A Trip to Camiguin: The Island Born of Fire!

Camiguin is an island province located in the northern coast of Mindanao. It is the second smallest in the Philippines in terms of land area and population next only to Batanes.

Just this weekend, together with my friends – we invade the province! Our long journey started in an 8-hour bus ride from Davao City to Cagayan De Oro. From the Agora Bus Terminal we rented a van going to Balingoan Port – approximately 1 hour and 30 minutes travel time depending on the speed of the vehicle. Then we boarded a barge from Balingoan Port going to Benoni Port – another 1 hour travel time. To sum it up, we traveled 10 hours and 30 minutes just to reach the “The Island Born of Fire” but it was all worth it! 

When we got off from the barge, we were greeted by numerous locals offering their tour services. The driver for our tour was already waiting for us and so wasted no time! We first had our breakfast at the Lagoon Bistro before embarking on our day long tour. We were scheduled to visit Camiguin’s six tourist spots namely Sto Niño Cold Spring, Old Church, Sunken Cemetery, Walkway to the Cross, Katibawasan Falls, and Ardent Hot Spring. 

First Stop: Sto Niño Cold Spring. If you are looking for a soothing place in Camiguin, head on to this one. The place is perfect for a quite cold spring getaway. 

Second Stop: Old Church Ruins. The church was destroyed when Mt. Volcan erupted in 1871. You can still see pieces of the old church’s structures. 

Third Stop: Sunken Cemetery. It is one of the famous tourist attractions in the island of Camiguin. The famous cross sitting in the middle of the sea is famous for photo background. According to the locals, tombs are still visible under water up until this time. Locals are willing to take you to the cross for a small fee of 20 pesos per head. 

Fourth Stop: Walkway to the Old Volcano. This place is especially crowded during Lenten Season. We did not go all the way as it will take us few minutes to reach the top so we just had our photo-op in the first few steps…lol! 

Before heading to our next stop, we dropped our things at Paguia’s Cottages where we will spend the night. The place is big enough to accommodate 8 guests. The room is air-conditioned and has a cable TV. Unfortunately their WIFI is very slow so we were not able to take advantage of it. It was already late in the afternoon when we had our lunch at Northern Lights Restaurant. The food was sumptuous and price is just right. After filling our empty stomach, we are now ready to continue our adventure. 

Fifth Stop: Katibawasan Falls. Too bad it was raining when we got there. The water from above the falls was muddy and guests were not allowed to plunge into the water. So we just had our photos taken with the falls behind us. 

Before going to our last stop for the day, we went to their “Centro” to buy some lanzones and their famous food pasalubong called “pastel”. Camiguin is famous for its Lanzones Festival during August. 

Sixth Stop: Ardent Hot Spring. We ended our day tour with a hot spring bath. It was my first time to take a dip in a hot spring and it was such a nice feeling. The luke warm water can really ease the tensions in your muscles. 

Then we headed back to Paguia’s Cottages to relax our tired bodies from a whole day of travel and adventure. The following day we head on to the White Island. When you are in Camiguin, you should not miss this island. It’s not comparable to Boracay but still a lot of tourists go here to complete their Camiguin trip. There are no cottages or restaurants here; with you are just the crystal clear water and white sand. 

Then it was time for us to bid goodbye to the Island Born of Fire. We headed back to the Benoni Port to go back to Cagayan De Oro to catch our 5PM flight! 

I had such a wonderful time in Camiguin and definitely a must visit province in the northern part of Mindanao!

For those who wants to travel to Camiguin. Here's the estimated expenses.

Going to Camiguin

• Bus Fare (from Davao to CDO) - Php575
• Van Rental going to Balingoan Port - Php1200
• Ferry Fare (from Balingoan Port to Benoni Port) - Php170
• Tour Package - Php1700 (Paguia's Cottages rate)
• Room Accommodation - Php2000 (Paguia's Cottages rate)

Entrance Fees

• Sto Niño Cold Spring - Php20
• Katibawasan Falls - Php20
• Ardent Hotspring - Php30

Back to Cagayan de Oro

• Ferry Fare (from Benoni Port to Balingoan Port) - Php170
• Van Rental going to Cagayan de Oro airport - Php1800