Cagayan Province

Years ago I and a few officemates roadtripped up north. It was a very memorable trip, all the new places that I saw and the experience of getting there. See, it's memorable I'm writing about it five years later :-)

The trip was organized by someone who hails from Tuguegarao City. We didn't bring a car with us so we got on a bus to Tugue. Arriving there we went to Callao Caves and took a dip and tried to kayak on Pinakanauan River just below Callao. The water was clear and clean. We also visited Our Lady of Piat. We rented a van for our trip to Sta. Ana, the northeast tip of mainland Luzon. Along the way, we stopped by Iguig with their Station of the Cross hills. We even detoured to Aparri. Sta. Ana is a small fishing town. We stayed at CEZA "hotel". From there, we got on a banca that I think is too small for all of us. We went to Gotan Beach which was beautiful and inhabited. After swimming and having lunch, we proceeded to go to Cape Engano lighthouse which I think is in Palaui Island (correct me if I am wrong). Man! The waves are big and all of us were praying the rosary. One side is an open ocean, the other side a wall of rocks, and just one big wave could smash us to the rocks. But arriving at the island and going up the lighthouse was a sight to behold and a memory etched forever.








One must go to Sta. Ana and neighboring islands before it gets commercialized but be sure to rent a bigger banca, wear lifejackets and probably go on a good weather day. Have fun!