Tired because of your work? Want to relax and clear your mind?Looking for a perfect place for a perfect getaway this coming summer? Want to have some fun, thrill, excitement enjoyment to your life? Caramoan is the best place to be.
Not so far from metro manila, 12 (twelve) hours by land and 1 (one) and a half hour by air, and you will discover that there is a paradise nearby metro!. Caramoan is located in Camarines Sur, Bicol region. It is an island that consist of several majestic islets.
This is the place where my mother came from. So she knows and we know the every part and how beautiful is that, what we called “PARADISE”. Summer is the best season to explore the beauty of Caramoan. So every year it’s a tradition in our family to visit our some relatives in Caramoan, and also to have some fun and relax at least once a year.
Some brief history of Caramoan:
The name Caramoan has been officially used since 1619, the year it was named by a Spanish missionary friar, Francisco de la Cruz Oropesa. Fr. Oropesa penetrated the thick virgin forest of the Caramoan Peninsula and founded a small settlement in a place called Baluarte. This settlement was subsequently turned over to the administration of the Holy Bishopric in 1696.
Prior to the arrival of the Spaniards, it was determined that the place was once called Guta de Leche,(now the name of one of the islet), which was given by Dutch traders who operated a gold mine in Lahuy Island and who frequented the area to trade with the natives. The name was perhaps derived from the milkdrop stalagmites found among the rocks of Guta Port. Upon the arrival of the Spaniards, the place came to be called “Carahan” for the sea turtle, which was at that time to be found in great number along the shores of the Peninsula.
When you’re in Caramoan, Here are some things to do:
- Try the original bicolano foods.
The first thing that will come to your mind when you heard Bicol is their food is spicy. But it does not mean that all of their food they present to you is very spicy. A typical bicolano taste is a combination sweet and hot/spicy (of course, spicy is the dominant). If you have not yet taste their unique foods, your perceptions to the word spicy will not change. There something on that spicy food that you will appreciate Bicol is known for their spicy taste of foods. But now, there are some restaurant/ fast foods that serve some bicol dishes here in Manila, I also like it but, it’s different. Different place, different taste. There are some preservatives put in ingredients here in metro while in Bicol all the ingredients are all natural (of course it’s a province), especially when it comes to the taste of the meat.
- Explore the town
Caramoan is just like your province, quiet, fresh air, nice people. Given that it’s like your province, you need to check some beautiful spots there (aside from beaches). It will surely catches camera. Also it will surely catches your attention when you know the story behind of every beautiful spot. It’s because every beautiful spot and every name of the place in caramoan there is a hidden meaning. Every year, when we visit our relatives in caramoan, there is one thing that makes me amaze and wonder, the St. Michael the Arcanghael parish.
The St. Michael the Arcanghael church build around 16th century by the Franciscan missionaries. It makes me amaze to people who build and wonder what materials they used to build and how to build a very strong church like that. The church approximately 500 years old and it survives many super typhoon, earthquakes and the most important it survives the World war II.
You might also want to climb- up a 550 plus stairs to Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, Mother of Peace Grotto at Mount Caglago in Caramoan. It will surely test your strength and your faith. But when reach the top, it will worth all your sweat. You can see some of the islets above and you will see how beautiful Caramoan is. Make sure you are in a good condition before you climb up because it will take some hours climbing up.
- Island Hopping
Given the food and some beautiful spots, Island hopping is the most important thing you must not miss when you visit/go to caramoan. Caramoan is consist of 10 lovely islets(just like the hundred islands of pangasinan). Namely:
- Bag-ing
- Cagbanilad
- Catanhawan
- Cotivas
- Lahus
- Lahuy
- Matukad
- Pitogo
- Sabitang- Laya
Unfortunately you can’t go there in just one day. It takes 30 minutes to 1 hour ride on a boat on some islets. 15 minutes is the lowest on nearby islets. But I will make sure and guaranteed every islets there is a memories you will never forget. Fine white sand and clear blue water will welcome you in every islets. In some islets there are some caves hidden with beautiful rock formations.
There are some hotels now in Caramoan where you can stay for your vacation or if the hotels are fully booked some the houses there offers to rent their house where you can stay for a couple of weeks because some of the families there are already here in Manila, they just leaved their house with a caretaker.
These are the things you must not miss when you are in Caramoan.
You can compare it to Palawan but Caramoan is less known, meaning less tourist and there are might be problems you can encounter with transportation, roads etc. Caramoan is still in undeveloped. Some Filipino’s did’nt know it, but there are some foreigners already discovering it. For your information there are several countries that pick Caramoan to shoot their own reality tv show called “Survivor” (I think it’s the reason why foreigners discover Caramoan) like Israel,Serbia,Sweden and Denmark. It will be good for Caramoan but it has also a lot of negative impact. Some islets might be closed when Survivor shooting is ongoing.
Your memories in Caramoan will never be forget. Caramoan is one of the places here in the Philippines that Filipino’s should be proud of. Philippines has something that other countries don’t have. So for Filipinos, before you get amazed to other countries make sure that you already amaze, discover and explore the beauty of Philippines.
Enjoy it’s beauty in many ways. It’s the perfect place for your dream vacation getaway!.
Some of our photos from our past vacation:
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