Malapascua Lighthouse

The lighthouse sits at Malapascua’s northern tip, reached by a trail that cuts through the island’s interior — coconut groves and a handful of sitios before the land opens onto exposed coastline and the light structure itself. It’s a working navigation aid rather than a restored heritage piece, so don’t expect interpretive signage; the draw is the vantage point, not the tower.

Malapascua’s economy runs almost entirely on diving — the island is one of the few places in the world with a reliable shore-accessible site for thresher sharks, at Monad Shoal a short boat ride out, and that single species has shaped the whole northern-tip tourism economy since the late 1990s. The lighthouse trail follows roughly the same coastline the dive boats work, just from above.

• Start the hike in the late afternoon to reach the point for golden hour rather than midday heat.
• The trail is informal — sandals work, but reef-safe footwear helps on the rockier stretches near the top.
• Combine with a Monad Shoal dive or snorkel trip if diving is part of the itinerary; it’s the reason the island has an economy at all.

Explore More in North Cebu Mainland

• Nailon Beach
• Ogtong Cave Bantayan
• Salag Hanging Bridge