Tablas

Odiongan is Tablas' cured-meat town — sweet longganisa made with quality pork, sugar, garlic and asuete, plus tapa and tocino so well-preserved they keep days outside the fridge. Island ingenuity born of necessity, and the first pasalubong every Tableño packs.

The most local meal on the island — sihi, a small edible shellfish gathered in Looc Bay, cooked in coconut milk and eaten by digging the meat out with a pin. You'll only find it in Looc's karinderyas, which is exactly why it's worth the trip.

Tablas runs on coconut-and-rice merienda — palitaw rolled in sugar and sesame, hot creamy binignit of sweet potato and langka, and suman at every gathering. Cheap, handmade, and the taste of a Tablas fiesta.

Tablas is the island you have to yourself — Aglicay Beach, hidden coves, and falls reachable only by ferry-and-tricycle that keep the crowds away. Romblon's biggest island stays its least touristy, which is the whole appeal.

The marble story isn't only Romblon Island — Tablas towns sell carved marble pieces alongside the buri and pandan weaving that runs through the province. Pick up a marble souvenir or banig at honest island prices, often at the Odiongan shops.