Nagarao Island Resort, Guimaras

Nagarao Island is home to many animal species. Explore the island by day or night.


Flamboyant or Fire tree (Delonix regia)	White Frangipani or "Calatchuchi"	Bougainvillea
	Nagarao's Spectacular Flowers
Flower of Euphorbia	Nagarao's Spectacular Flowers	Flowering Candelabra cactus

Flower of Madre de Cacao	Kampanilya / Amarillo or Yellow Bell	Epiphytic Orchid


Coconut Tree	Sipping coconut	Nipa palm
	All time favorites
Bamboo	All time favorites	Cacao tree with ripe fruit

Balunggay or Drumstick tree	Pandan	The fruit of Pandan


Male cone of Pitogo	Ivory Tree (Calotropis gigantea)	Flowering Yucca Palm
	Exotic Jewels
Bobog tree	Exotic Jewels	Noni/Anino tree

Betel Palm (Aracea cathecu)	Calamansi or lemon tree (Citrus microcarpa)	Dipterocarpaceae, two years after planting

Nagarao's Marine Sanctuary
Nagarao, apart from its tropical forest, contains two major tropical coastal and marine systems: the coral reef and mangroves.

Islanders listening to a lecture of Martin on the vital importance of the coral reefs that form islands and protect shores from erosion.

The vital role of corals in island building can be observed on a daily basis at Nagarao. Here, this never ending process is in full swing. The rolling waves of the ocean push old coral rocks toward the beach and mill them into smaller pieces until they become fine white sand. New sand dunes grow and shift with the waves and wind until plants manage to grow permanently on the new territory.


Coral rocks are slowly pulverized	Coconuts and other seeds are washed ashore


The coconut starts growing			Nagarao expanded considerably in the last 20 years, thanks to corals

Most of the new plants are washed ashore as seeds by the waves after floating for quite a long time in the ocean. Coconut, Nipa, Pandan, Talisay, Beach Vines and many other plant species colonize the newly formed land.

Termites or Anay as they are called in the local dialect are present in all tropical regions and are found in colonies of great numbers on Nagarao Island as well. Termites are blind. Perfectly organized, they attack any kind of wood preferably when it's soft and dry. They really devour all the wooden cottages and structures Martin have built originally on Nagarao, thus forcing him to replace all by stone buildings. Martin calls them the empire of termites.

The word termite is derived from Greek meaning "end." Termites can actually terminate any human effort to achieve durable wooden structures in the tropics. Nothing will endure there, not even a book or piece of paper.

No wonder that the great cultures of the past evolved in the dry, termite free down-stream regions along the Euphrates and Tigris rivers in Mesopotamia, the Nile in Egypt and the Indus river where trees were practically absent. Civilizations too developed in the cool altitudes of the Andes mountains and other regions of the earth safe from termites. Ancient civilizations were rediscovered only in sites where people used stones or bricks as building materials.

Until man began to use stones and bricks they remained at the mercy of the termites. This can be demonstrated because no evidence of a lasting advanced civilization has been found in the Amazon or any tropical jungles. Exceptions are only found in places where stone was imported or available.

History reveals that human civilization finally reached its peak in the termite-free, temperate and cool regions of the northern hemisphere.

The humidity and heat of the termite-infested tropics did not inspire man to plan for eternity.

Martin regretted he did not have the proper knowledge when he started to build the resort, because it would have saved him a lot of money. Money he rather would have spent for reforestation efforts.

While you are on Nagarao, stroll around the island and look for termite mounds and traces of their activities. You will find them anywhere.