Pujada Bay and Island Hopping

Pujada Bay is the big, sheltered bay that Mati City sits at the head of. It opens to the Philippine Sea between two peninsulas, with Pujada Island guarding the entrance. Since 1994 it has been a protected area, the Pujada Bay Protected Landscape and Seascape, covering about 21,200 hectares of water and coast.

Prices, fees and schedules in this guide were checked in October 2026. They change often, so use them as a guide and confirm with the operator or venue before you go.

The bay has coral reefs, seagrass beds and mangroves, and four islands: Pujada Island, Uanivan (locally Waniban), and the small sandy islets of Oak and Ivy. It has also been listed by the Most Beautiful Bays in the World club, along with Mati's Mayo and Balete bays.

A day on the bay suits families, groups of friends, snorkellers and anyone who wants a slow day on the water with white sand stops. The water is much calmer than the open sea at Dahican.

It is harder on solo travellers with a tight budget, because you hire the whole boat. It also depends on the weather, so keep a spare day if island hopping is the main reason you came.

A typical day runs from about 9am to 4:30pm: Pujada Island first, then Oak Island, then Waniban.

Pujada Island

The largest island, at the mouth of the bay, covered in bush and trees, with a small lighthouse at its south-eastern end. The caretaker collects an island fee of about ₱50 to ₱75 per person.

Photo: JuanPiso, CC BY-SA 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Oak and Ivy islands

Two small sandy islets south-east of Pujada Island, ringed by reef that dries at low tide, when Oak turns into a sandbar. Expect sand and shallow water, not shade or facilities.

Waniban (Uanivan) Island

On the eastern side of the bay, close to the Guang-Guang peninsula and across from Barangay Tamisan. It is the best-known swim stop and usually the last of the day.

Which islands you can land on, and for how long, depends on the tide, the weather and the rules in the protected area. Your boat operator will know what is open on the day.

Boats leave from Pier One in Sitio Batiano, Barangay Tamisan, not from the Dahican side. A tricycle from the city to Tamisan costs about ₱150 to ₱200. Island hopping here is run by private operators, three main ones, and you book with one of them directly or through your resort.

Expect about ₱3,500 to ₱4,000 for the whole boat for a full day, carrying 10 to 15 people (2025 rates). Before you set off, agree which islands are included, how long you will be out, and whether snorkel gear and life jackets come with it. There should be a life jacket on board for everyone.

Pujada Bay holds 25 genera of hard and soft corals, plus nine of the Philippines' sixteen seagrass species. Snorkel around the islands on calm, sunny days near high tide.

Don't stand on coral or seagrass, don't feed the fish, and don't take shells, sand or coral. This is a protected seascape, and the rules apply to everyone.

Photo: Patrickroque01, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Water, food if your trip does not include lunch, sun protection, a hat, a dry bag for your phone, reef shoes and cash for the island fee. There is little or no shade on the sandbars.

Go early. The water is calmer in the morning, and the waves build in the afternoon, especially on the run out to Oak Island. March to early May is the calmest window of the year.

Mati gets rain all year, heaviest from May to July and in November. The Pujada Bay Festival in mid-June celebrates the bay with events on and around the water, and boats are busier then.

Photo: Amenah555, CC BY-SA 4.0 via Wikimedia Commons

Check the weather

If the sea is rough or a weather advisory is up, operators may cancel. Don't push a boatman to go out in poor conditions.

Rubbish

Take everything back with you, including food scraps and plastic.

Pair it

Walk the Sleeping Dinosaur ridge at sunrise on another morning, and save a lazy afternoon for Dahican Beach.

How do you book island hopping in Mati?

Through one of Mati's private boat operators, either directly or through your resort. Boats leave from Pier One in Sitio Batiano, Barangay Tamisan.

How much does island hopping cost?

About ₱3,500 to ₱4,000 for the whole boat for a full day (2025), shared by up to 10 to 15 people, plus about ₱50 to ₱75 each for Pujada Island.

Which islands are in Pujada Bay?

Pujada Island, Uanivan (Waniban), and the sandy islets of Oak and Ivy.

Is Pujada Bay protected?

Yes. It has been a protected landscape and seascape since 1994.

Is Pujada Bay good for snorkelling?

Yes, on calm days around the islands, with corals and seagrass beds.

Back to the Mati travel guide. Nearby: Dahican Beach, the Sleeping Dinosaur and Mati City.