Where to stay in Masbate

A budget business hotel right in the centre, a few steps from the banks, the restaurants and the cathedral. Cheap and central is the whole pitch — set expectations at that level.

The Masbate branch of the GV chain found across Visayas and Mindanao: functional, predictable, cheap. The default when you land late and just need a bed near the port.

The launch point for Buntod Reef — the boats to the sandbar leave from in front of the resort, so staying here removes the morning logistics entirely.

Small guesthouse on the boulevard, on the walking side of town — sunset on the baywalk is a two-minute stroll and the grill stalls are closer still.

A step up from the budget tier, out on the Boulevard Extension where the newer buildings are. The usual pick for visiting business travellers and government delegations.

Mid-range city hotel with its own restaurant — convenient if you'd rather not go looking for dinner after a long ferry day.

City hotel on Quezon Street with a small water-play area — the one families with kids tend to ask about.

One of the oldest resorts in the province, about 30 minutes from the city along the Nautical Highway. Day cottages, calm dark-sand swimming, and rooms if the afternoon turns into a sunset.

The best-known place to stay on Ticao, and the one divers pick: an on-site dive shop (Big Fins), a private beach and a kitchen guests rate far above the room standard. Remote by design — you arrive by boat and the WiFi comes and goes.

The other Tacdugan option, on the same stretch of coast that faces Ticao Pass. Traditionally the base for liveaboard-style manta trips in season.