Camiguin may be a small island, but you'll be surprised as to what it can offer. From natural to man-made attractions, you can find a lot of places and do many things on the island.
We only had 24 hours to explore the island so we made sure that we are able to visit the top tourist spots. I booked our land tour with Lanzones Cabana for Php2800/5 pax for a multicab with tour guide, another way to explore the island is to rent a motorbike for Php500/day. We opt to book the multicab as not everyone knows how to drive a motorbike. The multicab tour is good for 8 hours, which I think is the standard on the island. We started our tour around 3pm and finished around 9pm.
Sunken Cemetery
A fascinating site formed in the 1870's when Mt. Vulcan erupted causing the cemetery along with the capital city and old town of Catarman sink below sea level. The site is accessible by boat and visitors can stand on its small base while it remains above water. For a unique experience tourist can also go snorkeling and scuba diving to see the cemetery underwater.
Old Church Ruins
The eruption of Mt. Vulcan also left behind this ruin of a church and bell tower. There are still three stone structures that remained standing following the volcanic eruptions which makes this another historical landmark on the island.
Soda Water Park
We stayed here for 30 minutes and enjoyed the Soda Water Pool before heading to our next destination.
Tuasan Falls
We made it to Tuasan Falls just before it got dark. Tuasan Falls is easily accessible by anyone just few steps from the parking area. It is one of the three waterfalls on the island, the other two was Katibawasan Falls and Binangawan Falls which were unable to visit due to our limited time.
Last on our list for the day was Ardent Hibok-Hibok Hot Spring, it was already too dark so we just checked the place, take a dip and went to dinner before heading back to our accommodation.
White Island
The next day we started early for our island hopping tour as we need to catch the ferry back to Cagayan De Oro. I was able to contact a guide on Facebook (Gilbert prior to our arrival, they picked us up at our accommodation and was brought to the port for White Island. We paid PHP1200/pax inclusive of tour transportation, 2 boat fees, environmental fees for the 2 islands.
White Island is a scenic white sandbar with powdery fine sand. Since there is no trees or shelter of any kind on the island, it can get very hot at noon and early afternoon so I highly suggest to come early morning.
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| Entry port going to Mantigue Island |
Another top location to visit in Camiguin is Mantigue Island Nature Park. A fishing village is located on the northern side of the island, while on the other side is a white sand beach with powdery coral sand and corals offshore.
Our boat left us here to stay for an hour. We did a little bit of snorkeling and just looked for a spot under a tree to chill. There's no stores to buy food or drinks on this island as they really want to keep the island clean, which I think is a good idea.
We showered at Mantigue port before we were dropped off at the port. Camiguin may be the smallest island in Mindanao and the second smallest province in the Philippines, but you'll be surprised as to what it can offer. It may not have the vibrant party scene and nightlife found in other bigger island destinations, but Camiguin offers a very safe, peaceful and relaxing getaway. 😊
It was short but sweet and I'll definitely CAMIGUIN! ❤️
