Exploring Camiguin Islands, Philippines
White Island, Camiguin
Camiguin is one of the islands of the Philippines. It’s a haven for all types of travelers. Whether you are a beach enthusiast, a nature-lover, a history buff, a religious pilgrim, or someone who simply seeks relaxation, Camiguin will have something for you.
My sister and I had the opportunity to visit this beautiful island during one of my trips to the Philippines. I was totally in awe!
The ferry boat trip offered a relaxing ride to the island from Cagayan de Oro City. We were booked in the first class cabin, but I took the time to get out on the deck to enjoy the view as we approached the island.
We opted for a motorcycle ride to our resort, the Camiguin Highland Resort, where we were welcomed with fresh flowers scattered on our beds.
At our hotel, Camiguin Highland Resort
We didn’t waste time and went for our first sight-seeing site, the Katibawasan Falls, with its cascades so enticing you can’t help but take a dip, the water was so refreshing, especially in the summer heat. This place is also great for its flora and fauna!
Katibawasan Falls
Our next stop was to the Ardent Hot Springs, another famous attractions in the island. It has a tiered pools with various water temperature to soothe you. I’ve never felt so relaxed after soaking in the water. After an hour, we were on our way back to our resort where we enjoyed the resort swimming pool before calling it the day.
After a really good night sleep, we woke up early and enjoyed the view of the sunrise and the island from our balcony. Wow, truly amazing! But we had more places to explore, so off we went.
Before taking a boat ride to the white island, we decided to stop by the market for some island food and fresh lanzones (one of the popular fruits in the Philippines) to take with us. The boat ride was short but a little scary because I’m not a very good swimmer lol, but once we got to the island, I couldn’t help but admire this wondrous beach with very fine white sand and deep turquoise water. If you had but one place to see in Camiguin, this would be it! Once you get there, you wouldn’t want to go back on shore. That’s how I felt, but we had to go back to the main island to see more places.
Lanzones, one of the favorite fruits in the Philippines
From there we stopped by the Sunken Cemetery, which is a resting place to those buried during an eruption of one of the volcanoes in the island. A white cross was erected which served as a memorial to those who lost their lives.
Sunken Cemetery
Next on our itinerary was a stop to the Guiob church ruins, a 16th century church. There is a small chapel built not far from the ruins. There’s also a century old tree next to it. A short walk will take you to the cliff overlooking the rocky water.
For those who are religious at heart, a short few minutes motorcycle ride will take you to the Walkway to the Old Volcano and Station of the Cross. I imagine this place to be packed with pilgrims during the Easter week. We didn’t go up the walkway, though, but we didn’t leave without snapping some photos.
From there, we proceeded to our last stop, the Sto. Nino Cold Spring, were we got to dip our feet into its crystal water pool. That was enough to cool ourselves off after a hot day. The place has some restaurants serving food, snacks and cold drinks.
The trip was truly an experience to behold. If I had another chance, I would definitely go back!!!
Sto. Niño ColdSprings