Seco Island is a little island off the west coast of Panay island in the middle of the ocean, miles from land and civilization, with the kind of pristine beauty that can only be discovered in isolation. Indeed, God has a way of keeping His finest works safe, and that involves putting them in inaccessible places. Seco Island, which is located offshore of Tibiao, Antique, is one of them. In the native language, “Seco” translates to “elbow,” and aerial photographs of the island show it to have the appearance of an elbow as it floats in clean, green, and blue waters.
People who have traveled there by sea say the trip takes between 2.5 and 3 hours. Only approximately 1.5 hours of ours was usable, so we’re impressed (less than 2 hours). Moreover, in contrast to the majority of online accounts of the trip to the island, ours was described as “smooth and serene.” Others have gone so far as to call it a “traumatizing” experience.
Nearest Airport: Caticlan Airport (Godofredo P. Ramos Airport); Kalibo International Airport; Iloilo International Airport (Cabatuan Airport)
Since flights to Caticlan tend to be pricey, most travelers opt to go to Kalibo instead. There are buses leaving from Kalibo that will take you to San Jose; just let the driver know that you need to get out at Culasi. The trip will cost about P120 and take about two hours.
Note: This is a Marine Protected Area, so camping activities are regulated.
Surrounded by white sand, Seco Island is easily explorable on foot in under an hour; the beach is littered with dried corals and shells. Newly caught fishes by the fishermen are for sale to tourists.
Seco Island was once a safe haven for seafarers who needed to wait out storms before continuing their fishing trips. Some fishermen still go there to dry their catch in the sun. The island is a pristine patch of white sand in the middle of the ocean; there is no infrastructure, no trees, and certainly no vendors.
Yahoo Philippines named Seco Island one of the best five kiteboarding spots in the Philippines, highlighting the island’s natural beauty. If you want to move up in kiteboarding, you’ll need to be in Category 3.
The island’s reliably strong winds can lift kite surfers 50 to 150 feet into the air, and the clear, shallow water dotted with sandbars is ideal for practicing aerials and other feats. Since these gusts are far stronger than those in Boracay, kite surfers are increasingly making the trek from Boracay to Seco Island.
Kiteboarders, especially experts, can easily return to civilization after quenching their need for adventure on a secluded island during the average 4-and-a-half-hour beautiful voyage from Boracay to Seco Island.
NOTE: Take your trash back to the mainland so it can be properly disposed of. The island’s natural beauty will be preserved greatly thanks to your small effort.
Or, if you decide to check out Palawan, our small family operation organizes private custom boat tours through the Palawan area, voted the best island in the world, with its 52 pristine white sand beaches and some of the clearest waters in the world.
Experience the thrill of island hopping in the Philippines
