Is Malapascua Worth Visiting? My Honest Review & Experience in 2025

I visited Malapascua at the beginning of 2025, without it ever really being on my itinerary. I spent about three months in the Philippines, and Malapascua wasn’t even on my radar. Honestly, I hadn’t even heard of it until some fellow travelers mentioned this tiny island where you can dive with sharks.

I was in Siargao when someone brought it up, and that was the first time I thought: huh, diving with sharks? Maybe I should check that one out.

After visiting places like Siquijor and Bohol, I found myself wondering the same thing you probably are right now: Is Malapascua worth visiting?

In this article, I’ll give you my answer to that. Of course, it’s subjective, some people will love Malapascua, others won’t. But I’ll walk you through my own experience, what I liked, what I didn’t, and how I felt about the island overall. Hopefully, it’ll help you decide whether or not it’s worth the journey for you.

And if you’re just here for a quick answer, I’ve dropped that in the next section, so you don’t have to scroll the whole thing if you don’t want to.

Is Malapascua Worth Visiting? My Honest Take (Quick Answer)

Yes, it is. There you go, you can stop reading now.

…Okay, maybe it’s not that simple. I do think Malapascua is worth visiting, if you’re planning to go scuba diving. Seeing thresher sharks (sometimes called fox sharks) is almost guaranteed here, and honestly, it was one of the coolest things I’ve ever done. It’s amazing, intense, and a little terrifying, in the best way possible. These were some of my favorite dives ever, hands down. And that alone makes Malapascua worth the trip. If you’re not certified yet, it’s also a great (and affordable) place to get your open water and advanced open water certification.

If you’re not planning to dive, I wouldn’t go so far as to say Malapascua isn’t worth it, but the diving is definitely the main attraction here. There are some nice beaches, cool snorkeling spots, and when I was there, I got a rare glimpse into local life that I didn’t really experience elsewhere in the Philippines.

So no, it’s not a waste of time, but if diving isn’t on your list, and you’re short on time, there are probably better islands in the Philippines,I would prioritize.

What is Malapascua Like? My Expectations vs Reality

Honestly, I didn’t expect much, but for some reason, I had this picture in my head of Malapascua having a similar vibe to Utila in Honduras. Probably because most of my diving experience comes from there, so I imagined a super chill, small island with cute restaurants, fun backpacker bars, and a cool diving crowd. You know, like most scuba destinations (Koh Tao or the Gili Islands).

But even though the scuba diving here is incredible, the overall vibe of Malapascua isn’t quite the same. At least in the southern part of the island, it’s quite densely populated. What looks like charming little walkways on Google Maps are actually narrow alleys squeezed between high concrete walls, not exactly cute. The whole island feels super local, which is cool in its own way, but apart from the dive tourism, there’s not much else bringing visitors here.

Unfortunately, the island was also very dirty in parts with trash piled up in the streets and even on some beaches. (Not pointing fingers at who’s responsible, just sharing what I saw.) Some beaches were honestly so trashed it was kind of heartbreaking. As for the food scene, there were a few decent places, but nothing I’d rave about.

There are a few cleaner, prettier beaches and some cool little food spots and bars, mostly around the southern strip where most of the dive resorts and schools are based. Some of those resorts are genuinely lovely. But overall, the vibe here just didn’t hit the same as other island diving destinations I’ve visited.

Scuba Diving in Malapascua

Since scuba diving is the main reason I think Malapascua is worth visiting, it deserves its own little section.

I only did one full day of diving while I was there, but that still gave me three dives, and honestly, they were some of the most memorable dives I’ve ever done. I went with Devocean Divers, which I can really recommend. They had decent gear, great instructors, and the whole experience felt super safe and professional. Each dive cost me around $35 USD, which I thought was a pretty good deal.

The focus of the day was the thresher sharks, so all three dives were built around that. We started with two dives at Kimud Shoal, where we saw thresher sharks both times and one even jumped out of the water. It was incredible. We also saw tons of fish and even an octopus, which was a nice bonus.

The third dive was at a different site where there’s a chance of seeing tiger sharks. We didn’t get lucky with those, but honestly, I didn’t even mind. The thresher shark encounters were so wild that they totally made the trip worth it.

There are loads of dive shops and dive resorts on the island, so you’ve got options. I can’t speak for the others, but I had a great experience with Devocean and would definitely go with them again.

What I Loved About Malapascua

• Scuba diving with thresher sharks: Easily one of the coolest and most unique things I’ve ever done. Worth the trip alone.
  
• Snorkeling with baby blacktip reef sharks: Yep, you can actually spot them in shallow waters, and it felt so cool to see them up close.
  
• The slow, local vibe: Life here moves at a different pace. It felt super local and authentic, and way less touristy than other islands in the Philippines.
  
• Beautiful, quiet beaches: Not overly built up, with some stunning sunset spots if you explore a bit.
  
• Affordable diving: Compared to other dive destinations, prices here were very reasonable for the quality of the dives.

What I Didn’t Like About Malapascua

• The amount of trash: Honestly, some beaches were heartbreaking to see, with piles of garbage and evidence of trash burning. It really took away from the beauty of the island in places.
  
• Not much to do besides diving/snorkeling: Fine if you’re here for the underwater stuff, but if you’re not diving, you might get bored quickly.
  
• Limited food options: Here are a few decent restaurants, but overall the restaurant options are pretty basic. It’s manageable for a few days, but don’t expect anything exciting.

Would I come back to Malapascua? My Final Thoughts

So, would I go back to Malapascua? Honestly, probably not, but not because I didn’t enjoy it. I’ve done the thresher shark dives now, and as incredible and unforgettable as they were, I don’t feel the need to go back and do it all over again. There’s just too much else out there in the world to see.

But is Malapascua worth visiting? Absolutely. The scuba diving with thresher sharks is next-level, and even the snorkeling was way more fun than I expected. Sure, there’s not much else to do beyond that, but that’s kind of the point. A few good bars, some decent food spots, and a couple beautiful (clean) beaches were more than enough to keep me happy for a few days.

If you’re into diving or want to get certified, put Malapascua high on your list. You won’t regret it.

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