
cooking in the restau
rant a
nd staff can arrange island-
hopping and trekking.
P700
ELSEWHERE ON THE ISLAND
Cabanbanan Dive Resort
On the north coast
T
0910
283 7612,
W
romblon-isl.com.
Only accessible by a 30min
boat ride from Romblon (free for pre-booked guests or
P300), this place offers pretty little huts nestled into the
undergrowth set back from the beach. It's quite remote
but there's a resta
urant,
dive shop and a free daily transfer
to Romblon Town.
P800
