Anchorage· Cebu· Philippines
Port Carmen Anchorage
10° 34.1′ N · 124° 1.8′ E
A reef-guarded natural harbour on Cebu's east coast, 30 miles north of Cebu City, whose narrow southern arm is the cruisers' typhoon hole and refit base for the central Visayas.
Practical
Hacking Family: 10°34.07'N 124°01.83'E, 15 ft (4.5 m) mud, good Globe and Smart; Arnak (2012) 10°34.03'N 124°01.82'E inside the lagoon close to the yacht club. Entrance (Noonsite) 10°34.68'N 124°02.03'E; the reef channel is at 10°34.59'N 124°02.28'E (Kelaerin, 2011) - see the Port Carmen Entrance passage for the full waypoint track. The common anchorage is a small shallow pond in the south arm holding about 15 boats; it can get crowded. Ships load gravel opposite and the night land breeze carries dust onto boats. The north bay is closer to Carmen town but has unverified theft reports. A dragging yacht was found with a T-shirt fouling its anchor (2014) - set carefully. Draft: boats of 7 ft find Port Carmen challenging (compendium). Typhoon record: no yachts damaged here in Super Typhoon Haiyan (2013), with boats tied off with many warps across the narrow inlet; Kalmaegi (2025) brought record flooding to Danao and Compostela nearby. No banks or ATMs in Carmen - nearest in Danao or Consolacion. Buses run to Cebu City (about 90 minutes); Danao is 15 minutes by bus or tricycle.
Best for
Typhoon-season base and leaving the boat for inland travel
Season
Year-round; recognised typhoon shelter (book a yard berth early in Jul-Dec)
Nearby
- Port Carmen Boatyards (Zeke's and Pepe's)0.3 NM away
- Danao-Camotes Ferry Terminal2.8 NM away
- Danao City Market and Supermarkets3 NM away
- Liloan Bay Anchorage (Cebu)10.5 NM away
- Porter Marina and Boatyard (Calero)12.8 NM away
- Broadwater Marine Chandlery (Cebu)14.7 NM away
- Cebu Yacht Club (Mactan)14.7 NM away
- Cebu Yacht Club Anchorage14.7 NM away