Camiguin is an island province of the Philippines located in the Bohol Sea, about 10 kilometres (6.2 mi) off the northern coast of Mindanao. It is politically part of the Northern Mindanao Region of the country and formerly a part of Misamis Oriental province. Camiguin is the second-smallest in the country both in population and land area after Batanes.
The island-province of Camiguin is a pear-shaped volcanic island in the northern tip of Mindanao. It is approximately 90 kilometers north of the City of Cagayan de Oro. It is bounded to the north by Bohol Sea, to the west by Macajalar Bay, to the southeast by Gingoog Bay and to the east by Butuan Bay.
Camiguin is known to be the island born of fire. Currently, there are four volcanoes: three inactive, leaving one active. This active volcano is considered to be the youngest one in the lineup. The fear of volcanic eruption doesn’t stop the tourists. Still, the island continues to receive countless visitors locally and internationally to witness the various beautiful spots that can be found within the island’s perimeter.
Camiguin is composed of five towns, namely, Mambajao – the capital town, Mahinog, Guinsiliban, Sagay and Catarman. The island plays host to seven volcanoes, including the still-active Mount Hibok-Hibok. According to the National Statistics Office, Camiguin has a total population of 74,232 persons, making the province the second smallest in the Philippines in terms of population.
Among the Province's major products are coconut, cassava, banana, sweet potato, rice, corn, fruits, coffee and vegetables. Camiguin's volcanic soil has proved to be a fertile ground for planting various crops. At present, the Provincial government is looking into an agricultural program that would increase the cultivation of fruit trees and vegetables in Camiguin. The Province is also among the best abaca fiber producers in the country. Camiguin is proud of its natural resources, which include sulfur deposits, geothermal energy, agricultural lands and fishing grounds.
"Weather in Camiguin most of the time is cloudy but do not be fooled, you will still definitely need sunblock upon arrival at their famous White beach"
From Manila, you can take direct flights of Philippine Airlines, Cebu Pacific, or Air Philippines to Cagayan de Oro City. Flying time approximately takes one hour and 20 minutes. From Cebu, Cagayan de Oro City is even nearer -- a mere 30 minutes away. One can also take the longer but infinitely more exciting ferry trips from the North Harbor aboard the ships of WG&A, Negros Navigation, and Sulpicio Lines. Depending on the routes (sometimes they stop over at certain ports such as that of Cebu City, Iloilo City or Bacolod City), a ferry trip to Cagayan de Oro City usually takes 28 to 36 hours.
From the Cagayan de Oro City airport, you can take a cab to the bus terminal located at the Agora Market and get on a bus for Balingoan, a town 88 kilometers outside the city. At Balingoan, take a ferry bound for Camiguin Island approaching Camiguin by sea. The trip usually takes an hour before you reach Benoni Wharf of Mahinog, which is 17 kilometers from the capital town of Mambajao.
You can also take a three-hour ferry ride from the Cagayan de Oro Ferry Terminal to Guinsiliban, also in Camiguin on board M/V Yuhum.
History: Old Spanish documents indicate that the renowned explorers Ferdinand Magellan and Miguel López de Legazpi landed in Camiguin in 1521 and 1565, respectively. The first Spanish settlement was established in 1598 in what is now Guinsiliban. Guinsiliban which comes from the old Kinamiguin word "Ginsil-ipan" which means "to look out for pirates from a watchtower" has an old Spanish watchtower where the Camiguinons kept watch for Moro pirates.
Camiguin is well known among the ancient inhabitants of this country. The island's name was referred to as Camigui, Camiguing and Camiguenen by early Spanish and Portuguese chroniclers.
The name Camiguin is derived from the native word "Kamagong", a species of the ebony tree that thrives near Lake Mainit in the province of Surigao del Norte, the region from which the earlier inhabitants of the islands, the Manobos, came. Kinamigin, the local language of Camiguin, is closely related to the Manobo language.
Weather: There are two seasons, the wet season and the dry season. Based on temperature, the seven warmest months of the year are from March to October; the winter monsoon brings cooler air from November to February. May is the warmest month, and January, the coolest.
"Dominica was another stop on our Caribbean cruise. Here's an excerpt from my blog post about our day in Dominica:
The bus departed from the pier at 10:30am and we were en route to our first stop up in the mountains for a hike to a waterfall. As we drove through town, it looked really poor - more than the other places we've visited. During our history lesson of Dominica we learned that the island is 99% volcanic rock and 1% limestone, that there are 17 dormant volcanoes and 365 rivers - one river for every day of the year, and during leap years they find another river, was the joke.
The bus stopped after the 45-minute drive through the mountains, and we were at the entry point of the rain forest for the walk to Spanny's Waterfall. A few people stopped to use the facilities but the rest of the group began their walk through the rain forest - great tour guide, just leaving us to navigate on our own. The walk was roughly 20-minutes and was a pretty substantial hike through the mud. We saw a lot of interesting and colourful plants along the way, but surprisingly no bugs. The waterfall was absolutely beautiful. Could have spent a lot more time there.
Back on the bus, we made our way down the mountain and to Mero Beach, which is a black sand beach. The drive down the mountain was a little easier to handle than the drive up. Baron sure did like to grind the gears, and take the turns pretty fast. The beach was pretty interesting, seeing that I've never been to a black sand beach before. The water looked really murky, but was surprisingly clear - the black sand makes the water clarity deceiving. Because we were with the tour group, we didn't have to pay for the chairs/umbrella, and we were given a free drink at the bar."
![find flights to Camiguin [CGY]](images/airplane.jpg "find flights to Camiguin [CGY]"){kind=small}
