Santa Fe Municipality

santa fe municipality

Beach facilities in Santa Fe, Bantayan Island

santa fe municipality on bantayan island

Santa Fe Municipality is one of Bantayan Island’s municipalities of Cebu Province, Visayas, the Philippines.

Bantayan Island is one of the most popular islands of Cebu. On that island, Santa Fe is the most popular due to its white and long stretches of sandy beach. It is where many resorts are located welcoming guests from both local and international travelers.

Santa Fe is considered a fourth class municipality of Bantayan Island, Cebu. The island has almost 30 thousand inhabitants based on the 2015 census. It is in the southeastern part of Bantayan Island.

The southeastern side of Bantayan has satellite smaller islands (or islets) namely Guintacan (Kinatarkan), Hilantagaan, and Hilantagaan Diot.

Santa Fe is considered the gateway to Bantayan Island and its smaller islands mainly due to its airport and main ferry port.

sources of income

The Municipality of Santa Fe has only a small-scale industry, and it is supported by fishing and agriculture.

However, during holidays (notably during the Holy Week of the Christian calendar), people flock to the area (and the whole island) mostly to spend their break from work to enjoy with friends and families on resorts’ beaches and other relaxing places and activities.

Of course, during non-holidays, you can also see some locals but mostly international or foreign guests enjoying the services of the popular resorts in Santa Fe area. In fact, not all resorts and services are being run by locals but also expats who married to Islanders.

In 2015, including some islands in the southeastern Cebu area, Santa Fe was severely devastation and was in a havoc due to Typhoon Yolanda (or Haiyan). It was estimated that Santa Fe suffered about 90 percent.

barangays of santa fe

Santa Fe Municipality of is composed of only 10 barangays (a political unit) which are quite small compared to most of the municipalities in the entire Cebu Province. Here are the barangays:

Balidbid, Hagdan, Hilantagaan, Kinatarkan, Langub, Maricaban, Okoy, Poblacion, Pooc, and Talisay

View of Santa Fe Beach Club, Bantayan Island

general physical features & facilities

Santa Fe is mostly flat area and has the temperate, tropical climate.
At present, there is no national road but the only rural road, municipal road and barangay road which stretches up to over 38 kilometers.

Ports
There is an airport but still under construction. However, small planes and helicopters come and go although not regularly and depending on the incoming passengers.

The ferry port is the most common entrance to the island especially guests coming from mainland Cebu or Cebu City.

There are elementary schools, but higher levels are not quite available at this time. There is a public market, multi-purpose building and recreation areas/centers as well.

mode of transportation

There are no buses available in Santa or anywhere on the island. However, there are few Jeepneys, more tricycles (motorbikes with sidecars), trisikads (bicycles with sidecars), and many scooters for rent.

There is a post office, a telephone station, telegraphic station; however, most locals use mobile phones are their principal instrument for long distance communication.

there is a source of power of electricity supported by the local government serving only nine barangays.

The source for drinking water is the ground water.

As a small municipality, Santa Fe does not have big business establishments. The most common business facility are the miscellaneous stores called ‘Sari-Sari’ stores, which sells the most basic products including, canned sardines, cigarettes, candies, bread, biscuits, shampoos, toothpaste/brushes, among other immediate needs.

Of course, there are restaurants, cafeterias, gasoline stations, bakeries, beauty parlors, hardware, dress shops, pharmacies and other small businesses.

raw materials and farm products

In Santa Fe, you can find local products from their farms, poultry or the sea, including:

Bananas, coconuts, bamboos, corn, lagiwliw, chicken, chicken eggs, vegetables, seafood, root crops, stonecraft, etc.

Local Skills and Products
Aside from the professionals working in various local government offices, resorts and establishments, you can also find skilled people doing their craft.

Among many, you can meet weavers (such as mats, etc.), carpenters, masons, fishers, boatmakers, repairmen, shell crafts people, and others.

If locals at Santa Fe Municipality are not doing those mentioned skills above, you can find many of them working at resorts.

Alice Beach, Santa Fe, Bantayan Island

resorts in santa fe area

Please, click the following link to discover the resorts and such properties that offer beach and sea activities and relaxing accommodation.

Alice Beach, Santa Fe

Or, simply type into the Search Box below to quickly see more photos, rates, facilities, etc.

getting to santa fe, bantayan island

Getting to Santa Fe is not quite difficult. You only need to get to Bantayan Island and then take a motorcycle or get picked up by your resort’s service van or car.

To get to Bantayan, please click the link Getting to Bantayan Island to find out more details - presuming that you come from Cebu City.

As a short tip, head for the Cebu North Bus Terminal and take either the air-con or non-aircon bus for Hagnaya Port. At Hagnaya Port you need to take a ferry that will bring you to Santa Fe Port on Bantayan Island.

Thank you for dropping by. Have an excellent travel!

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