Talikud Island
In addition to the main island, IGaCoS also has 7 islets that surround it. The largest islet, known as Talikud Island, is about 2,500 meters from Poblacion, Kaputian. The other six (6) islets are Big Liguid (28,092 has.), Small Liguid (4.5 has.), Arboles Shoal, otherwise known as Sanipaan (3.125 has.), Small Malipano (.1595 has.), Dela Paz (1.378 has.), Big Malipano (8.2858 has.) and Wishing Islet (700 sq.m.), respectively.
There are four baranguays on Talikud: Linosutan (pop. 1,177), Dadatan (pop. 1,244), Cogon (pop. 1,982) and the largest Sta. Cruz (pop. 3,924) all belonging to the Kaputian District. Sta. Cruz is also the where the wharf is located.
Though just a small island, Talikud is very popular as a scuba diving destination. Two of which sites are Mansud Wall and Coral Gardens. There are also several small resorts lining the exterior, including Isla Reta and Bali Hai.
Talikud Island has a wide variety of soft and hard coral gardens that are home to numerous exotic small tropical fishes. Not only small tropical fish, larger marine life can also be found in here like barracuda, tuna and jacks. Divers can also see fusiliers, sea horse, morays, sea urchins, garden eels, wrasse and parrotfish.
Boats for Talikud leave every morning at 6am, 7am and 9am (P50) from Santa Ana wharf in Davao. While it only takes a ten-minute boat ride to get to Samal Island, the trip to Talikud Island takes around 30-45 minutes, but it is well worth the trip.
References for this article include: eTravelPilipinas and samalcity.gov.ph
Hi Randy, Babusanta beach – very strange the name stuck and is even in your map. Babu Santa is named after my grandmother. She passed away now, at 98 (I think) a few years back. Babu is a title of respect (muslim word) meaning “sister”. When she was young, together with my grandpa and my father (the eldest) still a young kid, they homesteaded in an island near Zamboanga called Sacol. It is dominated by muslims, to this day. Anyway, my grandma was a tough woman. Her husband died young and she, my father and his brother worked very hard. She managed to save the village from a pirate’s attack by fooling the pirates elsewhere. From then on, she was called Babu Santa (short name of Crisanta). My family dedicated that land in her name and lots of vistors come in to picnic there. Very nice white sanded beach. There is no charge by us, but the caretaker there takes a small fee for himself from the incoming boats, I believe.
My father grew up on Sacol Island, and my mother told me he could speak 5 different moro dialects. Maybe one day, I will write an article about this.
babusanta was actually an indeed simple but a wonderful resort. it is peaceful and refreshing but then there are some strangers(i think badjao) are staying . i am actually afraid to them
Hi Kim – glad to hear that you enjoyed Babusanta. I hope I can make it there soon, too.
Hi Ellen – thanks for sharing that, it’s a great piece of history. You have wonderful family ties to that whole region (Davao), and it’s great that you pass that on, both here and elsewhere.
I hope to visit Takilud on one of our trips there. Not sure if it will be the next trip, but possibly. We’ll make sure we make it to see the beach at Bubusanta. It might be a good spot to take the relatives, as I’m fairly sure they haven’t been there.
Hey Randy,
I went over to Talikud this past summer. I took a small boat there for a few hours. When there, I visited a school and spoke with some of the teachers there. They said they don’t have electrical power until 4 pm, when school is almost out. The students there never work on a computer because there is only one for the whole school, and there is no power anyway.
On the way back to the port in Sta Cruz, we stopped at a small resort to walk on the beach. I had a great time that day. That was the week my brother in law and I went on our around Samal trip on my motor cycle.
We stayed at the park in Kaputian which has small rooms and a treehouse room right on the beach. Only problem was there was not many places to get some food but we did find a small (only) place with some rice and fish. Had a great time. Note: getting down to Kaputian is difficult as the road is not complete and in some places very bumpy.
Hi Kevin – good to hear from you.
That would certainly be something I would like to do someday, a trip around the island. I understand the road to Kaputian is undergoing improvement, at least that’s what I got out of the article that I referenced in my latest post. It sounds like that was part of the agreement between the developers and the island.
I’ll probably have to settle for venturing out to various parts of the island the next trip. We tentatively plan on staying on the island a week, and then a week in Davao. Maybe the trip after next
I’m really getting ahead of myself.
