Region in Mindanao · 6 provinces and cities
An island of reefs, small points and white sand beaches in the Philippine Sea, known as the surfing capital of the Philippines. It covers about 437 square kilometres and holds eight municipalities, among them Dapa, Del Carmen and General Luna. …
The reef break that made Siargao's name, with a boardwalk and tower over the wave. Best from August to November. The waves brought General Luna its reputation as the surfing capital of the Philippines, and they draw national and international …
A white curtain of water 95 metres wide and 55 metres high, falling in three levels with a fourth tier out of sight. It is said to be the widest waterfall in the country, and people call it the little …
The town's shrine to the first Catholic Mass in Mindanao, said here on April 8, 1521 by local account, at Poblacion beside the municipal hall. People here also believe Magellan and his men raised the cross now kept in Cebu …
Every year on March 31, the city celebrates Mazaua Discovery Day to commemorate a historic milestone, the 1st Easter Mass on Philippines' soil on 1521, celebrated by Ferdinand Magellan. No matter what, Butuanons proclaim with pride that such historic event …
The city's cathedral, named for San Nicolas de Tolentino, the patron saint of Tandag. A novena runs here for nine days from September 1 up to his feast on September 10, and the church hands out a bread called Pan …
An underground river that surfaces as a pool of clear blue water, at Barangay Talisay in Hinatuan. Filipino and foreign visitors both know it, and it is the town's main draw. Cave divers have gone 82 metres down into the …
A small island about 2 kilometres south-southeast of General Luna, shaped like a tear drop. It lies in the Philippine Sea, 780 kilometres southeast of Manila. It is a common stop for tourists on island-hopping boat trips.
The seat of the Diocese of Surigao, on a parish that Augustinian Recollect friars founded in 1754. Its full name is San Nicolas de Tolentino Cathedral, after the patron whose feast on September 10 the city keeps with the Bonok-Bonok …
A green lagoon in Del Carmen with a diving board and paddleboards, reached by boat through mangroves.
This is like an iconic landmark for Butuan, even though there are Catholic churches everywhere in the Philippines. Also there's the opportunity to see the Filipino flag flying from a tall mast in Guingona Park across the way.
This site was one of the old poblacion of the city. The church built here in 1625 by the Recollect Friars was reduced to ashes in 1753 by Moro pirates. What remains of this church is its bell tower banyan …
This museum is the repository of historical and cultural materials and artifacts that proves Butuan's prehistoric existence and rich cultural heritage. There are two exhibit galleries. The Archaeological Hall and Ethnological Hall specimens of stone crafts, metal crafts, woodcrafts, potteries, …
A dig site kept as a museum, built over the grave of Balangay 1, a wooden boat dated to 320 AD. The balangays are plank-built and edge-pegged, and they average 15 metres long and 3 metres wide across the beam. …
The provincial government's hall, finished in 2024, with a design based on the Japanese Yamato-class battleship of the Battle of Surigao Strait in World War II.
A waterfall of many tiers in the forest at New Tubigon, a far barangay of Sibagat, and one of the places people visit in that town. Local belief holds it to be the longest running waterfall in the region. The …
The largest wetland in the Philippines, and the biggest marsh in Southeast Asia, spread across the middle of the Agusan River basin. It holds nearly 15 percent of the country's fresh water in swamp forests. Manobo families live deep inside …
The highest peak in Caraga at 2,012 metres, climbed each year on trips that trekkers and mountaineers organise. There are also organised climbs up Mount Mas-ai, a plateau at Putting Bato with a lake on top.
A Waray-speaking island at the north end of Surigao Strait, where the strait meets Leyte Gulf. It lies northwest of Dinagat Island and belongs to the municipality of Loreto. With the smaller Little Gibusong next to it, the island makes …
A man-made lake with a boat tour and a floating cottage on the water, used for picnics and for fishing.
A rock formation in Cortes holding three lagoons. The name comes from laswit, the local word for splash: when the water is high, above all in the Amihan season, the waves hit the rocks and fall back over them like …
A wooded hill at a bend in the Masao River, above Butuan Bay and the ground where ancient Butuan stood. Many hold it to be the place where Magellan and his men said the first Catholic Mass on Philippine soil …
The widest and most navigable river in Mindanao. People who live along its banks honour their patroness Senora Santa Ana (Saint Anne) every last Sunday of July, in the Abayan festival. The old Ramon Magsaysay Bridge crosses the river in …
A hill in sight of the city proper, walked up by families during Holy Week for penance and devotion. Climbers use it at other times of the year, and the top gives a wide view of Agusan del Norte and …
A group of 43 caves at Barangay Vinapor, one of the places people go to in Carmen. The town is also a diving stop, with sites at the Punta Diwata Reefs and the Balete Wall. Barangay Vinapor holds two resorts …
The palm-lined road across the island, and the deck looking over a million coconut trees.
Long beaches of fine sand, wide mangrove forest and deep water full of sea life, on a 128 square kilometre island next to Siargao and on the northern side of the province. The island forms the municipality of Socorro, the …