If Camiguin has been sitting on your Philippine travel list, October 2026 gives you a particularly good reason to finally go.

The 47th Lanzones Festival will run from October 18 to 25, 2026, with pre-festival activities scheduled from October 15 to 17.

For eight days, Camiguin’s famous lanzones harvest shares the spotlight with street dancing, parades, local food, agricultural products, concerts and cultural events.

But don’t make the mistake of flying in just for the festival.

Camiguin is small enough to explore in several days, so you can combine the celebration with White Island, waterfalls, hot springs, snorkeling, the Sunken Cemetery and an island road trip.

Here’s how to plan it.

When Is the Camiguin Lanzones Festival 2026?

The main Lanzones Festival 2026 runs from October 18 to October 25.

Pre-festival activities start on October 15.

The festival officially opens on October 18 with the Grand Lanzones Festival Parade and the opening of the Ugmad Agro-Industrial Trade Fair.

The provincial government describes Lanzones Festival as a celebration of thanksgiving for Camiguin’s blessings and its harvest of the island’s famously sweet lanzones.

What’s Happening at Lanzones Festival 2026?

This isn’t simply a fruit festival.

Several events make the week worth building a trip around.

Grand Lanzones Festival Parade

The festival formally opens on October 18 with a parade celebrating Camiguin’s communities, agriculture and culture.

Expect colorful costumes, performers and plenty of lanzones-inspired decorations.

If photography is one of your reasons for visiting, this is one of the days you’ll want to keep open.

Street Dancing and Ground Presentation

One of the major festival highlights is the Street Dancing and Ground Presentation Competition.

Groups perform cultural dances in elaborate costumes inspired by Camiguin’s traditions.

This is likely to be one of the busiest festival events, so arrive early if you want a good viewing position.

Ugmad Agro-Industrial Trade Fair

Don’t spend the whole festival watching performances.

Visit the Ugmad trade fair as well.

This is where local farmers, food producers and businesses showcase Camiguin products.

Instead of buying the usual mass-produced souvenir, look for something made or grown on the island.

Kalanrakas sa Kabataan

Younger Camiguingnons get their own stage through the Kalanrakas sa Kabataan competition.

Elementary pupils participate in cultural performances that help pass local traditions to another generation.

Mutya sa Buahanan

The provincial pageant is another established part of Lanzones Festival.

Mutya sa Buahanan brings together candidates representing Camiguin while highlighting local culture and identity.

Nightly Concerts

The celebration doesn’t stop when the daytime activities finish.

Concerts featuring Filipino artists and bands are scheduled during festival week.

If you’re staying around Mambajao, expect evenings to be considerably livelier than on an ordinary Camiguin trip.

A 300-Drone Light Show

There’s also something new for 2026.

Camiguin’s provincial government has announced a 300-drone light show, described as the island’s first.

That’s one festival event I’d make room for rather than heading back to the hotel early.

Why Lanzones?

If you’ve eaten lanzones elsewhere in the Philippines, you may wonder why Camiguin built an entire festival around it.

Lanzones is closely tied to the island’s agricultural identity.

The annual festival celebrates the harvest while giving farmers, producers and local businesses an opportunity to sell directly to visitors.

Past festivals have even featured Lanzones Eat All You Can, where visitors could enjoy the fruit for free.

So while the street dancing makes good photos, the fruit itself is still at the heart of the celebration.

Don’t Spend Your Entire Trip at the Festival

Here’s the advantage of going to Camiguin.

You get a major Philippine festival and an island vacation in the same trip.

Camiguin covers only about 244 square kilometers, yet the island packs in volcanoes, waterfalls, springs, beaches, marine sanctuaries and historic sites.

That makes it relatively easy to mix festival events with sightseeing.

White Island

White Island is probably the image most travelers associate with Camiguin.

It’s a bare white sandbar sitting offshore with views back toward Camiguin’s mountainous interior.

There aren’t rows of restaurants or resorts here.

That’s part of the attraction.

Go early for cooler temperatures and softer light.

Bring sun protection because there’s very little natural shade.

Mantigue Island

If White Island is about the sandbar and views, Mantigue gives you a different island experience.

It’s a small island surrounded by clear water and marine life.

Snorkeling and diving are major reasons to visit.

Camiguin has introduced tourism and environmental controls at its attractions, including visitor limits designed to protect sensitive marine areas.

Treat those rules as part of the experience rather than an inconvenience.

Katibawasan Falls

Katibawasan Falls makes an easy addition to a land tour.

The tall waterfall drops into a natural pool surrounded by greenery.

It’s especially useful if you’ve spent the previous day under the sun at White Island and want something cooler.

Tuasan Falls

Tuasan Falls is another worthwhile stop.

It’s often combined with an island road trip rather than treated as a full-day destination.

