There’s a great view of the municipality and the port from the top of the fort.
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Cruising Romblon – 7 Activities You Shouldn’t Miss

Cruising Romblon Island

Almost 3 months ago, I found myself heading towards the acclaimed “Marble Capital of the Philippines” thanks to PHILTOA’s Cruising Romblon leg. Here are seven activities you shouldn’t miss when in Romblon:

Romblon Capital by Michelle Sarte
Romblon Capital by Michelle Sarte

1. Visit marble factories

Before granite even became a thing, marble was king and Romblon is blessed with it. You might be surprised as to how massive the marble excavations are and the equipment used in processing raw marbles. Note that even their road’s side-barriers are made out of marble. So cool!

Hillside by Kix Sarte
Hillside by Kix Sarte
Huge industrial saw to cut slabs of marble at Big J Marble Plant
Huge industrial saw to cut slabs of marble at Big J Marble Plant
Top quality and ready to ship – Ramon Marinas
Top quality and ready to ship – Ramon Marinas

2. SHOP!

Romblon’s marble craft is second to none in the Philippines. Products like ashtrays, mortars, etc. are surprisingly cheap. You can have custom marble works done too. Just inquire at the souvenir shops in the Romblon Shopping Center near Freedom park. It’s just a stone’s throw away from the port.

For sale – KC Perez
For sale – KC Perez
Some commissioned works
Some commissioned works

You may think it’s a hassle to carry loads of marble souvenirs but thanks to 2Go, each passenger has 75 kilos of baggage allowance at 20 x 30 inches in dimensions max. So yeah, hoard away!

3. Food Trip!

We tried JD&G Italian Food (contact: 09178760072) in Brgy. 1 which is also near the town plaza / Freedom Park. Food is authentic Italian, a unique and superb experience indeed!

Pizzeria Food – KC Perez
Pizzeria Food – KC Perez
Hello desserts, goodbye diet!
Hello desserts, goodbye diet!

4. Historical Walk

After the food trip, it’s good to burn the calories up. We made our way to the historical Fuerza de San Andres which is just a brief walk from the Freedom Park. There are 199 steps to the top of the fortress so the heavy meal prior is justified. Reaching the top is well worth the cardio workout!

There’s a great view of the municipality and the port from the top of the fort.
There’s a great view of the municipality and the port from the top of the fort.
Fuerza San Andres – Kix Sarte
Fuerza San Andres – Kix Sarte
Restored – Kix Sarte
Restored – Kix Sarte

5. Church Visit

The picturesque Saint Joseph Cathedral is the oldest Catholic church in the Province of Romblon. It’s where you can find the Nuestra Señor Sto. Niño de Romblon. It was believed that during the Spanish occupation, the conquistadores had misfortunes trying to leave the island with the Sto Nino. On the seventh attempt, they left the image in the chapel altar and they were able to finally set sail. That’s the origin of the Biniray festival where water vessels turn back 7 times in honor of that fateful day.

St. Joseph Cathedral - Philippine Travel Mart.jpg
Saint Joseph CathedralPhilippine Travel Mart
Nuestra Señor Sto. Niño de Romblon – Kix Sarte
Nuestra Señor Sto. Niño de Romblon – Kix Sarte

6. Soak in the beach vibe

This long stretch of crystal clear waters at Barangay Lonos houses several beaches. Jump-off from Tiamban beach as it’s the nearest from the town proper, we then trekked to Margie’s beach and finally to Bonbon beach. Please note these beaches are raw – no establishments put up yet save for Tiamban. Entrance is only at P60 / head.

Tiamban beach sign – KC Perez
Tiamban beach sign – KC Perez
Gnarly rock formations – Kix Sarte
Gnarly rock formations – Kix Sarte
Bon Bon beach landscape – Jenny Picara
Bon Bon beach landscape – Jenny Picara
Nature balancing itself out – Ryam Meimban
Nature balancing itself out – Ryam Meimban
Bon Bon beach sandbar
Bon Bon beach sandbar – Joel Gajudo. It is connected to the uninhabited Bangug Island which you can get to when the tides are low.

7. Rest up

We rested our weary souls from all that walking at the Dream Paradise Mountain Resort in Brgy. Mapula. We were treated like royalty from check-in to check out. We had the chance to meet with Mayor Mariano M. Mateo and the former mayor Gerard S. Montojo before dinner. This place is just relaxing, the amenities are top notch and the food is great. Hats off to Ms. Joy Jacobo for accommodating us.

A dreamy view
A dreamy view – Philippine Travel Mart
Marble Zoo – Kix Sarte
Marble Zoo – Kix Sarte
Romblon set in marble
Romblon set in marble

From marbles, foreign cuisine, historical places, beach fronts and world class resorts – Romblon has surely proven it has more to offer. This is one place to add or bump up on your bucket list. I sure am excited to go back!

Written by Nine Andres

Nine's sort of a weekend warrior if you count Thursdays and Fridays as such. What's keeping her sane from her desk job is her family, her violet hair and her penchant for all things green -- in nature or otherwise.

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