Guimaras - Jordan Port, Museo De Guimaras and Trappist Monastery

Iloilo City is the primary gateway to Guimaras Island. From Iloilo City, we went to Ortiz Port to take a boat bound for Guimaras. It is located in Ortiz St., Iloilo City (near University of Iloilo). It is the major jump off point to Guimaras because the boats bound for Jordan, the capital town of Guimaras, can be found here. Ferry boats leave the port every 15 minutes, and it will take you to Guimaras in no time. Travel time is around 10-15 minutes and fare is only 13 pesos.

Upon setting foot in the island, you will be offered transportation by some locals waiting in the port. You may choose to settle a bit and look for the tourism office located in the port to scout on the best deals on how to go around the island. They also give out a map with the different tourist spots that can be found in the island.

Going around Guimaras is easy, you have several choices: such as tricycle, multicab and a single motorcycle. We opted to take the tricycle for 250 pesos. The deal was to bring us to Sitio Alubihod and/or Guisi, both in the town of Nueva Valencia to look for a resort (Read Blog Entry Here)where we could check-in. Along the way, the driver offered us to bring us to the Museo De Guimaras and Trappist Monastery without extra cost. Great! Thanks Kuya!

Museo De Guimaras can be found near the provincial capitol. Too bad it's closed when we came there. We just took some pictures and decided to proceed to our next destination.

The Trappist Monastery grounds is a peaceful and sacred enclave in Guimaras run by monks of the Cistercian Order of the Strict Observance. These monks follow the rule of St. Benedict and are best known for the extreme austerity or strictness that characterizes their discipline. The monks earn a living by selling souvenir items and processed foods such as jellies, jams, candies, piyaya and more, which are sold in a small shop within the monastery grounds. All the products are from ingredients grown in the Trappist grounds. The Trappist Monastery is located in Brgy. San Miguel, Jordan Town in Guimaras. (source)

We bought some delicacies and souvenir items. We also visited the Abbey of Our Lady of the Philippines and offered some prayers.

Indeed, the Trappist Monastery is a great place to reflect and to spend some quiet time for yourself. If you visit Guimaras, don't miss this on your way to Nueva Valencia.

Watch out for my next post, our visit to the Philippine's 2nd oldest light house, the Guisi Point Light House and Guisi beach.

Happened last November 20-22, 2010, Ilo-ilo - Guimaras Adventure is a series of blog posts of my 3-day experience in these 2 lovely provinces in the Visayas. Discover the places we've been to, the people we met, the food we tasted and the experience we gained in this memorable adventure. | Jordan Port, Museo De Guimaras and Trappist Monastery | Guisi Point Light House and Guisi Beach in Nueva Valencia | Raymen and Rico Beach Resorts | Island Hopping Adventure | Budget Inn, SM City and Mooon Cafe | San Joaquin Church, San Joaquin Iloilo | Campo Santo in San Joaquin Iloilo | Miagao Church, A UNESCO World Heritage Site |