That’s one of the nice things about Camiguin: several very different attractions can fit into a single day without spending six hours on the road.

Ardent Hot Spring

Camiguin is volcanic, and Ardent Hot Spring is one of the places where that geology becomes part of the travel experience.

It’s a good evening option after a day of touring.

Instead of immediately returning to your accommodation, soak for a while and give your legs a break.

Sunken Cemetery

The Sunken Cemetery is one of Camiguin’s best-known landmarks.

Its large cross offshore marks the site associated with the old cemetery submerged following volcanic activity in the 19th century.

It’s particularly popular around sunset.

You can easily combine it with nearby heritage attractions while circling the island.

Old Church Ruins

The ruins of the old church at Bonbon are another reminder that Camiguin’s landscape has been shaped by volcanic activity.

It doesn’t take long to visit, making it a natural stop on an island tour.

Mount Hibok-Hibok

Camiguin isn’t only for beach travelers.

Mount Hibok-Hibok gives hikers a much more demanding way to experience the island.

Don’t treat this as something to casually add between festival activities.

A serious hike needs its own time, preparation and current information about trail conditions and local requirements.

If climbing Hibok-Hibok is one of your priorities, build your itinerary around it.

Suggested 5-Day Camiguin Lanzones Festival Itinerary

Five days gives you enough time to experience the festival without sacrificing the island itself.

Day 1 – Arrival + Mambajao

Arrive in Camiguin and check into your accommodation.

Keep your first day relatively light.

Explore Mambajao, check the festival areas and visit the Ugmad trade fair if it’s already open.

Use the evening for festival activities or dinner nearby.

Day 2 – White Island + Festival

Start early for White Island.

Return to your accommodation around late morning, rest during the hottest part of the day and head back out for festival activities in the afternoon.

Spend the evening at one of the scheduled concerts or cultural programs.

This split-day approach works better than trying to tour nonstop.

Day 3 – Camiguin Island Road Trip

Make this your main land-tour day.

Possible stops include:

• Katibawasan Falls
• Tuasan Falls
• Sunken Cemetery
• Old Church Ruins
• soda water or cold spring attractions
• scenic coastal stops
• Ardent Hot Spring

You don’t need to race around the island.

Choose the attractions you actually care about.

Day 4 – Mantigue Island + Festival Night

Spend the morning around Mantigue Island.

Snorkel, swim and enjoy the marine environment.

Return in the afternoon and leave the evening open for the festival.

If a major street-dancing event, concert or drone show falls on this date, prioritize it.

Festival schedules should determine the exact order of your itinerary.

Day 5 – Festival + Departure

Use your final morning for anything you missed.

Buy local products, eat more lanzones, visit the trade fair or simply have a relaxed breakfast.

Then begin your journey home.

How Many Days Do You Need in Camiguin?

For Lanzones Festival, I’d aim for four to five days.

Three days is possible, but you’ll probably end up choosing between festival events and tourist attractions.

Four days works.

Five is better.

If you’re planning to hike Hibok-Hibok, consider staying longer.

Where Should You Stay?

For a first visit during Lanzones Festival, Mambajao is the practical base.

It’s Camiguin’s provincial capital and puts you close to accommodation, restaurants and many festival activities.

During festival week, location matters more than saving a small amount on a room farther away.

If two hotels are similarly priced, I’d take the one that reduces your transportation hassle.

Book Accommodation Early

This is important.

The provincial government expects thousands of visitors during the festival.

Don’t wait until October 17 to start looking for a hotel for October 18.

Festival demand can reduce room availability and push travelers toward less convenient accommodations.

Look for properties with clear cancellation policies if you’re still finalizing flights.

How to Get to Camiguin

Your exact route will depend on where you’re coming from and current airline and ferry schedules.

Camiguin travel often involves connections through Cagayan de Oro or Cebu, particularly when direct flight options don’t match your dates.

If traveling through Northern Mindanao, expect a combination of land transportation and ferry travel.

Because schedules change, confirm the actual operating times before buying separate connecting tickets.

Don’t build a connection with almost no allowance between your flight, bus or van and ferry.

Island travel works better when you leave some margin for delays.

Getting Around Camiguin

For sightseeing, travelers commonly arrange local transportation or island tours rather than depending on one transport option for every attraction.

If you’re traveling as a group, compare the total cost of hiring transportation for the day against paying for multiple individual rides.

Ask exactly what’s included before agreeing to a tour:

• driver
• fuel
• parking
• attraction entrances
• boat transfers
• environmental fees

A cheap quote isn’t necessarily cheaper once every extra charge is added.

How Much Should You Budget?

Your biggest variables will be transportation to Camiguin and accommodation.

The Provincial Tourism Department previously estimated that a full day in Camiguin—including meals, local transportation, lodging and major attractions—can run around ₱3,500 per person.

