Marinduque Travel Guide
Marinduque Overview
Also known as the “Heart of the Philippines,” the province of Marinduque is an island full of surprises waiting to be discovered by you! When I went there for my 32nd birthday, it was timely because my birthday is also the time of the Moriones Festival!
Geodetically located at the “center of the Philippines,” Marinduque is situated in between Tayabas Bay (North) and Sibuyan Sea (South). It is also found East of Mindoro Island and West of the Bondoc Peninsula of Quezon Province. Marinduque has the GPS Coordinates 13.4767° N, 121.9032° E. The heart-shaped island is also fringed with white sand beaches and numerous islands (ideal for island hopping!)
Read also: Marinduque | Exploring the Heart of the Philippines
Best time to go to Marinduque
Boac Municipal Plaza
Since the Philippines consists mainly of only two major seasons – wet and dry – it is best to visit Marinduque from January to June (dry season). The wet season is from July to December. The average temperature range is from 28 to 30 °C (82.4 – 86 °F).
How to get to Marinduque
Since Marinduque is an island province, the fastest and easiest way, so far, in reaching the island is through land and sea travel.
By Land
- (Option A): Metro Manila to Dalahican Port
There are public utility buses from Metro Manila (Kamias and Buendia terminals) that will take you to the Lucena City Port. From here, you can buy RoRo tickets from the terminal and wait for embarkation instructions.
- (Option B): Metro Manila to Marinduque
JAC Liner is the only bus line that services the Kamias – Marinduque route. You can reserve tickets in advance when going to Marinduque via biyaheroes.com and just print the booking voucher in exchange for a physical bus ticket. It will take you straight to Balanacan Port and the bus will go around the island and will end its route in Sta. Cruz municipality. The only schedule for this trip is only at 1600 H (boarding at 1500 H) in Kamias terminal.
- (Option C): Via Private Car
You can also bring your own car going to Marinduque by boarding the RoRo ships from Lucena Dalahican Port. Certain fees apply apart from your passenger tickets (just ask the ferry liner for vehicle transport fees). Average travel time by land from Manila to Lucena City is 4-5 hours.
By Air
This option is temporarily unavailable as the Marinduque airport in Gasan does not cater to commercial flights yet since the onset of the pandemic. Marinduque Airport is currently undergoing repair and maintenance. Will update you soon if Marinduque Airport (MRQ) will be reopened for commercial travel.
By Water
Balanacan Port
There are two major ports in the island of Marinduque, namely the Balanacan Port in Mogpog and the Balogo Port in Sta. Cruz. Both ports come in and out of the Lucena Dalahican Port. The Port of Buyabod mainly services boats going to and from Maniwaya Island.
Here are some of the boat schedules and fares of the shipping lines going in and out of Marinduque:
Star Horse Shipping Company
Star Horse is one of the major shipping companies that service the Lucena (Dalahican) – Mogpog (Balanacan) route. The travel time is around 3 to 3.5 hours.
| Dalahican Port (Lucena) to Balanacan Port (Marinduque) | Balanacan Port (Marinduque) to Dalahican Port (Lucena) |
| 0230 H | 0630 H |
| 0530 H | 0930 H |
| 1030 H | 1130 H |
| 1430 H | 1430 H |
| 1830 H | 1630 H |
| 2230 H | 1830 H |
| 2130 H |
Star Horse Fares*
| Regular Fare | ₱ 470.00 |
| Student Fare | ₱ 400.00 |
| Senior Citizen Fare | ₱ 335.00 |
| Half Fare | ₱ 235.00 |
*Fares and schedules may change without prior notice! You can e-mail me here so we can dish things up!
Montenegro Shipping Lines
Montenegro Shipping Lines is one of the major RoRo companies in the Philippines. Here are the schedules of their ships going to and from Marinduque. The travel time is around 3 to 3.5 hours:
| Lucena (Dalahican) Port | Mogpog (Balanacan) Port | ||
| 0100 H | 1400 H | 0000 H | 1400 H |
| 0200 H | 1500 H | 0100 H | 1500 H |
| 0300 H | 1630 H | 0200 H | 1600 H |
| 0400 H | 1800 H | 0300 H | 1700 H |
| 0600 H | 1900 H | 0500 H | 1800 H |
| 0700 H | 2000 H | 0600 H | 1900 H |
| 0900 H | 2100 H | 0700 H | 2100 H |
| 1000 H | 2200 H | 0800 H | 2200 H |
| 1100 H | 2300 H | 1000 H | 2300 H |
| 1200 H | 1100 H | ||
Montenegro Shipping Fares (Lucena to Mogpog, vice versa)*
| Regular Fare | ₱ 470.00 |
| Student Fare | ₱ 400.00 |
| Senior Citizen Fare | ₱ 335.00 |
| Half Fare | ₱ 235.00 |
Montenegro Shipping Lines Schedule FAST CRAFT (Lucena to Sta. Cruz, vice versa)*
| Lucena (Dalahican) to Sta. Cruz (Balogo) | Sta. Cruz (Balogo) to Lucena (Dalahican) |
| 0900 H | 0600 H |
| 1500 H | 1200 H |
Montenegro Shipping Fares FAST CRAFT (Lucena to Sta. Cruz, vice versa)*
| Regular Fare | ₱ 570.00 |
| Student Fare | ₱ 485.00 |
| Senior Citizen Fare | ₱ 407.00 |
| Half Fare | ₱ 285.00 |
*Fares and schedules may change without prior notice! You can e-mail me here so we can dish things up!
