It's been a while since I went on
traveling after my 13 Days of Summer Escapade ended on April 2013. Due to my chicken pox
episode, I was bed driven for almost two weeks where I was required for some visits to the community
hospital in San Miguel, Surigao del Sur.
With summer still around, the weather was just so perfect
to waste inside the house and it's hard to think doing the art of nothing and just waiting 'til all of my scars are healed off. This scenario was so unbearable for an outdoor guy like me, so when my blisters have shown signs of drying, I went on searching for my next travel destination.
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Care to jump in a 10-foot diving board? |
Learning about the Blue Lagoon of
Libtong in Cantilan, I hurried to catch the last trip of the 3-hour jumbo jeepney drive towards to the
jump-off point in Brgy. Consuelo in Cantilan.
Accompanied by local friends, Cathe Duero and Brendo, we rented a small pump boat for Php 800.00 and sailed for less than 30 minutes before reaching Brgy. Libtong in General Island.
Accompanied by local friends, Cathe Duero and Brendo, we rented a small pump boat for Php 800.00 and sailed for less than 30 minutes before reaching Brgy. Libtong in General Island.
It was already high noon when we
docked in Libtong Resort where we witnessed a paradise-like- marine lagoon that was similar to the secret lagoons of El Nido, Palawan, only this lagoon was unheard of. It was just sad to notice that it was already the peak of summer season and yet we were the only visitors in this hidden tourist spot in Cantilan.
Timely, I was requested by a
friend from De La Salle University-DasmariƱas to record a video message for the 16th DLSU-D Alumni Home
Coming. The venue was just too ideal to have the message recorded with pristine blue paradise as my backdrop. Overwhelmed with its
intimidating beauty, it took us a while to perfectly shoot the video.
The
lagoon has two parts and it was divided by strip of limestone rocks with lush green
vegetation in the middle. The unspoiled water body is home to thousands of sting-less jellyfish that have served as their breeding
ground in a particular season of the year.
According to our guide, you can swim with
the jelly fish unharmed. The lagoon is also littered with different colorful species
of fishes swimming around, so uncaring with our presence. It was also our lucky day to spot a White-bellied Sea-eagle freely flying above which is now rarely seen in the wild.
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Sting-less jellyfish in the Blue Lagoon of Libtong, Cantilan, Surigao del Sur |
After the video shoot, we decided to
have our lunch at the cottage of the resort. Since the resort is a community operated establishment, we requested from their accommodating personnel on duty to buy us some fresh sea food and some soda at the barangay proper which was just twenty minutes away from the resort . We
were served with rice and "kinilaw
na pugita" or fresh chopped octopus soaked in vinegar.
We took the whole afternoon taking advantage of the priceless relaxation and feasting our eyes on the rare beauty in front of us.
I even tried jumping from the 10-foot high diving board installed in front of our cottage. Hitting the 15-20 meter deep turquoise blue water was just an exhilarating activity. With this kind of water that was so cool and refreshing, it made me addicted to jump countless of times with different types of diving executions, jumping even in my most awkward position.
How Much to Experience this Paradise?
NO entrance fee in Libtong Resort, instead you just have to pay for the cottages ranging from Php150-500. If I wasn't in a hurry to get home that day, we could have actually stayed for a night in Libtong.
How to get to Cantilan?
There are multiple entries going to this hidden paradise. There are flights available daily to Butuan City and Surigao City
1. Coming from Butuan City
Terminal, take a bus bound for Tandag City. Bus leaves every hour, fare is Php
300.00 for airconditioned bus (Bachelor) with travel time of 5 hours. In Tandag
City, there are two options you can take to visit cantilan: (1) to take a bus
bound for Surigao City or (2) take a van. Buses have a limited schedule until 2
pm only. Fare is Php100.00 with travel time of 2 hours.
In Cantilan Terminal (near the
market) you can take a tricycle and tell the driver you are bound for Consuelo.
Fare is Php 50.00
If you wish to visit some of the
islands, you can negotiate with the local fishermen to take you on a round on
the nearby destinations.
