Virgin island as seen from a boat

Virgin Island – This is a crescent-moon shaped, white sandbar located in Panglao, Bohol. A few trees and mangroves abound the area. The mangroves are just starting to grow. Its sand is white and fine like any other 1st-class, white-sand beaches. There are no inhabitants in the area as the locals say that it submerges completely during high tide. Marine life like starfishes, sea urchins and fishes surround the region where the mangroves are growing (the hollow part of the crescent moon-shape). Crushed shells are also abundant in the shallow area so it is not advisable to swim and walk in this part. The islet is ideal for snorkeling though. The water is clear and deep enough that you can see the marine life thriving there.

White island as seen from the island itself

White Island – This is a small, irregularly-shaped sandbar located in Camiguin. Neither trees nor mangroves are planted here. There are also no inhabitants in the area as the islet also submerges completely during high tide. Its sand is a mixture of fine and coarse, powdery-white granules. Except for small fishes, there are no marine lives visible in the shallow part. There may be areas ideal for snorkeling, but I cannot guarantee what can be seen here since I haven’t tried it. The area is great for swimming as the shallow side is vast and is around 4ft deep (it depends on the tide). Just think of it as a beach with a huge swimming area. An added attraction is the Mt. Hibok-Hibok as background.

So which one is better?

• Swimming: White Island
• Snorkeling: Virgin Island
• Quality of Sand: White Island. It is a close race
• Travel time: White Island. Virgin Island is approximately 50 mins. from Alona Beach while White Island is about 15 mins from Paras
• Size: Virgin Island is larger
• Cleanliness: White Island. Sad to say, there are small litters in Virgin Island. I hope tourists are responsible enough to bring home their trash.
• View: Virgin Island. Both sandbars are magnificent. Virgin Island is best viewed from afar.

Overall, both sandbars are great and can be called a paradise. See for yourself and describe it as ^@#$*@#.