Alibijaban is a small, tadpole-shaped island located off the southeastern coast of the Bondoc Peninsula in Luzon, Philippines. It is part of the coastal town of San Andres in Quezon Province. Primarily known for its pristine mangrove forest and coral reefs, the island has slowly captured the attention of adventure seekers and beach enthusiasts. Alibijaban features white sandy beaches and abundant bird life.

It is interesting to note that the mangrove forest (which boasts at least 22 mangrove species) covered about 140 hectares of the island’s central and northern portions and protected under the National Integrated Protected Areas System as a wilderness area. At the same time, the 225 hectares surrounding water is a habitat to a rich marine life and has been declared a marine protected area as well.

The island is most accessible from the port of San Andres via motorized boat and will only take around 30 minutes of travel time. One may opt to camp in one of its beach areas or may choose to stay at simple homestays. During our visit, we only did a day trip as we were headed to the Burias Group of Islands for an overnight stay.

It may have been a short stay in this promising backpacker destination, but it was sure fun bumming, and snorkeling. Maybe next time I should go for an overnight stay. I’ve heard both the sunrise and sunset are also great at this part of Quezon.

Don’t be a wasted soul, be Juanderlust. Take it easy everyJuan.