Travel Throwback: The Climb to Callao Cave

One of the most memorable experiences in our vacation in Cagayan Valley was the trek to Callao Cave. This is one of the most popular tourist spots in the town of Penablanca. I can tell that I need to treasure this moment because it is the first time that I visit a cave and seeing limestone formations such as stalactites and stalagmites. 

Penablanca is a town located in the eastern boundary, a long stretch of the Pacific Ocean. The town got its name from a Spanish friar because of its white rocks. The first settlers of this town were a group of hunters from Tuguegarao. They adopted the kaingin method of farming and they occupied the part of the town which is now called as the poblacion. Penablanca was considered by the Spaniards as a hunter's paradise because of the abundance of wildlife such as wild pigs, deer and wild birds of various kinds are found there. In addition, it is rich in verdant forests, vast agricultural lands and the abundant marine life in lakes and rivers.

Penablanca is nestled in the foothills of Sierra Madre mountain range and it is the home of caves particularly the Callao Cave. It is a seven chamber show cave and one of the three hundred caves that dot the area. It was visited by Governor-General Theodore Roosevelt Jr. in 1932 and it is one of the earliest national parks in the country which was established in 1935. 

Callao Caves is one of the ecotourism zones in the province of Cagayan.

Today, Callao Cave is an ecotourism spot in the town of Penablanca and one of the popular tourist spots in Cagayan Province which visited by several local and foreign tourists. It is located in Barangay Magdalo and it features more than 300 caves in the area.

The Pinacanauan River, river system flowing along the Penablanca Protected Area,

There are 184 concrete steps before you reached the Callao Cave.

Parents should teach the young people to explore local places to appreciate our country.

Before you reach the cave, you need to take the one hundred eighty-four concrete steps. While climbing, you can also see the Pinacanauan River, the river system flowing along the area where you can do river rafting, boating and kayaking. The Callao Cave system is composed of seven chambers each with natural crevices above where the light illuminates the dark areas of the cave. There were nine chambers before but an earthquake in the 1980's cutoff the last two chambers.

The first chamber of a show cave  is the largest room with a width of about 50 m (160 ft) and a height of 36 m (1188 ft).

The chapel inside the Callao Cave.

The rock formation where you can see magnificent images are formed inside the cave and it can be used as an altar. 

Stream of light from the rooftop opening of the cave.

The cathedral-like room was turned into a chapel by the local people. The rock formation served as an altar lit by a stream of light came from the rooftop opening. Several, magnificent images are formed because of the stalactites, stalagmites and speleothems are also added as attractions inside the cave.

Sketches on the limestone walls outside the caves.

While roaming around the area, I also read that this cave was the home of the pre-historic Callao Man which is considered as a remains of the Homo sapiens. I also noticed some sketches in the walls outside the cave where I hope that the residents should avoid vandalism in the place.

Therefore, Callao Cave is one of the best places to visit in Cagayan. I've also had a chance to see the indigenous people of Penablanca (Gaddangs or Ibanags, but somewhat related to the Aetas) where they sold tourist T-shirts, refrigerator magnets and brooms. After that, we are going to Tuguegarao City for a sort of city tour and explore more the beauty of Cagayan Valley.

Watch out for the third part of my Cagayan Valley series - Tuguegarao and Piat.

Date of Travel: December 28, 2014
#TravelThrowbackSeries

Travel Throwback: An Encounter with Captivating Caves and Rustic Sceneries of Cagayan Valley

I can tell that it is the proudest travel achievement I've ever made so far.  I experienced to have a land travel for more than twelve hours, passing various cities and provinces, enjoying views from the tall buildings of the Metro, the vast rice fields of the Central Plains, and the wide rivers up to the lush verdant mountains while I was  enjoying  roller coaster ride in the zigzag highways of the North. In addition, I spent quality time with my friends in this travel, eating in different stopovers and exploring a different culture in the north. Finally,  I made it to the northernmost province in the eastern portion of mainland Luzon.

A large province situated between the two mountain ranges of Cordillera Central and Sierra Madre and bounded by the Pacific Ocean in the north and east, Cagayan is surrounded by Isabela on the south and the Cordillera provinces of Kalinga and Apayao on the west. 

Last month, I had a visit in Cagayan Valley where I was invited for the wedding ceremony of my friend. The first thing that I noticed about the place is the simplicity of life among the residents that I appreciated so much. In this post, I will show you some pictures in our visit in the towns of Piat and Penablanca as well with the tour in one of the most progressive cities in the North and the provincial capital of Tuguegarao.

We traveled from Cavite to Cagayan with our van for almost twelve hours. We passed the urban cities of Metro Manila, the plains of Central Luzon and the mountainous terrains of the North before we reached our destination. Twelve hours of travel is such an accomplishment for me because I experienced to sleep in a van for a long time and the fact that I overcome the longest zigzag ride ever from Carrangalan, Nueva Ecija to Cordon, Isabela. I woke up when we reached the province of Isabela when I heard Ilocano songs in the radio and we had a stopover in a gasoline station in Santiago City.

Route to some towns in Isabela before reaching Tuguegarao City.

After that, we decided to take the route passing the towns of Roxas and Ramon in Isabela going to Piat, Cagayan. It's six in the morning when we saw the majestic view of landscape in Cabagan, Isabela. It is such a great morning view to see the Sierra Madre mountain range in Isabela as well with the rolling hills and the wide plains in the province. Then, we also passed the towns of Enrile and Solana before we reached the town of Piat.

Welcome arch of Piat from Solana. Source: Google Photos

Finally, we saw the arch of Piat from the boundary of Solana. The arch said "Maddulot Tera" an Ilocano word meaning "Welcome". We enjoyed the view of rice fields and the fresh air. We stayed in the house of our friend and we witnessed the preparation for the wedding ceremonies on the next day.

Meanwhile, we went to the town of Penablanca to visit the Callao Cave, one of the well known tourist attractions in the province and one of the three hundred caves that is located in the area. The word "Penablanca" is taken from the Spanish word for white rocks because of the presence of white limestone rocks in the area. We climbed the approximately 150 steps to the cave and we are amazed with the beauty of stalactites and stalagmites. Actually, it is the first time that I visited a cave.

Callao Cave

The feeling that I was amazed with the stalactites and stalagmites because it is my first time to visit a cave.

After our visit in Callao Cave, we went to the capital city of the province, Tuguegarao. We attended an afternoon mass in the Saints Peter and Paul Metropolitan Cathedral. Then, we had our afternoon walk in the town and took our snack in an eatery that offers Pancit Batil Patung.

Sts. Peter and Paul Metropolitan Cathedral, Tuguegarao City

Pancit Batil Patung

The next day, we witnessed the nuptials of our friend in the Basilica of Our Lady of Piat. The church was built in 1604. It is one of the old Spanish churches  in Cagayan, that is why the town is known as "The Pilgrimage Center of the North."

Basilica of Our Lady of Piat

After the wedding, we traveled for 2 to 3 hours from Piat to Santiago City to visit our friend and join their Christmas celebration. In the afternoon, we left Isabela and we arrived in Cavite on the next day after 11 hours of travel from the North. This travel to Cagayan is definitely one of the best travels I've experienced so far. I enjoyed the rustic ambiance and the verdant rice fields of Piat. I appreciated the promise of Tuguegarao, being one of the most urbanized and progressive cities in Cagayan Valley. I was amazed by the serene ambiance of Penablanca. Definitely, I will come back to Cagayan very soon to explore the beauty of the province.

Watch out for my posts about Piat and Penablanca.

Date: December 28 - 29, 2014
#TravelThrowbackSeries