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Cavinti is a highland town in the province of Laguna in the Philippines. It is known for its natural attractions and camp sites, earning it the title of "Glamping Capital of the Philippines".
Understand
[edit | edit source]Cavinti was founded in the 17th century. Throughout the colonial era, it frequently alternated from being an independent town to being a barrio of either Lumban or Luisiana due to its secluded location in a plateau of the Sierra Madre before finally attaining permanent municipal status in 1907. Its isolation also left Cavinti vulnerable to banditry, World War II guerrillas and communist insurgents throughout the 20th century.
During the American period, the construction of the Caliraya and Lumot Dams inundated parts of Cavinti, which in the long-term provided opportunities to set up campsites, fishing and glamping spots. However, this has also resulted in a three-way territorial dispute with the neighboring towns of Lumban and Kalayaan over the eastern shores of the Caliraya reservoir.
It is home to about 25,000 people (census, 1 July 2024) 
Tourist information
[edit | edit source]Camping and trekking activities are best done in the dry season from February to May, while water-based activities are usually done from June to January.
- Cavinti Tourism Site Operators Association, Inc. (CTSOA), ☏ +63 939 939 1596, +63 968 680 3826.
Get in
[edit | edit source]Cavinti lies along Route 603 from Lucena in Quezon Province and ending at Pagsanjan. Most travelers from Metro Manila travel via Pagsanjan, after which a winding, two-lane forested road ascends to Cavinti. Average driving time is around three hours.
There are no direct public transportation links with Metro Manila. Instead, travelers take buses to Santa Cruz and then switch to jeepneys heading either to Cavinti, Luisiana or Lucban in Quezon. Fares usually cost between ₱25-30. The main jeepney terminal is at the junction with Route 603 and the Lumban-Caliraya-Cavinti Road, from where a three-minute ₱20 tricycle ride leads to the town proper. A separate jeepney route connects Santa Cruz with Lumot.
Get around
[edit | edit source]Tricycles are the main form of transportation, with fares starting at P20.
See
[edit | edit source]- 1 Transfiguration of Our Lord Parish Church (Cavinti Church), Rizal Street, ☏ +63 968 219 1732, transfiguration.cavinti@yahoo.com. Cavinti's Roman Catholic church was built on the site where the town's venerated image of Jesus Christ was said to have been discovered during the Spanish period. Its baroque facade is made of exposed brick, while its interior has been plastered.
- 2 Cavinti Underground River and Cave Complex, Paowin. An extensive cave complex in the Sierra Madre mountains
- 3 Pagsanjan Falls (Cavinti Falls). A waterfall with a height of around 120 metres (390 ft). The falls is administratively part of Cavinti, but is more accessible upstream from Pagsanjan town proper, hence the insistence of some in Cavinti to name the falls after their town. The trip heading there involves a scenic raft trip through the forested Pagsanjan Gorge along the Bumbungan River or a hike from the Cavinti side involving a climb up a 600-step ladder built by authorities in Cavinti.
- 4 Bumbungan Ecopark, Lumban-Caliraya-Cavinti Road, Tibatib. 8AM–5PM, closed during inclement weather or when the water is heavily contaminated with brown sediment, usually following heavy rains. The park was the result of a botched attempt to build a dam over the Bumbungan River, when an engineering error led to the water continuously overtopping the spillway and creating a mini-waterfall before municipal authorities decided to build a higher bridge and convert the original structure into a small park and allow visitors to dip their feet in the spillway, do some laundry or just lie down on it. ₱50.
- 5 Sumucab Twin Falls, Sumucab. A secluded waterfall less-visited by non-residents.
- 6 Japanese Garden, West Talaongan. A war memorial built by the Japanese to commemorate their dead during World War II. It has a viewpoint providing views of Caliraya Lake following a climb of 100 steps. ₱20.
Do
[edit | edit source]- 1 Lumot Lake. A man-made reservoir created in the 1940s as an auxiliary to nearby Caliraya Lake. Like Caliraya, it is a favorite spot for watersports, fishing and camping activities.
- 2 Caliraya Lake. A man-made reservoir created in 1939 following the damming of the Caliraya river. A favorite spot for watersports, fishing and camping activities, with an increasing number of Metro Manilans setting up retirement homes along the shore. The lake is shared by the municipalities of Cavinti, Kalayaan and Lumban.
- 3 The Cliff at Naculo Falls, Anglas, ☏ +63 917 317 2062, toll-free: +971 50 939 1059, angeli.villatuya@gmail.com. A private resort providing access to a viewdeck overlooking Naculo Falls, a cascade upstream from the Cavint/Pagsanjan Falls.
