Kandaya Resort in Daanbantayan: The Rooms and the Drive
Kandaya is the quiet luxury option at the top of Cebu: villas with their own plunge pools on a long beach in Barangay Agujo, Daanbantayan, about three hours north of the airport. Rooms start from about ₱10,000 a night and the beach pool villas from about ₱19,500. The point is the privacy and the pool outside your door, not nightlife; for that, Malapascua is a boat ride away.
It opened in 2014, closed for about a year after typhoon damage and the pandemic, and reopened in March 2021. Recent guest reviews run through September 2026.
Brgy. Agujo, Daanbantayan, Cebu · 11.2698° N, 124.0051° E · Checked October 27, 2026
Kandaya room rates
| Room | From, per night |
|---|---|
| Deluxe Room | ₱10,000 |
| Premier Room | ₱12,550 |
| Garden Villa | ₱12,550 |
| Ocean View Suite | ₱14,200 |
| Garden Pool Villa | ₱15,400 |
| Beach Pool Villa | ₱19,500 |
| Daya Premiere, Adelfa Family Villa | On request |
Starting rates as listed on the resort’s own site, which does not date them; confirm when you book. Breakfast is included. The Adelfa Family Villa has three bedrooms and sleeps six to eight adults. No day-use or day-pass option is published.
Cebu City to Kandaya · the north road
Three ways up the island
Same highway, different trips. Tap one.
Drive · About 3 hours
Straight up the north highway through Danao and Bogo, about 130 km. The resort’s own estimate is about three hours from the airport; rush hour out of Cebu City adds to it.
Ceres bus · 4.5 to 5 hours
From the Cebu North Bus Terminal, buses for Maya run from about 4 AM. Get off on the highway at the Kandaya turnoff, about 2 km from the gate, and take a tricycle in. Roughly ₱300 to ₱400.
Resort van · ₱5,500 one way
Up to six people, ₱9,500 round trip, as listed on the resort site. Another listing gives a different price, so confirm when you book.
Times and fares checked October 27, 2026. Bus fares vary with fuel prices.
Eating and drinking
Kusina is the main restaurant: a sea-view room with an Asian and Western menu, seafood and steaks, and produce from the resort’s own organic garden. There is also a bar, a lounge and private dining set up on request. Guest reviews in 2026 call breakfast limited but say restaurant prices are reasonable for the resort.
What to do at Kandaya
- Water. Kayaking, jet ski and Hobie Cat sailing, plus outrigger trips and day trips to a private cove on Malapascua.
- Diving. Dive trips can be arranged, including the thresher sharks at Monad Shoal off Malapascua. That dive is deep, usually around 25 to 30 meters, and dive shops generally want an advanced certification.
- On land. Tennis, a gym, beach volleyball, a spa, and an organic garden you can walk through.
- Doing nothing. The real reason to come. The beach front runs about 800 meters.
How to get to Kandaya Resort
- Drive. About 130 km north up the national highway through Danao, Bogo and Medellin; the resort estimates about three hours from Mactan-Cebu airport. See renting a car in Cebu.
- Resort van. ₱5,500 one way or ₱9,500 round trip for up to six, as listed by the resort.
- Bus. Ceres buses for Maya leave the Cebu North Bus Terminal from about 4 AM; get off at the Kandaya turnoff and take a tricycle the last 2 km. See the bus terminal guide.
- Cash. In early 2026 the on-site ATM was reported down, and the nearest one is a long walk. Bring enough.
The north of Cebu was shaken by the magnitude 6.9 earthquake off Bogo in September 2025 and hit by Typhoon Tino that November; no damage specific to Kandaya was reported, and guests later described staff clearing debris from the beach afterward.
The drawbacks: it is a long way from the city, the starting rates are high for Cebu and breakfast draws complaints.
Near Kandaya
Malapascua Island is the obvious side trip, by boat from Maya at the northern tip. Bantayan Island is reached by ferry from Hagnaya in San Remigio, south of Daanbantayan, so it suits a separate trip rather than an afternoon.
The top of the island is a long way from Colon Street, and still Cebu. The Cebu Coordinates tee carries the whole island, north tip included.
Suroy Wear · Island Series
Cebu, the whole island.
For the long drive north and the quiet at the end of it. Made in Cebu. ₱999.
Wear the story
Frequently asked questions
How much is a night at Kandaya Resort?
From about ₱10,000 for a Deluxe Room to about ₱19,500 for a Beach Pool Villa, as listed on the resort’s site. Breakfast is included.
Does Kandaya Resort have a day pass?
No day-use option is published. Ask the resort directly.
How far is Kandaya from Cebu City?
About 130 km, roughly three hours by car from the airport.
Where is Kandaya Resort?
In Barangay Agujo, Daanbantayan, on the northwest coast of northern Cebu.
Can you go to Malapascua from Kandaya?
Yes. The resort runs trips to a private cove on Malapascua, and public boats leave from Maya at the northern tip.
Is there a shuttle to Kandaya?
The resort lists a van at ₱5,500 one way or ₱9,500 round trip for up to six people.