Things to know about when visiting Marinduque
Luzon Datum of 1911 (The “Heart” of the Philippines)
The total Land Area of Marinduque Island is around 952.60 km², slightly smaller than the island of Guam. The Languages and Dialects spoken here are Marinduqueño, Filipino and English. Cellular Signal (Globe, Smart, Dito) can be Poor to Fair in far-flung areas, and Good to Best when in town propers. The Socket Standard in Marinduque are: Type A (2 parallel pins), Type B (2 parallel pins with 1 round earth pin), and Type C (2 round earth pins). Voltage (V) standard is at 220 V and the frequency (Hz) is at 60 Hz.
The main mode of payment in Marinduque is still cash. But there are also some establishments that accept Online Transfer (Maya / GCash) payment modes and Wire or Bank Transfer (Debit or Credit) as well. The currency used in Marinduque is the Philippine Peso (PH₱).
Famous food and delicacy in Marinduque
Marinduque Dishes:
Manakla
This is a local variety of crayfish abundant especially in the municipality of Torrijos. What I have personally tried is its fried and crispy version. There is also a version of Manakla where it is combined with pakô leaves (like a fresh salad).
Ulang-Ulang
This is a local Marinduque dish consisting of crawfish and young coconut meat. This simple yet flavorful soup dish is a must-try in Marinduque. I have tried the ulang-ulang version of Casa De Don Emilio in Boac.
Adobo sa Gata
Since Marinduque is also a haven for coconut trees, it is imperative that dishes with gata (coconut milk) are also common in the place. This version of adobo is also a must-try in Marinduque.
Kari-Kari
Casa de Don Emilio Restaurant Dishes: (L-R) Fried Rice, Ulang-Ulang, Chicken Curry, Kari-Kari
This is one of the dishes I have been looking forward to tasting when I stepped in Marinduque. The “Kari-karing Marinduque” is likened to the common Filipino dish Dinuguan, but this Marinduque version is a cross between bopis and dinuguan, famous around the island.
Laing / Pinaso sa Gabi
This is Marinduque’s native “laing” version that uses both taro (gabi) leaves and roots.
Tinigang na Sapsap
This is the paksiw version of the island province. Their paksiw is usually dry and it uses small “sapsap” fish as the main ingredient. The sapsap is first usually stewed with souring agents before adding other ingredients.
Marinduque Delicacies:
Arrowroot Cookies (Uraro)
Popularly known as “uraro,” this native delicacy is one of the most popular on the island. These dry, powdery flower-shaped cookies are made from ground arrowroot flour. Rejano’s Bakery is one popular shop selling these cookies, located on the ground floor of The Boac Hotel.
Tinudtod (fried mashed banana)
This native delicacy is also popular in the streets of Marinduque, particularly in Boac. This is a mashed banana fritter fried and best paired or sprinkled with sugar.
Bibingkang Lalaki
This is the version of bibingka found mainly in the municipality of Boac.
Sinalab
This native delicacy is a thin pancake topped with saging na saba, buko slices, and flour that is then dry cooked over a pan
Pinaltok
This is Marinduque’s version of the famous Filipino dessert Bilo-bilo.
Sinagol
This is a buko noodle soup similar to the ulang-ulang
Other delicacies found in Marinduque:
- Kalamay-dampa / kalamay-hati
- Maruya
- Saludsod (pancakes)
- Bibingkang Pinahiran
- Bibingkang Kanin
- Sinaludsod
- Tininta Suman
- Sampililok
- Niyubak (nilupak)
- Cassava Cookies
Exploring in and out of Marinduque
Exploring in and around the island of Marinduque has been easier, thanks to the Roll On-Roll Off ships servicing the Balanacan Port. The main modes of transportation in Marinduque are jeepneys and tricycles. The minimum fares for jeepneys are ₱ 15 (inter-municipality) and ₱ 15-20 for tricycles (depending on the distance). The traffic conditions on the island are light in majority. It can only get congested in the town propers. Road conditions throughout the island are paved and concrete. There are only a few parts where the roads are yet to be paved.
Read also: Marinduque | Exploring the Heart of the Philippines
*Note that the places, prices, and information written as of publication date and time are true and are given best during my visit. Changes may occur without prior notice. If you notice any changes to the information given above, you can e-mail me here so we can dish things up!*
We’re born to travel!
About Aldrick 'chiki' Agpaoa
