[6.1] Camiguin Part 1: An Island Born of Fire
Hello! I’m back again with another travelogue and this time we are venturing to an island in the southern part of the Philippines. This trip will contain the places we visited, food we ate and the budget for 4 persons for a 4D3N trip.
Camiguin is located at the northern tip of Mindanao. It is a pear-shaped island and is said to be created by volcanic eruptions and land movements, thus the moniker “Island Born of Fire”. It has a total of seven volcanoes including Mount Hibok-Hibok, the only active one with last recorded eruption in 1953.
Since we are from Cebu, we booked a flight to Camiguin via Philippine Airlines for Php2000 per person (round trip fare).
Cebu Pacific Air also offers flight to Camiguin from Cebu. As for other cities, you can reach the province via Cagayan De Oro. You can refer to this blog for the details.
Where to Stay in Camiguin
There are a lot accommodation in Camiguin -- from budget rooms and hostels to high end hotels. Most of them are located in Yumbing, Mamabajao.
We opted to stay in Pabua’s Cottages for 3 nights. The place is just 3 mins away from the While Island pier and there are a lots of restaurants and karenderyas around, so it’s a plus. We booked through Traveloka app during a promo so we got a discount.
Pabua’s was big enough for 4 persons, with two double beds and a decent comfort room. The only down side is they don’t have a heater for the shower. They also offer breakfast for Php100 (make sure to inform them the night before) and other condiments.
Words aren’t enough to describe the beauty of Camiguin and it’s best to have the experience on hand to appreciate it’s wonders. We weren’t able to explore all of Camiguin but we made sure to go to places that are note worthy.
You can rent a motorela or multicab to reach the tourist spots around the province. It can fit up to 8 and 12 persons for Php1200 and Php1700 respectively.
Tongatoc Clift - you can see the mountain and the sea in the background. It's like a viewing deck and located along the road.
Stations of the Cross(Via Cruzes) / Walkway (Old Vulcan) - A walkway complete with 14 Stations of The Cross leads to the peak of an inactive volcano. Be prepared to climb a thousand plus steps to reach the peak and pay a Php10 for the barangay fee.
Cross Marker and Sunken Cemetery - A huge cross was installed in 1982 to mark the community cemetery which sunk during the 1871 volcanic holocaust. You can opt to ride a boat for Php100 (3 persons) to reach the cross situated in the sea.
Old Catarman (Gui-ob) Church Ruins - you can find the remains of the ruins of old walls, belfry and convent that are from the devastating 1871 earthquake which wiped out the illustrious town of Catarman established earlier as a Spanish settlement in 1967. You have to pay Php10 for the barangay fee to enter the ruins.
Tuasan Falls - a 25 meter high rapid waterfalls. We very unlucky on the day we came because a construction is currently ongoing thus tourist are not allowed to dip in the falls. Entrance: Php50.
Sto. Niño Cold Spring: a huge pool of cold spring water with a sandy bottom. The area has native stores, picnic huts and toilets for visitors and guests. Entrance Fee: Php50
Ardent Hot Spring: a mineral pool with water around 40 degree centigrade. Picnic huts and tables are available in the beautifully landscaped gardens with a restaurant on site. When we came, the water was not that hot -- maybe it’s because they were a lot of people in the spring. Entrance Fee: Php50
Note: I’ll do a separate blog for our trip to White Island and Mantigue Island since it needs more details for the trip.
There are a lot of resturants available in Camiguin, ranging from karenderyas to casual restaurants. As for us, we opt to eat at places that are walking distance from our accommodation to save time.
Check Point Camiguin - they offer various Filipino foods and big servings for groups and is located on the 2nd floor of the establishment.
BBQ - this is located just below the Check Point resto and only opens at night. They have fish, chicken and pork barbecues available in an affordable price. We always ate our dinner here.
Convenience Store - located also below Check Point. We bought coffee and bread here for our breakfast.
Mat's Restobar - the place is nice, it was designed like an inside of a ship. The food is guaranteed fresh as they cook it as you order it.
Alex’s Restobar - we spent our last dinner in Camiguin in this resto. The food is great and their food ranges from pizza to filipino food. There is also band that plays so the atmosphere is very province-like.
Itinerary (Camiguin-Cebu)
Special thanks to my travel buddies -- Shem, Rose & John. Also, our multicab driver, Kuya Boyet, for accomodating us. If you want to avail his services, you can message me privately.
You can reach me in instagram @krn.mmrs.
See you on my next travel! Ciao ✌
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