Nalusuan & Hilutungan Sandbars (2026): Mactan Island Hopping Guide

TL;DR: Nalusuan and Hilutungan are two marine-sanctuary islets off Mactan, reachable only by boat, and they’re the backbone of almost every Mactan island-hopping tour. Sanctuary fees run ₱150-250 at Hilutungan and ₱300-400 at Nalusuan (about US$3-7), paid separately from your boat fare. A shared island-hopping tour costs ₱1,500-2,700 per person; a private boat runs ₱6,000-10,000 for the day, split among your group. The snorkeling is solid, not spectacular — go for the easy half-day out of Mactan and the sandbar photos, not for world-class reef. Verified July 2026.

If you’re based in Mactan and want a half-day on the water without committing to a full South Cebu trip, Nalusuan Island Marine Sanctuary and Hilutungan Marine Sanctuary are the default answer. Both are small islets a short bangka ride from Mactan’s east coast, both are protected no-take marine sanctuaries with a resident reef, and both show up on nearly every “Mactan island hopping” tour listing you’ll find. This guide is for travelers deciding whether to book one of those tours, what the two stops actually deliver underwater, and what the fees and boat costs really look like once you’re past the marketing photos. It’s not a wreck-diving or sardine-run guide — for that, look at Moalboal or Malapascua. This is the easy, close-to-the-airport version of island hopping, and it’s worth knowing exactly what you’re paying for before you book.

What Are Nalusuan and Hilutungan, Exactly?

They’re two separate marine-protected islets near Mactan, each with its own sanctuary and its own entrance fee, usually visited together on the same boat trip.

Nalusuan is a small privately-managed island with a resort, a fish sanctuary you can view from a boardwalk over the reef, and a sandbar that’s swimmable at high tide and walkable at low tide. Hilutungan (also spelled Gilutungan) is a barangay-managed marine sanctuary a bit further out, known for a longer-established no-take zone with denser coral and a better shot at seeing schooling fish. Neither has overnight facilities aimed at tourists in the way Malapascua or Camotes do — most people see both in a single day trip.

How Do You Get to Nalusuan and Hilutungan?

You go by hired outrigger boat (bangka) from a departure point on Mactan’s east coast — there’s no public ferry or walk-on option.

Boats typically leave from areas like Marigondon or Angasil in Lapu-Lapu City, and the crossing to either island takes roughly 20-40 minutes depending on the exact departure point and sea conditions. Nearly everyone books this as part of a packaged tour rather than arranging a boat independently, since per-person boat costs drop fast once you’re splitting a hire with a group. If you’re staying in Mactan, most tour operators will pick you up from your resort; if you’re coming from Cebu City or Mandaue, expect an extra transfer fee (commonly around ₱1,000) tacked onto the package.

What Do the Sanctuary Fees Actually Cost?

Expect roughly ₱150-250 at Hilutungan and ₱300-400 at Nalusuan per person, paid on top of whatever you paid for the boat or tour package.

These are municipality- and operator-set fees that change without much notice — confirm at booking and again at the gate. Verified July 2026.

Is the Snorkeling Actually Good?

It’s decent — worth doing if you’re already in Mactan, but not a reason to fly to Cebu on its own.

Hilutungan generally gets the better reviews: it’s been a protected sanctuary longer, so the coral cover is denser and you have a real shot at seeing barracuda, reef fish schools, and the occasional turtle. Nalusuan’s reef is more mixed — travelers report patches of healthy coral next to dead or bleached sections, and the water can turn crowded and churned-up once several tour boats anchor at once, usually by mid-morning. Nalusuan’s boardwalk is the redeeming feature for non-swimmers or anyone who wants reef views without getting wet, and its sandbar is genuinely photogenic at low tide.

If your main goal is world-class snorkeling, this isn’t it — that’s Pescador Island and the reefs around Moalboal, or the sardine run further south. Nalusuan and Hilutungan are the convenient, close-to-the-airport version: good enough for a half-day, not a bucket-list dive.

How Does This Fit a Mactan Island-Hopping Tour?

Almost every operator running Mactan island-hopping tours builds the day around these two islets plus one more stop, usually Caohagan.

A typical itinerary leaves Mactan around 8-9 AM, stops at Hilutungan for the first snorkel session, moves to Nalusuan for the sandbar and boardwalk (sometimes with lunch here), and adds a short third stop before heading back by early-to-mid afternoon. Some operators swap in Pandanon (fee around ₱250) or Sulpa (around ₱100) instead of Caohagan. Lunch is usually a barbecue spread cooked on one of the islands or aboard the boat, included in the tour price but not always covering drinks.

For the full breakdown of which operators run this route and how their prices and inclusions compare, see our Mactan island hopping guide and comparison of island-hopping tour operators and prices.

Shared Tour or Private Boat — How Do You Choose?

Go shared if you’re traveling solo, in a pair, or on a budget; go private if you have a group of 6+ or want control over timing and stops.

A shared tour at ₱1,500-2,700 per person is the cheaper option for one or two travelers, but you’re on someone else’s schedule and sharing the reef with the rest of the boat’s group. A private boat costs ₱6,000-10,000 for the day regardless of headcount up to its capacity, which works out cheaper per person once you’ve got five or six people splitting it — and you can ask the boatman to skip a crowded stop or linger longer at a good one. Either way, snorkel gear rental is usually a small add-on (often ₱100-150) if it’s not already bundled into your package, and it’s worth checking that upfront rather than assuming it’s free.

The Honest Take

Nalusuan and Hilutungan are the “starter” version of Cebu island hopping — easy, close to the airport, and fine for a half-day, but not the reef experience that made Cebu’s diving reputation. The water gets busy fast once the mid-morning tour boats arrive, so the quiet-reef window is narrow: first thing in the morning or you’re snorkeling next to four other groups. Nalusuan in particular draws mixed reviews — some travelers call the reef among the best they’ve seen in the Philippines, others call it thin and half-dead, and both are probably describing different patches of the same sanctuary on different days depending on where the boat anchors.

Skip this pairing if you have more than a day in Cebu and can get south to Moalboal or Pescador Island instead — the reef there is genuinely better. Book it if you’re short on time, flying out of Mactan-Cebu International Airport soon, or traveling with kids and non-swimmers who’ll appreciate Nalusuan’s boardwalk and shallow sandbar. Bring reef-safe sunscreen, cash in small bills for entrance fees, and don’t expect the marketing photos’ color saturation — the water’s good, not Boracay-blue.

Book the Tour

Most travelers skip arranging boats and fees separately and just book a packaged half-day tour that bundles pickup, the boat, lunch, and (usually) the sanctuary fees into one price. Compare Mactan island-hopping tours to Hilutungan and Nalusuan on Klook to see current departure times and what’s included before you commit to a shared or private slot.

Sources

• Klook — Hilutungan, Nalusuan, and Caohagan Island Hopping Day Tour (pricing, inclusions)
• Dive Scotty — Nalusuan Island Tours and Hilutungan Island Tours (fees, route, sanctuary background)
• Forever Vacation — Nalusuan Island Marine Sanctuary entrance fee guide
• Cebu Island Hopping Tour — boat rental and package pricing
• Tripadvisor traveler reviews for Nalusuan Island Marine Sanctuary (snorkeling quality, crowding)
• Fees, boat prices, and route details cross-checked against multiple 2025-2026 operator listings; confirm exact current rates locally before booking. Verified July 2026.