Palaui Island Protected Landscape and Seascape

Lore & Background

Palaui Island lies off the northwestern part of a large promontory in San Vicente, Santa Ana, Cagayan. It is approximately 7 kilometers at its longest and about 3 kilometers at its widest, with a moderately high terrain. The western shore appears bold, while the eastern side has a reef projecting 2.4 kilometers, with the edge 0.8 kilometers from the small islet of Escucha. The rocky Dos Hermanos Islets lie off Cape Engaño, the northern point, and Gran Laja Island is a low rock islet northeast off Palaui. At the southwest end is Puerto Point, a high wooded bluff, and south of Palaui is Rona Island, low and wooded with a white base of sand and rocks.

Reader's Guide

Palaui Island Protected Landscape and Seascape holds significance as a national park and marine reserve that protects 21 commercial fish species and 50 hectares of undisturbed corals, as well as serving as a sanctuary for 90 migratory birds. Its tourism appeal is highlighted by the Cape Engaño Lighthouse at the northern point and its inclusion in CNN's World's 100 Best Beaches list, noted for its 'raw beauty.' The island won the ASEAN Community-Based Tourism Award for 2019-2021, recognizing sustainable tourism efforts by the Palaui Environmental Protectors Association. In popular culture, it was used as a filming location for Survivor: Blood vs. Water and Survivor: Cagayan in 2013. The Port of San Vicente on the Cagayan mainland provides access, with docking areas at Punta Verde and Engaño Cove. Its legacy lies in balancing conservation with community-based tourism.

Did You Know?

• Palaui Island was declared a Protected Landscape and Seascape on August 28, 1994.
• The island is a sanctuary for 90 migratory birds.
• It was used as a filming location for Survivor: Blood vs. Water and Survivor: Cagayan in 2013.
• The island won the ASEAN Community-Based Tourism Award for 2019.