Discover Romblon’s hidden gem: Navigating to the island of Simara

Visit Simara
3 min readMay 13, 2023

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Corcuera Port will be your main jump-off point when you arrive in the island. Photo taken by D. Falceso via visitsimara.com

Corcuera, know locally as Simara, is a small island located in the province of Romblon in the Philippines. Known for its pristine beaches, crystal clear waters, and colorful marine life, Corcuera is a true paradise for travelers seeking a tropical getaway.

COMMUTING FROM MANILA
Learn to love the sea. Simara is an island, so prepare to do some MAJOR island hopping. The trip is worth it so worry no more! We are here to guide you. (This guide is also updated for pandemic time travels)

There are two ways (we recommend) how to go to Simara. One is via Batangas City or Lucena City routes. We will be covering both (ONE-WAY ROUTES) thru a table so that we can help you in choosing which one to be into.

If it is a peak season or a holiday, get there in ADVANCE

via Lucena City.

(M/W/S. 2 transfers. Php 1500)

  1. Get on a bus in PITX or Buendia going to Lucena. This bus can take you up until the port. Just tell the driver you will get off at “Dalahican Port”.
  2. The RoRo (Star Horse Shipping Lines) leaves at 4PM so best time to leave from Manila is 10AM.
    IMPORTANT NOTE: They only offer FREE SEATING arrangement so, be ready if there are many passengers you need to be quick. It is also possible for car owners to bring their vehicles.
    You will arrive in Simara at around 1AM.

PROS and CONS
PROS: (1) This is far the shortest and fastest route to get on specially on waiting times. (2) You will spend less for this trip than the via Batangas route.
CONS: (1) If you are commuting, the bus ride can take longer because you will be passing through towns, so expect along of stopping. (2) They only offer FREE SEATING arrangement so, be ready if there are many passengers you need to be quick. It is also possible for car owners to bring their vehicles. (3) You should be very lucky if you have a bunk bed or else you will be sitting throughout the trip.

via Batangas City.

(Everyday. 4 transfers. Php 2200)

  1. Get on a bus in PITX or Buendia going to Batangas Pier.
  2. Get a ticket for a RoRo. You have several options here:
    2.1 Montenegro Shipping Lines leaves at 5PM (ETA 2AM)
    2.2 Starlite Ferries leaves at 6PM (ETA 3AM)
    2.3 2go Travel leaves at 9PM (ETA 5AM) Online booking is possible
  3. Get on a ride (van) to CALATRAVA (1.5 hours). You will be waiting for a LOOOOONG time depending on the RoRo vessel you get on to. The pumpboat to Simara leaves at 11AM .
    You will arrive in Simara at around 12 PM

PROS and CONS
PROS: (1) This route is best to be chosen if you will explore Tablas Island first so that you won’t end up TOO EXHAUSTED from traveling. (2) You can plan through online bookings.
CONS: (1) It will take you a whole day and a half worth of traveling, depending on your chosen RoRo. (2) This route is crowded during peak season, like packed-full of people.

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Visit Simara has one objective: To document the experiences of people who go to our island. We are a private initiative aiming to help tourists discover our #islangkaguganda. Designed by dazmo.

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Guiding you into your Simara experience.