Alcantara, Philippines
Alcantara is a town of 2,251 people in Mimaropa, Philippines, founded in March 21, 1961.
Why visit Alcantara
Townapedia lists 1 museum or landmark, 1 park or trail, 5 places to eat and 5 attractions in and around town.
Highlights include Battle of the Sibuyan Sea.
Weather in Alcantara
Forecast from MET Norway (CC BY 4.0). Full forecast
About Alcantara
Alcantara, officially the Municipality of Alcantara, is a municipality in the province of Romblon, Philippines. It is located in the southeast portion of Tablas Island, bounded by the municipalities of Santa Maria to the north, Looc to the west, Santa Fe to the south, and the Sibuyan Sea to the east. According to the 2024 census census, it has a population of 16,417 people.
From the Wikipedia article Alcantara, Romblon (this version), under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Things to do5
Museums and landmarks1
Parks, trails and playgrounds1
Restaurants and cafes5
History
Alcantara was first established in 1730 as La Lauan, a barrio of Looc town by migrants from Panay Island led by Don Ciriaco Alcantara. In 1855, the barrio was annexed from Looc and converted into a pueblo or town. However, in 1868, it was abolished and annexed as a barrio of Guintigui-an town (renamed Badajoz, now San Agustin) after a reorganization of municipalities resulting from the creation of Romblon province.
In 1870, due to continuous intimidation from Muslim pirates, as well as the rugged terrain, the residents of La Lauan led by a certain Gaspar Guevarra transferred from its former site in Daan Banwa (or Old Town) and established a new barrio down south called Alcantara, after Don Ciriaco Alcantara. In 1885, it was annexed back as a barrio of Looc, and would remain so until after World War II.
Alcantara was elevated to municipality status on 21 March 1961 by virtue of Executive Order 427 signed by then President Carlos P. Garcia.
From the History section of Alcantara, Romblon on Wikipedia, under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Churches and places of worship3
Shopping1
Gas and EV charging1
Schools, colleges and libraries20
Healthcare1
Map of Alcantara
38 places. The map loads OpenStreetMap tiles when you open it.
Getting there and nearby towns
Tablas Airport (TBH) is the nearest airport with scheduled flights listed in OpenStreetMap, 6 km away.
- Punta 5 km west, about 5 min by car
- Limon 6 km northwest, about 6 min by car
- Looc 7 km west, about 7 min by car
- Tugdan 7 km northeast, about 7 min by car
- Romblon 42 km northeast, about 42 min by car
- Ibajay 50 km south, about 50 min by car
- Makato 66 km southeast, about 1 h by car
- Kalibo 70 km southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- Bañga 75 km southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
- New Washington 79 km southeast, about 1 h 15 min by car
Drive times are estimates from straight-line distance, not routes.
Local news
Headlines from INDB.
Reviews, tips and questions
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Sources and licences
- GeoNames (CC BY 4.0): population, coordinates, regions and time zone
- OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL 1.0): places, airports, map data
- Wikidata (CC0 1.0): elevation, founding date, time zone, website
- Wikimedia Commons (see each image): photos
- Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0): overview and history text
Photo credits
- Labanan sa Karagatan ng Sibuyan historical marker 1, National Historical Commission of the Philippines, Public domain
- Labanan sa Karagatan ng Sibuyan historical marker 2, National Historical Commission of the Philippines, Public domain
Page built November 8, 2026. Spotted a mistake? Tell us or suggest a place.