Beautiful beaches, sunsets, sights in Santa Ana, Cagayan

CAGAYAN, Philippines – Aside from spots like Boracay and Palawan, there are many beautiful beaches in the Philippines waiting to be discovered.

Pack up and visit Santa Ana, Cagayan in the northeastern Luzon for a peaceful, beautiful vacation. 

Activities include island hopping, trekking, swimming, sun bathing, diving and snorkeling. 

Santa Ana boasts its stunning and untouched white beaches, including CNN’s 2013 10^th best beach in the world, the Palaui Island. 

Santa Ana was also the venue of the 2 episodes of Survivor USA. 

For travelers and tourists, wake up early to get to San Vicente Port where boats are available for island hopping. They require you to be early to avoid huge waves in the ocean, which often occur in the afternoon. 

You will be brought to Crocodile Island, Mapurao and Manidad Island, Mangrove area and of course, Palaui Island. These islands showcase scenic white shorelines and beautiful rock formations.

Palaui Island is known for its untouched and quiet beaches which are best for swimming and snorkeling. Local tour guides are available to assist you in different activities.

There are tents available for tourists who want an overnight stay. There is no electricity on the island but the management runs an electricity generator at about 8 pm to 12 midnight.

The island is also the home of the famous century-old Cape Engaño Lighthouse, which was built during the Spanish era. At the same spot, you will witness the breathtaking view of the Dos Hermanas (Two Sisters) Island and the white shorelines lying after blue and emerald water.

The lighthouse can be reached through a 20-30-minute trek.

Aside from the island beaches and adventures, there are also equally stunning white beaches in the mainland of Santa Ana. There are the Anguib beach, which is already featured in some magazine television shows, Nangaramoan Beach, Gotan Beach and the Pozo Rovo.

Spectacular sunsets can also be witnessed at some beaches.

There are resorts and hotels in the area. Best to coordinate and ask the local tourism council or Cagayan Economic Zone Authority (CEZA) tourism office when you’re planning your trip. CEZA also provides tour packages.

You can do all this in about two days, but you can also extend your stay if you want to travel at a more leisurely pace. 

For a group of 3-5 visiting Santa Ana at the peak seasons, you can prepare at least P15,000: P3,500 for the accommodation, P3,800 for the island hopping, plus the rest are for food, the local guide, environment fee, and others. Transportation going to Santa Ana, Cagayan is excluded in the estimated amount.

You can reach Santa Ana by taking a bus from Manila to Tuguegarao (10-hour trip) and take a van or local-route bus from Tuguegarao-Santa Ana (2-3 hour trip). – Rappler.com

All photos by Raymon Dullana/Rappler