Treat that as a planning reference rather than a fixed package price.

Festival demand, your hotel choice, airfare and the number of paid activities can change the total significantly.

For a five-day trip, I’d build a budget with separate allowances for:

Transportation to Camiguin
Flights, buses, vans and ferries.

Accommodation
Four nights for a five-day trip.

Food
Don’t forget festival food and snacks.

Island tours
White Island and Mantigue involve boat transportation.

Land tour
Driver or vehicle plus attraction fees.

Festival spending
Food, souvenirs and local products.

Emergency buffer
Keep extra cash available for schedule changes.

Don’t arrive with a budget calculated down to the last peso.

Environmental Fee and Responsible Travel

Camiguin collects an environmental fee from tourists to support conservation programs.

The island has also introduced carrying-capacity measures at some attractions.

These rules matter.

Camiguin’s popularity has increased, and keeping destinations attractive requires visitors to do their part.

Follow CLAYGO — Clean As You Go.

Don’t leave trash at beaches, springs or waterfalls.

Follow marine sanctuary rules.

Don’t touch coral while snorkeling.

And don’t pressure boat operators or guides to ignore visitor restrictions.

The point is to leave Camiguin looking the same—or better—for the next traveler.

October Weather: Have a Backup Plan

October falls within the Philippines’ wetter part of the year.

That doesn’t mean your trip will automatically be rainy from morning until night.

It does mean you shouldn’t create an itinerary where every single activity requires perfect weather.

Keep festival events and land attractions as alternatives if island-hopping conditions aren’t good.

More importantly, check current PAGASA forecasts and tropical cyclone advisories before your trip.

If sea conditions affect ferry or boat operations, follow local authorities.

No photo is worth ignoring a weather warning.

Practical Lanzones Festival Tips

Book your room before festival week if possible.

Keep some cash. Don’t assume every small vendor accepts cards or e-wallets.

Wear light clothes and comfortable footwear for daytime festival events.

Bring sun protection and a reusable water bottle.

Keep a small umbrella or rain jacket in your day bag.

Allow extra travel time during major parades and street events.

Check the latest official festival program once the detailed schedule is released.

And don’t try to attend everything.

Pick your priority events and leave enough time to actually enjoy Camiguin.

Is Lanzones Festival Worth Planning a Trip Around?

If you’ve never visited Camiguin, Lanzones Festival gives you two trips in one.

You get the island—White Island, Mantigue, waterfalls, hot springs, volcanic landscapes and heritage sites.

Then you get Camiguin at its busiest and most celebratory time of year.

The downside is predictable: more visitors, greater demand for rooms and busier attractions.

But that’s the trade-off with festival travel.

You’re not going for an empty island.

You’re going because something is happening.

And from October 18 to 25, 2026, a lot will be happening in Camiguin.

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Lanzones Festival 2026?

The 47th Camiguin Lanzones Festival runs from October 18 to 25, 2026. Pre-festival activities are scheduled for October 15–17.

Where is Lanzones Festival held?

Lanzones Festival is held in the island province of Camiguin in Northern Mindanao, with major activities centered around Mambajao and provincial festival venues.

What are the main Lanzones Festival 2026 events?

Announced highlights include the Grand Lanzones Festival Parade, Ugmad Agro-Industrial Trade Fair, Street Dancing and Ground Presentation Competition, Kalanrakas sa Kabataan, Mutya sa Buahanan, nightly concerts and a 300-drone light show.

How many days should I stay in Camiguin?

Four to five days is a good target if you want to combine Lanzones Festival events with major Camiguin attractions.

Stay longer if you’re planning a major hike or want a slower trip.

What are the must-see attractions in Camiguin?

For a first trip, consider White Island, Mantigue Island, Katibawasan Falls, Tuasan Falls, Sunken Cemetery, the Old Church Ruins and one of Camiguin’s springs.

Where is the best place to stay during Lanzones Festival?

Mambajao is generally the most convenient base for first-time visitors because of its accommodation choices, services and proximity to festival activities.

Is October a good time to visit Camiguin?

October is festival season, making it one of the most interesting times culturally. However, travelers should also account for possible rain and changing sea conditions and monitor weather forecasts before island activities.

Should I book ahead for Lanzones Festival?

Yes.

Festival week attracts additional visitors, so booking accommodation and major transportation early reduces the chance of limited choices or inconvenient schedules.

Make the Festival Part of the Trip, Not the Whole Trip

Lanzones Festival is a good reason to book Camiguin.

But Camiguin itself is the reason to stay a few more days.

Watch the parade. Eat the lanzones. Visit the trade fair. Catch the street dancing and drone show.

Then get out early the next morning and see the island.

That’s the trip I’d plan.