Magsaysay on Cuyo: Fort Ruins, Igabas Chapel and Aceros Park

In the municipality of Magsaysay on Cuyo Island, you can explore historic structures and landscape features as distinct travel themes. The unfinished ruins of a 17th-century Spanish fort are in Barangay Lucbuan; the small Igabas Chapel and Aceros Park are in Barangay Igabas. If you are looking for a hotel for a trip to Magsaysay, these places can help you decide what interests you during your stay: building history, views and green surroundings offer different focal points.

Fort Ruins and Views

The ruins in Barangay Lucbuan are part of a 17th-century Spanish fort that was left unfinished. They are low and made of coral stone. A 2014 travel account describes views from the ruins of a beach cove and, in the distance, Mt. Bonbon, the highest point on the island. The unfinished state describes the fort’s construction, while its low profile and coral stone characterize the appearance of the ruins. The cove and the island’s peak add two distinct landscape features to the historical context. The low profile of the ruins and the views create a clear contrast between the structure and its surroundings. You can therefore consider the fort both from the perspective of its architectural history and in terms of the landscape.

Chapel and Park in Igabas

The small Igabas Chapel stands on a hill of black volcanic rock. Aceros Park is also in Barangay Igabas and is shaded by many trees and dense undergrowth. A 2014 travel account described both the chapel and the park as lush and peaceful. The two places offer different landscape features: the chapel’s description centers on the hill and black rock, while the park’s centers on vegetation and shade. Compared with the fort ruins, the focus in Igabas shifts from architectural history to rock, trees and shade.

A Cuyonon House in Lacaren

Another architectural point of interest is a traditional Cuyonon house in Barangay Lacaren. A 2014 travel account described it as abandoned; according to the account, a local guide called it the last of its kind. The same account says the house had a cogon-grass roof and a separate kitchen; both parts of the building stood on stilts. In contrast to the unfinished Spanish fort in Lucbuan, the focus here is on a home and its separate parts. The two structures therefore represent different building styles: the fort ruins and a traditional Cuyonon home with a separate kitchen and a stilt-raised structure.

Cuyo Airport and Travel Planning

Cuyo Airport is in Barangay Lucbuan in the municipality of Magsaysay on Cuyo Island. A 2014 report stated that, at the time, flights from Puerto Princesa to the airport operated twice a week. For a specific trip, please check the current flight schedule.

To find your way around the municipality, it helps to note the Barangay locations: the fort ruins and airport are in Lucbuan, the chapel and park in Igabas, and the Cuyonon house in Lacaren.

Discover more destinations: Romblon, Brooke's Point, Gloria, San Andres, Ferrol, Bulalacao, San Fernando, El Nido

For the broader travel overview: Mimaropa.