HomeAsiaPhilippinesLuzonCagayan ProvinceCallao Cave – Sacred Caverns in Peñablanca, Cagayan By Marcos Detourist on October 7, 2011Visiting the Callao Cave was numero uno in my list of things to do in Cagayan Province. What makes this cave special is the presence of a chapel established right within one of its spacious caverns.I’ve drooled over photos of the Callao Cave far too many times. Now was my chance to take some of my own.I’ve always imagined myself setting up my tripod and camera in this dimly lit misty cave … capturing the dramatic skylight shining down on the chapel altar and benches.A problem emerged because me and Eric didn’t exactly know how to get there. The commuting tips I’ve read online haven’t been very straightforward. Plus … we arrived in Tuguegarao from Tumauini at around 2PM. Even if we could find a way to get to the Callao Caves, I was worried we might have some difficulty catching a ride back to the city.Pathway to Callao CaveWhile we were having late lunch at Gretchen’s Panciteria, a curious local approached us. It was pretty easy to single us out as tourists because we had our cameras feast upon our plate of Pancit Batil Patong right after it was served.After an exchange of pleasantries, our new friend, Alvin offered to take us all the way to Callao Cave. Problem solved thanks to Alvin :) Yummy Pancit Batil Patong at Gretchen’s PanciteriaGetting to Callao CaveThe drive to the reception area of the Callao Eco-Tourism Zone took 30 minutes. Along the way, I bought a tube of super glue because the head of my tripod got broken off. It was a cheap P200 CDR King tripod intended for compact cameras.I preferred it because it was small and easy to carry. Unfortunately, it couldn’t take the heavy load of my SLR. It needed a quick fix. I direly needed a tripod to take steady shots inside the dimply lit cave. Callao Eco Tourism Zone Entrance fee at P20From the reception / parking area it was a steep uphill climb to get to the entrance of the Callao Cave. View of the Pinacanauan River Marker by the Provincial Government of CagayanMarker reads: “The Callao Caves, which bear the handpoint of God are Cagayan’s priceless patrimony. As now fully developed, these caves will endure a hundred millenia to remind the world of the Cagayanon’s love for nature and passion for beauty.”The Callao Cave Entrance of the Callao CaveThe chapel was located at the entrance chamber of the Callao Cave. This large cavern forms a natural cathedral illuminated by a large opening at the cave ceiling. I loved the irregular texture of the rock formations accented by the skylight. It was beautiful to see the cave walls glow in hues of greens and yellows.One thing I missed though was the misty / dusty feel of the cave and the spotlight effect from the cave atrium. People get disappointed when they go to a destination and see that it looks different in photos.I have probably taken some of those kind of photos also. I know that how a place looks in real life is also dependent on timing and luck.Also, cameras perceive scenes differently than human eyes. It takes a bit of experience to look at a photo and have a good idea of what to expect to see in actuality.Loved the patterns of the chipped off cave floor and the texture of the rocksThe super glue wasn’t any help at fixing my tripod. One tip I made use of was placing my camera on top of rocks. The steady surface acts like a tripod. It was hard to find a good spot because many of the rocks were too pointy. Was finally able to get a good shot of the natural cathedral after climbing atop a stack of rocks at one corner of the cave.Natural Cathedral of the Callao CaveDon’t leave yet. There’s more!Cagayan Valley and Tuguegarao DIY Tour Itinerary for 3 DaysPawikan Cave (Isla Gigantes Sur, Carles) PhotoshootEl Nido Tour A + B: Snake Island and Cudongon CavePinagrealan Cave Spelunking in Norzagaray, Bulacan11 Days Northern Luzon Itinerary - Cagayan, Ilocos & Baguio…Sunset at Buntun Bridge in Tuguegarao, CagayanComments Seair saysOctober 8, 2011 at 10:49 amwow. that cave looks amazing. is it hard to get to the cathedral? what a cool place to have a wedding! Marcos saysOctober 12, 2011 at 8:06 amNot so hard. The cathedral was just at the cave entrance. dennie saysJanuary 16, 2012 at 4:02 pmThe place is awesome! i was there 1996 with friends and family! conrad saysAugust 3, 2012 at 11:02 pmit’s my home province..the callao cave is really one of a kind! Posting of new comments is disabled temporarily.Connect with Marcos on:Detourista.comMarcosDetourist.comFacebookInstagramTwitterDetourista.comDiscover more travel guides and blogs about the Philippines and beyond by Marcos DetouristChoose your next destination: Cambodia, Hong Kong, India, Indonesia, Laos, Macau, Malaysia, Myanmar, Nepal, Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam
Seair saysOctober 8, 2011 at 10:49 amwow. that cave looks amazing. is it hard to get to the cathedral? what a cool place to have a wedding!
dennie saysJanuary 16, 2012 at 4:02 pmThe place is awesome! i was there 1996 with friends and family!