Things to Do in Camiguin, the Philippines
I landed on Camiguin expecting a sleepy island and instead found a place that refuses to hold still. It is a small teardrop of volcanic land off the northern coast of Mindanao, and it packs more natural drama per square mile than anywhere else I have visited in the Philippines. People call it the Island Born of Fire because it sits on a ring of active volcanoes, but what I remember is how gentle it felt. The smoke plumes rise far away while you wade into warm springs and eat the sweetest lanzones of your life. These are the things that made my trip.
Take the Sunken Cemetery for what it is
The sunken cemetery is the postcard image of Camiguin, a white cross rising out of the sea where a Catholic graveyard slid beneath the water after the 1871 eruption of Mount Vulcan. I expected to be moved, and I was, but in a quieter way than the photos suggest. The cross stands in calm turquoise water off Bonbon, and boats ferry you out for a close look. I sat on the shore at sunset while local kids swam around the cross and families grilled fish nearby. It is history and daily life at the same time, which is the best kind of sight.
Meet the seven volcanoes without climbing all of them
Camiguin claims more volcanoes per square kilometer than any island on earth, and the road circles them all. I rented a motorbike and looped the ring road over two days, which felt like the right pace. The sea-facing slopes are layered with coconut groves and tiny churches, and every few kilometers another sight appears. The easiest summit to attempt is Hibok-Hibok, but I was honest with myself about my fitness and chose instead to hike the quieter Old Volcano crater near the center. Even the drive alone is worth the trip, because most of Camiguin reward sits along that ribbon of road, including the famous old Spanish lighthouse tower on a bluff that never fails you.
Sink into the hot and cold springs
Camiguin gives you a choice of water and I took both. Ardent Hot Springs feeds a hillside pool with volcanic-heated water that sits around 40 degrees, and I read that it nudges one degree warmer with every eruption cycle. I soaked in the evening while the forest darkened around me. The next day I drove to the cold springs, Santo Nino on the eastern side and Macao on the west, and the contrast made my skin feel electric. The cold springs are fed by mountain rivers coursing through bamboo and fern, and I let the current pull me under a canopy of green. You really should try both on the same trip to appreciate the range.
Walk to the waterfalls honestly
The falls on Camiguin ask for effort, and I appreciated that. Katibawasan Falls drops sixty-five meters straight into a cold pool, and it sits just behind Mambajao, so plenty of people stop by. I wanted the quieter one, so I hiked to Tuasan Falls on the east coast and had the swimming hole almost to myself. The trail wove through cacao trees and the spray kept the air cool. A few goats watched me swim. It is not a polished attraction, which is exactly why I loved it.
Float and eat your way around the coast
The Mantigue Island Marine Sanctuary is a protected sandbar island off Mahinog, and a short boat ride gets you there. I snorkeled a shallow reef thick with clownfish and parrotfish, then ate grilled squid on the sand. White Island, the famous white bar that appears and disappears with the tide, was more crowded than I wanted, so I went early and had it mostly to myself before the tour boats arrived. When I needed a proper meal I headed to Catarman for barbecue and to the lanzones festival stalls. Camiguin claims the sweetest lanzones on earth, and after tasting them I am not going to argue.
Plan around the ferry and the festival
Getting to Camiguin takes a ferry from Balingoan in Misamis Oriental, and the crossing is short but sometimes rolly. I went in October, just before the Lanzones Festival in Catarman, when the island fills with music and the fruit sellers lay out mountains of the pale yellow berries. If you want quiet, skip late October and come in the dry months from March to May. Either way, Camiguin rewards a relaxed pace. I left with volcanic ash under my nails, sweet fruit on my tongue, and a firm belief that this tiny island deserves a lot more attention than it gets.