2. Coming from Surigao City,
there are buses and vans in the city terminal bound for Tandag City. Alight in
Cantilan, fare is Php 170, then follow the rest of the instructions above.
3. Coming from Davao City, there
are two direct trips to Tandag City, 6 am and 12 mn. Fare is Php363.00 and travel time is 8 hours. From Tandag City,
follow the instruction above.
Accommodation
There are few pension houses in Cantilan. It is a small
town so you won’t miss seeing one. There are also quite a number of resorts
along Baybay, the coast. From the town , you can take a tricycle for
Php 15.00/head to the coastal community of Baybay.
With our experience we were accommodated in a 2 room resort
in Cathe Pacific Cottage by the Beach you may contact the owner Cathe Duero at +63915.429.2488 for reservations.
Local contacts:
For surfing and island hopping
activity you may call Brendo Torejos for
assistance at +63921.729.5255 or Cathe
Duero at +63915.429.2488
Cash Problem
There is an ATM available at Cantilan Bank located at the
heart of the town.
I should go there soon:)
ReplyDeletecome and visit us here Melo :D
ReplyDeleteWow!! Another hidden gem in surigao. This one's bookmarked!
ReplyDeleteInteresting! I will be in Butuan City in 2 weeks, maganda sanang isingit to sa itinerary kaso ang layo kulang sa time :(
ReplyDeleteHope to meet you here Gab....baka pwdeng gawan ng paraan...
ReplyDeleteReally Nice!
ReplyDeletewhoooa 10ft diving board pa try dn nga..hehe
ReplyDeleteI'm really proud that my lolo got this property and my Uncle Yonyon takes care of it and making it really beautiful.
ReplyDeletebest platform para mag practice mag dive , refreshing pa :D
ReplyDeleteHow i wish to have chicken fox in the future and i'll do the same.... lols...
ReplyDeleteawts .. be careful what you wish for. Having chicken pox at this age is a little complicated at least on my end . Nevertheless, I hope one day you could visit this beautiful place :D thank you.
ReplyDeletenice place!
ReplyDeletethanks Vilma .. i hope you can visit this place too ... :D
ReplyDeleteHanep ang shot ng jellyfish ah! hirap na hirap kunan nyan- sa sohoton 1 lang ata nagamit ko
ReplyDeleteHmmmm.. Swimming with the jellyfish in the blue lagoon is safe pala? Hope I can visit this beautiful paradise in the near future. - Algene
ReplyDeleteThis lagoon looks like a complete paradise! It's a perfect destination for families and lovers to chill and hang out for a long weekend. The green vegetation is really super green. And that jellyfish? Wow. :)
ReplyDeleteOh my! The place is so perfect for relaxation especially in my part since I'm already bored here in my house and it's summer! I'm supposed to be out in the house and hit the beach! :D
ReplyDeleteVisiting Blue Lagoon at this time is so fit for those who want to relax and swim with the harmless jellyfish! Kakainggit! :D
dito tayo pupunta? yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay bongga nadin!!!!! <3 <3 <3 Kaya go ako!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteGreat place. First time to see sting-less jellyfish in a closer. Maganda pala kulay nya.
ReplyDeleteThat's a majestic-looking jellyfish right there. I was going to ask if these kinds are dangerous but I saw the caption saying these are the sting-less variety. Anyway, great shots and a great post as usual. Good job!
ReplyDeleteI can't imagine swimming with jellyfish even if it's harmless. LOL. I have never seen a lagoon for real. It looks heaven. I will be in Surigao on July or Aug, hopefully to get a chance to visit the place.
ReplyDeleteHow cool is that swimming with jellyfish and some fish species in an unspoiled lagoon.
ReplyDeletehindi ba rito nag-shot ang Blue Lagoon. Love the calmed water but not the jelly fish.
ReplyDeleteWow that place looks amazing! It is actually very similar to the lagoons in El Nido and Coron but less people visit it. I would definitely include this in my itinerary when I get the chance to visit Surigao.
