Provinces & Destinations - Batanes

Capital : Basco

Area and Location
Batanes is the Philippine's northernmost province, lying in a vast expanse of water where the Pacific Ocean on the east merges with the South China Sea on the west. Its other boundaries are Bashi Channel on the north and Balintang Channel on the south. Its capital town of Basco is about 280 kilometers north of Aparri, Cagayan on the northern tip of Luzon Island . Though some 860 km north of Manila , it is only 190 km south of Taiwan . Batanes has a total land area of 230 sq. km.

Geographic Profile
Batanes is made up of three major islands, Batang, Sabtang and Itbayat and seven islets including Y'ami, the northernmost point of the Philippines . Although its land area is small, its territorial waters is vast, about 4,500 sq. km. The terrain is quite rugged, with 42% of the land being steep hills and mountains. All the islands have intermittent stretches of sandy beaches and rocky shorelines.

WHAT TO SEE

Itbayat Island
Itbayat
North of Batan, Itbayat is shaped like a giant bowl. The island is surrounded by massive boulders and cliffs rising from 20-70 feet above sea level with no shorelines.

Marlboro Country
Batan Island
Marlboro Country offers one a chance to see wide open spaces where there are almost no people in the area. In fact, the major inhabitants in the site are cows that are let loose by the owners. One can also see panoramic landscapes and seascapes dominating a good portion of the views in the area.

Mt. Iraya
Basco
Mt. Iraya is a dormant volcano standing at 1,517 meters above sea level whose last eruption was last recorded in 505AD. It is also a good source of fertile soil.

Naidi Hills
Basco
Naidi Hills offer one a panoramic view of the town proper of Basco, Mt. Iraya , and the rugged sea scapes that Batanes is famous for.

Sabtang Island
Sabtang
Sabtang Island is an undisturbed and unspoiled island that has intermittent white sand beaches with steep mountains and deep canyons with small level areas sporadically found along the coastline.

San Carlos Borromeo Church
Mahatao
This church was completed in 1789 and still retains its centuries-old features.

San Jose Church
IvanaThis church was built in 1814. It has a crenellated fortress-like campanile.

Y'ami
Northernmost island of the province
Y'ami is the northernmost island of Batanes and is also called the Orchid Island . One can see Taiwan on a clear day.