The Valley Up North

Never fail to try the local pansit (noodles), topped with a sunny-side up egg and lots of onions! Places of interest in the town are: the Cagayan Museum where you can find bones of stegodons, elephants and rhinos that lived in the area almost half a million years ago; St. Peter's Cathedral, the biggest Spanish built church in the valley; and the two public markets where you can go souvenir hunting. The sight-seeing does not stop there though, the rest of the province is just as spectacular.

Quick Tips:

An adventure in the valley would not be complete without experiencing a carabao ride!

Best Way To Get Around:

The town of Tuguegarao is pretty small, walking is very advisable as you can immerse yourself in the day-to-day lives of the locals. There are also a large number of tricycles and kalesas (horse-drawn carriages) that can be at your service for a very cheap fare.

Although people often mistake it for Cagayan De Oro, "my" Cagayan lies in the northerneast most part of Luzon occupying the lower basin of the Cagayan river, the Philippine's mightiest and longest water course. There are so many things for adventure-seekers to do in Cagayan that I just recently discovered. One can visit the coastal towns of San Vicente, Sta. Ana, Claveria and Sanchez Mira to either go surfing or gamefishing. San Vicente is famous worldwide for its rich marine life. It is the Philippine Sailfish Capital and the site of the national and international PGFF competitions. In Peñablanca, you can go spelunking in the caves; mountain climbing and rappeling; do some bird-watching and bonsai exploration; or go boating by the "mororan". There is also single-man white water kayaking available at the Pinacanauan river.

In Peñablanca, there are numerous caves to explore. Chief among them is the Callao Caves which boast of massive limestone formations, skylights and a chapel. For the religious, there is The Calvary Hills in Iguig where you can find the larger-than-life-size concrete 14 Stations of the Cross and a three century old well. There is also a scenic view of the Cagayan River in the background which resembles that of the River Jordan. In Piat, many pilgrims come to visit the miraculous Lady of the Visitation -- The Lady of Piat. It is famous in & out of the country as the Black Mary. Other points of interest are: Buntun Bridge, the second longest bridge in the country; the wide expanse of uncontaminated black & white sand beaches of Sanchez Mira, Sta. Ana, Claveria & Pamplona; The Sta. Maria Bell, said to be the oldest bell in the Far East; St. Philomene Church in Alcala, a town best known for its carabao milk candy; the Magapit Suspension Bridge, the first hanging bridge in Asia; and of course, the Cagayan River itself.