The island province of Camiguin lies north of the Mindanao group of islands in the southern Philippines and has become one a popular destination for local and foreign tourists, with its white sand beaches, waterfalls, hot springs and its other attractions. I suggest going to Camiguin soon before it becomes too popular and you’d have to share the beaches with too many others.

Getting There

The fastest way I know to get to Camiguin is by taking a plane from Manila to Cagayan de Oro then taking the ferry from Cagayan de Oro to Camiguin. Philippine Airlines flights to Cagayan de Oro cost P2,042.00, Cebu Pacific flights cost P2,400.00.

There are two ferry companies that make trips to the island starting from 5am until the late afternoon. Passenger fare for the ferries are P135.00. If you’d want and a trip to Camiguin would probably take about 2 hours depending on the weather and the waves. You can also opt to take a fast watercraft, the Paras Seacat, from Cagayan De Oro to Camiguin. Rates for the Seacat are P400 for regular seats and P600 for business seats.

Getting Around the Island

Once in Camiguin, you can either look for tour guides and vans to bring you around the island for the day and get you back to the docks for the return trip at 5pm.

Hotels and Accommodations

Doing a day trip may not be enough for one to truly enjoy Camiguin. Fortunately, there are more than enough hotels and resorts to accommodate the curious travel so let me give you a run down of a few recommended ones.

The Paras Beach Resort is one of the largest on the island, it’s got all you need in a hotel and resort, water sports activities, a bar and a game room though I’m not sure about Wi-Fi Internet. Prices range from P1,950.00 for a standard room upto P3,450.00 for a family room. There are also dormitories with 12 beds for P4,200.00 a night.

Caves Dive Resort is also another good place to stay at when in Camiguin. Its more expensive than most hotels but it offers tour packages so you won’t have to worry about how to get around all the great spots on the island. They have fan and air-conditioned cottages between P1,875.00 to P3,500.00 inclusive to transportation to and from the port, breakfast and local taxes.

Other places in Camiguin you may want to check out are Busky’s Treehouse Over the Sea Motel, Bahay Bakasyunan (translated as Vacation House) or the Villa Paraiso Resort and Appartelle. Villa Paraiso’s rooms are between P1,000.00 to P3,000.00 a night.

Local Food

You’re bound to get hungry after all the walking you’re going to be doing around Camiguin, so why not try to look up places like Luna Ristorante which has the best Pizzas on the Island, Vjandep home of the really great pastel and native Filipino dishes. You can also go to the bigger restaurants such as the Paras Restaurant and the Coron Restaurant.

Lastly, if you’re a fan of seafood, you’d want to check out the different seaside grills offering fresh seafood. The good thing about Camiguin is that the prices of food are reasonable which makes it so easy to further exhaust one’s self eating after a tiring day of travel.

Camiguin Volcanoes: Must See

When in Camiguin the first thing you’ll notice is that there are a lot of volcanoes for such a small strip of land. In fact, it’s got about seven volcanoes in a province with just 5 towns, and probably the highest volcano per kilometer ratios in the world. The most popular of these is Mount Hibok-hibok which erupted last in December of 1951 claiming the lives of roughly 3,000 persons as it spilled lava and pyroclastic material from its peaks.

Today, Mount Hibok-hibok remains dormant and you can actually visit it so long as you get a permit from the city local office of the department of environment and natural resources in Camiguin. The other volcanoes on the island are Campana, Carling, Ginsiliban, Mambajao, Minokol, Ginsiliban, Tres Marias, and Piyakong, and Vulcan.

Hot and Cold Springs

Now all that geothermal activity on such a small place has resulted in the large number of natural springs, both hot and cold around the province. The most frequented are the Esperanza Ardent Springs, at the foot of Hibok-hibok, the Sto. Nino Cold Springs south of Catarman, Tangub hot springs west of Mambajao among others.

The Sunken Cemetery

Another famous attraction of the island is the sunken cemetery, once a part of the old town of Cotta Bato which was buried in the volcanic eruption in 1871. The cross which is visible above the water serves as a marker for the site.

Waterfalls

It seems that Camiguin doesn’t run out of things to see as visitors can enjoy the Katibawasan waterfalls near Mambajao and the Tuasan waterfalls near Catarman. At Katibawasan you can take a dip in the deep pool of the lake or, for a few extra pesos, you can rappel down the side of the 70-meter waterfalls. Not for those who are afraid of heights though.

The Beaches, at Last

Lastly, there are the smooth white sand beaches off the shores of Camiguin. The two most popular are Mantigue Island and White Island (which are actually sandbars sticking out of the water but beautiful nonetheless.). Mantigue Island is also a dive spot and snorkeling area while White Island is basically just a big sandbar with nothing on it. A trip to and from White Island by boat will cost you about P500 so better be sure you’re up to it and remember that the sandbars have no tree cover or any shade whatsoever so bring a lot of sunscreen or sunblock or even a huge umbrella to avoid getting roasted under the sweltering sun.

Tips for Travelers

First and foremost, it would really help if you could contact the resort you’ll want to be staying at while on the island, get a reservation and a confirmation before you get to Camiguin. This is because some drivers offering rides at the port will tell you that the resort you went to has already closed down and will try to take you to other places. Just politely say no and choose another driver. Always keep your belongings close to you, especially if you’re on an island hopping trip and be sure not to leave your stuff lying around.

What the island lacks in space, it certainly makes up in attractions. A visit to Camiguin entails more than just a day of rushing from attraction A to attraction B, you should really stay awhile longer to take it all in. Don’t’ forget to bring back pictures of your trip for your friends to drool over.