|
An Island full of Gifts from Heaven
Camiguin, the country's most peaceful Island
- Rich with friendly people, perfect mountains and full of green and
preserved trees - A place to relax and enjoy the natural attractions
Camiguin is about 300 square kilometers, approximately
29,000 hectares. Its length measures 33kms. Its widest point is 14 kms.
with a circumferential road measuring 64 kms. This way, you can go around
and see the beautiful natural attractions within a day.
SEVEN VOLCANOES
To the amazing delight of any visitor,
the island is so clean and so very green, full of lavish gifts and bounties
with a cool climate. It is rich of volcanic soil which is conducive to
any kind of plants, particularly vegetables and fruits, among them the
island's famous sweet lanzones and orchids. Camiguin enjoys an abundant
potable water supply from its mountain springs and streams. Some baronages
are supplied by pure soda water from mountain springs, some get drinking
water from the hot or cold water springs. To any visitor, a small place
like Camiguin offers a lot of surprises. Natural tourist attractions are
only minutes away from each other. Camiguin is the only place in the whole
Philippines with seven volcanoes. Its highest peaks are Mt. Tamping (1,580
meters), Mt. Mambajao (1,400 meters) and Mt. Hibok-Hibok (1,250 meters),
the latter being the favorite among the mountain climbers. It's the only
active volcano among the seven, the last time it erupted in 1951.
Camiguin is definitely a place where you
can relax and enjoy the natural attractions which have a unique charm
of it's own. Here are some selected samples:
- White Island is
selected as one of the 12 best beaches in 2007 in the world according
to the The Travel Magazine. For more details regarding this issue click
http://thetravelmagazine.co.uk/travel_article_170.html
.
Also White Island is a C form of white powdery sand bar. Accessible
by banca 2 kms. across the Yumbing beaches This little sand bar totally
disappears during high tide.
- Mantigue Island 3
kms. offshore across Brgy. Habangon. This four-hectare island is fringed
with fruit trees and is home to 20 families.
- Ardent Hot Springs Tagged,
Mambajao. One can stay here and take a steaming therapeutic bath every
day, a blissful alternative to the chilly shower in the cottage. A free
flowing pool of rejuvenating hot mineral water disgorged from the bowels
of Mt. Hibok-Hibok with the temperature of about 40 centigrade. People
say one can cook an egg there in.
- Tangub Hot Spring 12 kms west
of Mambajao, a volcanic hot spring which is actually part of the sea.
The water temperature varies according to the tide: cold during high
tide, hot during low tide and lukewarm at medium tide. Scuba diving
is recommended, it's specifically good at a depth of about 10-26 meters.
Sto. Nino Cold Springs, 4 kms.
north uphill of Catarman. It's a big swimming pool of about (25m x 40m)
of cool water sprouting from the pebbled bottom, a perfect place for
picnics but no overnight cottages. Here's no need for ice to cool your
drinks, just place them under water.
- Soda Spring,
- Katibawasan Falls in
Pandanare 250 feet high, one of the country's highest waterfalls. From
far, visitors get surprises seeing the falls going down straight. And
once they are near to the falls they are amazed how they can feel the
cool splash of the crystal clear jade-colored water. The falls are surrounded
by huge old trees, some of them more than one century of age.
- Tuasan Falls 6
kms. northwest of Catarman A 25 meters high strong waterfalls
accessible through a hike along the mountain trail passing through Barrio
Mainit. The falls are a potential source of mini-hydropower.
- Binangawan Falls,
- Old Vulcano, 13
kms. west a major tourist attraction and religious shrine. The walkway
is the site of the Stations of the Cross. The place has life-size sculptures
depicting the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, scattered
all over the mountain trail. It's an uphill climb with the pathway becoming
narrower and steeper as you go up. On top, you can almost touch the
clouds. A lot of visitors from different places walk from Benoni town
all the way during the Holy Week for what is called the Panaad. They
usually arrive at the place three days after.
- Ruins of the old Catarman Church
in Bonbon, Catarman.
A grim reminder of the fury of Mt. Vulcan when it blew it's top on May
13,1871. Vulcan Daan’s eruption killed hundreds of people and destroyed
completely the former capital of Camiguin Cotta Bato, the church and
sank its cemetery. The ruins are now covered with moss and vines with
a makeshift chapel constructed inside.
-
There's a lot more like the Sunken Cemetery,
the Pamunglo Cold Springs, the Taguines Lagoon, the Moro Watchtower,
the Macao Cold Springs and the different volcanoes.
|