French
DeutschCasiguran is a municipality on the Pacific coast of Aurora province in the central part of the island of Luzon in the Philippines. It is home to extensive beaches and the San Ildefonso Peninsula, a wild sliver of land shielding Casiguran Sound from the open waves of the Pacific Ocean..
Understand
[edit | edit source]Casiguran is wedged in a narrow coastal plain between the Sierra Madre mountains and the Pacific Ocean. It sits at the head of Casiguran Sound, a narrow gulf that is shielded from the fierce waves of the Pacific Ocean by the San Ildefonso Peninsula, a largely forested sliver of land that is the subject of moribund attempts at development by the government into a commercial and ecoutourism destination as part of the Aurora Pacific Economic Zone and Freeport Authority (APECO), a proposed venture similar to preexisting business estates in Subic and Clark.
The people of Casiguran are a mix of indigenous Dumagats, Bugkalots and migrants from Central Luzon, Quezon Province, Cagayan Valley and the Ilocos. From the logging heydays of the 1970s, they are now primarily engaged in farming, fishing and tourism. They speak a variety of languages including Tagalog, Ilocano and Dumagat. It is home to about 27,000 people (census, 1 July 2024) 
Get in
[edit | edit source]Casiguran is along Baler-Casiguran Road, the main thoroughfare in Aurora, and Cordon-Diffun-Aurora Road, which connects Aurora with Cagayan Valley. Travelers usually enter the town from the provincial capital Baler to the south. There are infrequent buses from Santiago City to Dinapigue on the eastern coast of Isabela, passing though Casiguran. There are also infrequent buses connecting Casiguran with Cabanatuan in Nueva Ecija, and with Baler.
Casiguran also has its own airport, but is used only for charter flights and light aircraft.
- 1 Casiguran Airport, Esteves.
Get around
[edit | edit source]Tricycles are the main form of transport in town. Due to the uneven terrain and poor roads, a 4WD is recommended. Getting to San Ildefonso Peninsula involves taking a motorcycle or sailing across Casiguran Sound on a hired motorboat. The main port is in Barangay Lual, at the mouth of the Casiguran River.
- 2 Lual Pier, Lual.
See
[edit | edit source]- 1 Casapsapan Beach, Culat. The main attraction in town, it is a 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) stretch of curving cream-colored sand at the head of Casapsapan Bay, which faces the Pacific Ocean. It is bisected in the middle by the mouth of the Casapsapan River.
- 2 Tibu Tidal Pool, Sitio Daligan, San Ildefonso. A tidal pool on the Pacific side of the San Ildefonso Peninsula with pristine waters and rock formations.
- 3 Ontok Lighthouse, San Ildefonso. A lighthouse overlooking the tip of the San Ildefonso Peninsula and guardian the entrance to Casiguran Sound. It was built at an elevation of 70 metres (230 ft).
- 4 Calabgan Beach, Calabgan. A stretch of white sand facing Casiguran Sound and bisected by the mouth of the Calabgan River.
- 5 Motiong Beach, Esteves. A stretch of gray sand facing the narrowest point in the Casiguran Sound.
- 6 Nuestra Señora Dela Ermita (Ermita Hill), Casiguran-Dilasag Road, Barangay 3. A hilltop Catholic chapel overlooking downtown Casiguran accessible after taking a flight of stairs. It houses a venerated image of the Virgin Mary.
Do
[edit | edit source]Buy
[edit | edit source]- 1 Bianuan Public Market, Sayago Street, Bianuan.
- 2 Casiguran Public Market, Zamora Street, Calantas.
Eat
[edit | edit source]- 1 Enter Town Restobar, Baler-Casiguran Road, Marikit (near Casiguran Bridge), ☏ +63 920 071 9243, entertownrestobar@gmail.com.
- 2 Madodiza Food Hauz Bu Tea's Silog, Calderon Street, Barangay 2, ☏ +63 920 236 0824. Burger joint with Filipino rice meals.
Drink
[edit | edit source]- 1 1128 Tea and Cafe, Purok 3, Salamera Street, Calantas, ☏ +63 929 960 3192. 9AM–9PM M-F, 9AM-10PM Sa-Su.
Sleep
[edit | edit source]Accommodation in town usually consists of inns, pension houses and beach resorts. Tents can also be set up at Casapsapan Beach for a fee.
- 1 Casapsapan Eco Park Resort (Benimark Eco Park), Culat, ☏ +63 962 973 4742, casapsapanecoparkresort@gmail.com. An ecotourism-themed accommodation along Casapsapan Beach.
- 2 Villa Valencia Transient House, Barangay 6.
- 3 Hillside Resort, Casiguran-Dilasag Road, Culat, ☏ +63 920 549 0261, hillsideresortcasiguran@gmail.com.
- 4 Padiernos Park & Stay, Rizal Street, Barangay 6, ☏ +63 947 235 0652.
- 5 Ela's Lodging House, Lual, ☏ +63 919 728 5183, melodyalcanzo1974@gmail.com.
- 6 Tribiana Homestay, Quezon Street, Bianuan, ☏ +63 927 246 1749, tribianahomestay@gmail.com.
- 7 Carlito's Inn, Baler-Casiguran Road, Marikit (in front of Casiguran District Hospital), ☏ +63 928 811 6254, carlitosinnbooking@gmail.com.
- 8 Paradiso de Casiguran Camp and Picnic Place, San Ildefonso. A beach camp near Tibu Tidal Pools.
- 9 Nonato Beach Resort, Sitio Casapsapan, Culat, ☏ +63 915 359 0153, sppaguio.1doc@gmail.com. A resort along Casapsapan Beach with live music venue.
- 10 Karonsa Casapsapan, Sitio Casapsapan, Culat, ☏ +63 951 998 4468. A resort along Casapapan Beach.
- 11 Cordial's Beach Resort (Camp Wadi), Tinib, ☏ +63 917 867 0023, nerrisacordial@yahoo.com.
- 12 Agabao Lodging House, Tinib, ☏ +63 928 185 1113, agabao.lodging@icloud.com.
- 13 Golden 8 Beach Resort, Ditinagyan, ☏ +63 955 291 6249, edelyntuzon2183@gmail.com.
- 14 Cocoland Beach Resort, Dibet, ☏ +63 919 785 3073, cocolandbeachresort9@gmail.com.
- 15 Hermo-Alfresco Beach Resort, Sitio Motiong, Esteves (near Casiguran Airport), ☏ +63 906 206 6797, hermoalfresco@gmail.com.
Stay safe
[edit | edit source]When a strong typhoon signal is raised, local authorities will order hotels not to take in tourists and order those already in town to evacuate.
Some of the beaches are vulnerable to rip currents and are frequently closed to swimmers, while other beaches are only open for surfers.
The Philippine Navy and Coast Guard maintain garrisons in Barangay Esteves, near Calabgan Beach.
Stay healthy
[edit | edit source]Avoid getting into a major medical emergency during your stay at all costs, as facilities and resources at the town's district hospital are limited. The nearest standard hospital is in Baler, though more serious cases are generally transferred to more sophisticated facilities in Nueva Ecija.
Respect
[edit | edit source]The indigenous Dumagat communities still adhere to their precolonial customs and belief systems and are widely respected even by the non-Dumagat resident population. You are expected to exercise maximum respect for their traditions and when visiting them.
Connect
[edit | edit source]The town's postal code is 3204.
Cellphone and internet signals can be quite patchy.