Getting around Bantayan Island – tricycle, habal-habal, scooter and bike.

Bantayan is small and flat, so you never travel far. Short trips are usually done by tricycle, and many visitors rent a scooter for a day to see the north. Tricycles have no meters: you agree on the price first and pay in cash. Prices on this page come from 2026 travel guides and have not been checked on the island yet. i

Your options at a glance

iSources & checks · 6 facts

Grab and other ride apps: generally not available on the island (one source). Some resorts include a port pickup – ask when you book. i

Tricycles

A tricycle is a motorbike with a covered sidecar. Drivers wait just past the gate at Santa Fe port, and you can stop one on the main road in all three towns. i

The ride from the port to a resort in Santa Fe takes 5–20 min. For a day of sights without riding yourself, a half-day tricycle tour is the easy choice – see the itinerary ideas. i

1. Tell the driver where you want to go.
2. Ask the price for the whole trip and say whether you share or want the whole tricycle.
3. Pay in cash at the end, with small bills.

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Habal-habal (motorbike taxi)

A habal-habal is a motorbike where you ride on the back seat. It is quick and gets down narrow paths, but it takes only one passenger with a small bag – the law allows one back rider. In April 2026 the province gave aid to 192 habal-habal drivers (Bantayan 67, Santa Fe 9, Madridejos 116) on the island, so you will find them in every town. Prices vary a lot – about ₱30–200 per ride (guides differ widely) – so agree before you get on, and wear a helmet: the law covers back riders too. i

Renting a scooter or motorbike

Scooters cost about ₱250–500 a day, most often ₱300–400, fuel extra. You rent them through your resort or from small rental shops in Santa Fe. Fuel is usually not included. i

• Check the scooter: take photos or a video of every scratch before you ride off, so nobody blames you later.
• Helmet: the law requires one for every motorcycle driver and back rider, on every trip – tricycle drivers are exempt. Ask for two helmets if you ride with a passenger.
• Licence: a foreign driving licence is valid for 90 days from arrival, but only for the vehicles it covers – to ride a scooter, your licence must include motorcycles. After that you need a Philippine licence from the LTO. A licence in another language needs an official English translation.
• Fuel: OpenStreetMap shows 9 fuel stations – in Santa Fe, around Bantayan town and in Madridejos. Small roadside stalls also sell petrol in bottles.
• Cash: you pay rent and fuel in cash. See money & ATMs.

iSources & checks · 3 facts

Driving without a helmet costs ₱1,500 the first time, ₱3,000 the second, ₱5,000 the third, and ₱10,000 plus loss of the licence from the fourth time (RA 10054). In December 2025 the LTO banned a German tourist from driving for a year after he kept driving on his foreign licence after the limit ran out (in Iloilo, not on Bantayan). i

Cars and bicycles

• Car: one travel guide describes car rental as uncommon on Bantayan; a scooter or tricycle gets you everywhere. Groups can ask their resort about a multicab or van with a driver; one 2026 guide lists a multicab group tour at about ₱3,000–3,500 per group (one source).
• Bicycle: some resorts rent bikes for about ₱100–150 a day. The island is flat, but you share the road with motorbikes and tricycles, so ride in daylight.

iSources & checks · 2 facts

Travel times on the island

Kota Beach is about 2 km by road from Santa Fe port. Santa Fe → Bantayan town and Kota Beach → Kota Park are based on our own route measurement on OpenStreetMap data (November 2026); Santa Fe → Madridejos comes from travel guides. A day plan for the north loop is on the itinerary page. i

Safety on the road

• After dark: avoid unlit roads, and arrange your ride back in advance – one guide reports fewer tricycles late at night.
• Rough tracks: the roads to remote beaches can be unpaved and bumpy. Ride slowly, especially with a passenger.
• Weather: rain makes roads slippery; check weather & tides before a long ride.
• Emergency: call 911. More on safety & emergency.

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