But making it to Talikud shouldn’t be that difficult, especially if we are already on Samal. That I might be able to do next trip.
hi,
can you tell me what is the name of the boat that goes to talicud island at 7am? are there public boats from talicud island to kaputian at lunchtime?
Hi ca – I don’t have the answers to your questions. Maybe someone else will chime in with that information. As I indicated in the comments above, I haven’t been there yet.
Hello to everyone! Just want to ask how to get there in Talicud Island.
Hi Deserie – you take a boat from Davao (per the article) or from Kaputian.
Hi readers,
Actually, I originally came from this island – Talikud – where I was born and schooled (only elementary). My only siblings left there are my two brothers. I’ve been away from this place since I left for the USA in 1986. Now that I’m retiring (in a matter of 8 months), my plan is to come back as I still have some properties in the island as well as in Davao City. With your input that there’s a need for a good place to dine out in Kaputian as well as in Talikud, I guess my way of contribution to my birthplace is to establish a presentable “CAFE” where tourists and balikbayans alike can have a place where they can have fun in the evening as well. How about that?
By the way, my main intention of going back is to volunteer my time to help out the school where I had my elementary education. This cafe thing is only a sort of a fund raising place to support my desire to improve the facilities of my good old elem school. If it goes well, this might provide employment opportunities for the Santa Cruz residents.
I hope I can realize this plan and put it into action while I’m still healthy and active.
Hi Boni – thanks for stopping by and your comment.
I hope you are able to realize your dream of a Cafe. It sounds like you are describing a restrobar, and that certainly is an idea that I’ve entertained, too.
Thanks, Randy. If you and I are able to contribute to the development of the place, it would be a noble cause as we don’t only make the visit of prospective tourists and balikbayans alike memorable and entertaining but also give the people in the island employment opportunities. I have learned from fellow expatriates who visited IGACOS that there are lots of developments going on in this part of Metro Davao (I’ve just read that IGACOS now is part of it). As well, there is this interest of foreigners with Filipino wives building homes along the shores of Talikud Island. This is so comforting to me as I really want to see my birthplace developed without sacrificing its environment. In fact, I’ve been writing to government officials in IGACOS (I pretty know the Mayor and his wife – my schoolmate at Davao City High School and Mindanao State University as as University of the Philippines), District of Kaputian, and Talikud to develop the islands in the City for tourism as their main economic activity. Now, I can see that the place is beginning to get developed. And thank you, Randy, very much for exposing to the people of the world this unknown small group of islands in this part of our wonderful planet.
God bless,
Boni
I certainly fall into that group of foreigners with filipina wives. I know the area where we have our land is also mostly purchased by foreigners with filipino spouses. There hasn’t been much to the start of development there yet, from what I understand. It’s good to see for the sake of development and the local economy, but I don’t want Samal get over developed and lose it’s beauty and charm. As it sits now there is a lot of new development going on. I personally don’t know how much of that is being sold to foreigners or filipinos. I hope it is a healthy mix.
I haven’t heard too much about developments on Talikud. That’s very interesting if there are homes being built there, too. Probably a matter of time before some subdivision is built there.
Hi Randy,
You are right. Developments should have limits so as not to destroy the beauty and the environment in the area. Mayor Antalan of IGACOS was here a number of times in our province, British Columbia, Canada, to see for himself the developments of our Sunshine Coast for tourism in which environmental concerns are of utmost important. I believe that he got the cue from there.
Our property, three-fourths of a hectare, is located in the Dapia area. The Dapia Wall, one of the scuba diving areas in IGACOS as I gathered from the internet, is familiar to me as I was once doing fishing in the same area during my growing up years in Talikud. Building small cottages and a cafe in my property are the plans at the moment. Hope I can materialize this dream while doing my volunteer works (teaching Math and English at Sta Cruz National High School under CIDA – Canada International Development Agency).
Regards to you and your family.
Bye for now.
Boni
Regards
Hi Boni – sounds like you know the mayor pretty well. I would be honored if I were to meet him some day.
You’ve got some great plans for your retirement there. I’m not familiar with the Dapia area. I’m guessing that is in Kaputian District based off what you have said. What is the nearest landmark/town?
I wish we had as much property, as our lot is much smaller. We could have gotten some land in the Del Monte area that would have been much larger int size but elected to go with our current spot instead.
Hi Randy,
Actually, people interchange Mansud Wall with Dapia Wall. It’s the same place after all. It’s in the northern side of Talikud Island where the widest presence of coral reefs in the area is located. Anyways, than you for the exchanges of communication.
Boni