By: Nickson Garcia
Melchor is the next island while Baltazar is the farthest. The two remaining islands were not physically explored in absence of safe docking port and strong water current. However, Baltazar was known to have an underwater cave which can be explored with proper diving gears.
These three islands is a destination that tourist of Marinduque should take into consideration. A short boat ride, crystal clear waters and a place far from majority of the tourist. An ideal untold destination for those looking for the new and unusual at the heart of the Philippines.
From February 23 to 25, 2019, the Untold Philippines barkada travelled to a province that oftentimes referred to as "the heart of the Philippines" - Marinduque.
The three day journey centered around exploration of some well known tourism destinations of the province. Maniwaya island, Palad sandbar, Mongpong rock formation and Poctoy beach were amongst the most common destination for tourist that we visited. But the adventure would never be "untold" without exploring some of the best kept secrets of Marinduque.
The untold exploration for Marinduque focused on the municipality of Gasan. A 3rd class municipality in the province bounded by the municipalities of Boac and Buenavista and was the jumpoff point to discover the islands they call Tres Reyes - Melchor, Gaspar and Baltazar island.
Named after the Three Kings of Nativity, these islands can be seen from all over the shores of Gasan. Reaching these islands would start at Brgy. Pinggan. One can hired boats docked at the port and fee would depend on the number of passengers and haggling skills. Circling around these islands, without docking would take about an estimate of less than two (2) hours depending on the water current.
Gaspar is the nearest island from Gasan mainland and home to many of the locales. There are two possible areas to docked. The front area, were the locales resides and the back area were "untold" coves can be enjoyed privately. It would depend on tourist preferences if they want to mingle with locales then front area is recommended. The back area of the island is perfect for those who wants to experience tranquility of like owning a private cove.
You may read other Marinduque 2019 articles here:
1. Mogpog, Marinduque
2. Boac, Marinduque
3. Torrijos, Marinduque
1. Mogpog, Marinduque
2. Boac, Marinduque
3. Torrijos, Marinduque