ReplyDelete- Wanderer Juan (www.thewanderingjuan.net)
Another paradise introduced to me through this blog. The beauty of the Philippines seems never-ending.
ReplyDeleteWhat a peaceful lagoon :) I'd love to take a dive into that clear blue waters. Linis! pero jelly fish? no thanks :D
ReplyDeletewhat a beautiful place, i don't know it exist until now. thanks for sharing, hopefully i can visit this place in the near future
ReplyDeleteWhat a very beautiful place. The place looks so serene. Perfect getaway for those who want to de-stress. :)
ReplyDeletewow the photos looks amazing! breathtaking place there! my daughter's school sent out some letters as well about chicken pox. hehe Nice to know this place and the sting-less jelly fish i am really scared of them.
ReplyDeletewow!! that jellyfish looks really cool!! and the place is just so serene.. :)
ReplyDeleteWe saw this Libtong Lagoon in the news a while ago. This place looks enchanting! We'll put this in our travel itinerary for this year or next year. Thanks too for the tips.
ReplyDeleteYour blog is awesome, by the way.
oh . you were able to catch it on TV Patrol ..hahah thanks hope to meet you here when you visit Cantilan :D
ReplyDeleteWow! The place looks sooooo beautiful and picturesque! I'll definitely put Cantilan in my "must-visit places" list :) PS: I hope you're all better now from the chicken pox. Oh, and I applaud you for still traveling despite just having it XD
ReplyDeletei oove this place amazing and beautiful..go cantialn and invite all the tourism in the phillippines...support cantilan Resort
ReplyDeleteSoooo pristine... This is a heaven.. Hope I can go there in the near future...
ReplyDeleteHow much is the entrance fee?
ReplyDeleteI am originated from Cantilan, I assure you that once you visit our place you will be mesmerize of what Cantilan has to offer in-terms of tourism..from Dubai with Love.
ReplyDeleteCome and visit us here ... enjoy the whole Surigao Peninsula :D
ReplyDeletewhen's the jellyfish season in blue lagoon?
ReplyDeletekeri po b to if solo traveler? ow im also a dlsu-d alumni
ReplyDeletehi Travelmore2014, yes possible naman mag solo travel sa cantilan .. that would be exciting for you to do ...wish i could hear your story soon :D
ReplyDeleteIf you were a regular customer and not some travel writer, how much would you have paid for your one night stay at Cathe Pacific if I may ask?
ReplyDeleteHi Dio, the last time I checked there was some changes in the area, a little bit improved. It may range from 300-500 a night of stay in the place. depends on how long you are going to stay.
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What an amazing place! We will make it a point to check this place out when we visit Cantilan.
ReplyDelete@Ad@Adrenaline Romance there are more beautiful places you can find in the area... unexplored... this is just of them. Can't wait to hear your story soon :D
ReplyDeletePlanning to visit this place tomorrow. I have no idea how to get there! But thats all part of the adventure! Can't wait!
ReplyDeleteI am sure you will have a great adventure finding this place. Try to visit the nearby islets . The beaches there are still pristine
ReplyDeleteWill definitely do. Thank you!
ReplyDeleteWe are planning to visit Blue Lagoon with my friends, just want to ask how much it cost from Consuelo to Libtong? Approx of 10 people. We are very excited and we want to finalize our budget, hope you can help us. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteHi @Bembem... from Consuelo you will charter a boat going to General Island. The price of boat rental varies depending on the size it's around 1500-3000.
ReplyDeleteyou can contact Bendo at this number +63921.729.5255... thank you
ReplyDeleteHi heres a pic from my jump off point..Brgy Caglayag. The nearest point to Libtong..
ReplyDeleteHad a lot of fun yesterday! Thanks!!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much! this is a great help. :-D
ReplyDeleteyes, this is a beautiful place... I think that is casa rica island fronting the beach. lovely place. Have you tried eating sea cucumber served by the community?
ReplyDeleteOh i didnt know that! But no worries, will definitely come back to that place! Thank you so much for introducing the
ReplyDeleteplace! Kudos! Godbless!