Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur Escapade

My country truly never ceases to amaze me with her astonishing beauty. Last Sunday, I experienced her magnificence once again when I and my friends went to one of her gems, Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur.

This sleepy town is 3 hours from Butuan by private car and 4-5 hours by bus. I got so excited because this is the first time I'll ever be in that province and I get to drive our own car. Our trip started on Saturday when we left Butuan City at 6 pm.

Magsaysay Bridge at dusk

We arrived in Hinatuan at 10 in the evening (we had our dinner at a local restaurant in San Francisco, hence the 1 hour delay). Travel was smooth since the road from Butuan to Hinatuan is in good condition (except in some areas where landslides occurred). Upon arriving there, we stayed in our colleague's house.

At 6 am the next morning, we had our breakfast in Sibadan Fish Cage, a restaurant on stilts accessible only by boat. Locals rent boats to tourists for P160 per hour regardless of the destination. They charge the whole amount if you exceed by even just 1 minute past an hour. Travel time from Bgy. Cambatong to Sibadan is around 15 minutes.

After having our breakfast, we went island-hopping. Riding the same boat, our first stop was Sarsoza Ponta Cave. This 73-meter sea cave with a grotto of the Virgin Mary on its entrance is a favorite destination of caving enthusiasts.

Our trek took a good 30 minutes. We came out alive and breathed fresh air. The trek inside is one of a kind, I wish I could do more spelunking as it is exhilarating. We then raced to another island the name of which is Pangasinan and yes, this is still in Hinatuan.

The docks of Pangasinan island

The island boasts of fine white sand and mangrove forests (I wonder why these things have spikes in them). Local folks sell dried fish and some souvenir items in a small store located beside the entrance dock.

The entrance from the docks

Souvenirs for sale in the island

We had a quick cool down in the island before heading back to Barangay Cambatong to drive to our ultimate summer destination, the Enchanted River.

Surigao del Sur offers several destinations for a great summer escapade so when in Mindanao, don't miss out on these as you will surely have a great experience visiting these hidden gems of our country.

This trip happened in May 10, 2015 and includes the following destination:

• Sibadan Fish Cage
• Sarsoza Ponta Cave
• Pangasinan Island
• Enchanted River

P.S.: I would like to thank Sir Lope and Sir Mondy of ACLC Butuan for making this trip possible.