- 4 Las Caidas Wellness Resort, Bangco Road, Layasin, ☏ +63 917 816 3179, +63 917 858 9727, +63 918 903 8443, toll-free: +63 49 540 1857, sra.lascaidas@gmail.com, kathy.lascaidas@gmail.com, tranquila.reservations@gmail.comMULTIPLE EMAIL. A spa with its own restaurant.
- 5 A's Sanctuary, ☏ +63 917 102 4406, asanctuarycavinti@gmail.com. A resort on an island inside Lumot Lake.
Buy
[edit | edit source]- 1 Cavinti Public Market, Cailles corner M.H. del Pilar Streets, Poblacion.
Eat
[edit | edit source]Drink
[edit | edit source]- 1 Roa Coffee, Caliraya-Cavinti-Lumban Road, Inao-awan, ☏ +63 985 374 6754.
Sleep
[edit | edit source]Most accommodations in Cavinti can be found near or along Caliraya and Lumot Lakes.
- 1 Camp Jawie's Farm & Glamping Site, Paowin, ☏ +63 916 284 6168. A glamping spot with its own restaurant.
- 2 5558 Campsite, Bukal, ☏ +63 917 879 5558, +63 917 324 5558, 5558.campsite@gmail.com.
- 3 Isla Lulla, ☏ +63 917 639 5138, +63 917 718 2411, islalulla@gmail.com. Vacation home on an island inside Lumot Lake
- 4 Green Haven Lakeside Campsite, Bukal, ☏ +63 917 893 1368, greenhavencampsite@gmail.com.
- 5 Lolo Itok's Lakeview Resort, Bukal, ☏ +63 929 763 5684.
- 6 Como River Retreat, Bukal-Cansuso Road, Cansuso, ☏ +63 917 190 3136.
- 7 Lake of the Woods, Cansuso, ☏ +63 917 591 9263.
- 8 Kamp Tralala, Cansuso, ☏ +63 956 882 5441.
- 9 Eagle's Camp, Inao-awan, ☏ +63 917 142 3182. Campground on an island inside Lumot Lake.
- 10 Anica Happy Nest Campsite, Inao-awan, ☏ +63 917 871 3106.
- 11 Catmon Camping Site, Inao-awan (inside Cavinti Municipal Nursery), ☏ +63 946 982 7323.
- 12 The Advent Lake and Cabin, Cansuso, ☏ +63 961 445 8553, theadvent.ph@gmail.com.
- 13 K Lebrix Lakehouse, Cansuso, ☏ +63 917 866 5434, klebrixspaces@gmail.com.
- 14 The Greenlake View, Cansuso, ☏ +63 916 661 4548, thegreenlakewoodglamp@gmail.com.
- 15 La Ruazol De Cavinti Resort, Labayo Access Road, Labayo, ☏ +63 999 585 9076.
- 16 Sierra Lake House, ☏ +63 915 862 2553. Vacation home on an island inside Lumot Lake.
- 17 Kalahi Lakeshore Camp, Cansuso, ☏ +63 956 632 7537.
- 18 Isla del Antonio, Mahipon, ☏ +63 999 178 9419.
- 19 Chandava Lake Resort, Sitio Bato, Mahipon, ☏ +63 962 144 8134.
- 20 Duhat Island, ☏ +63 939 939 1596. Vacation home on an island inside Lumot Lake.
- 21 Caliraya Lake Front Resort, West Talaongan.
- 22 Soloviento, West Talaongan, ☏ +63 917 531 9434.
- 23 Kaliraya Surf Kamp by Eco Hotels, Lumban-Caliraya-Cavinti Road, West Talaongan, ☏ +63 960 849 7923.
- 24 Caliraya Ecoville Recreation and Farm Resort, Lumban-Caliraya-Cavinti Road, West Talaongan, ☏ +63 906 470 3916, toll-free: +63 49 539 1568, mroxas.ecoville@gmail.com, frontdesk.ecoville.@gmail.comMULTIPLE EMAIL.
- 25 Las Brisas Island, ☏ +63 927 917 0381. Vacation home on an island inside Lumot Lake.
- 26 Mountain Lake Resort, East Talaongan, ☏ +63 917 836 0717, inquiry@mountainlake.ph. Extensive resort complex with a golf course.
- 27 Mahatao Island, Mahipon, ☏ +63 999 438 5605.
- 28 Sofia’s Lake Resort, Mahipon, ☏ +63 977 460 7008.
- 29 Haven by the Lake, Bukal, ☏ +63 918 285 7901, +63 2 8711 4727, info@havenbythelake.ph.
- 30 Porta Verde, Porta Verde Way, Mahipon, ☏ +63 995 517 4461.
- 31 Estevana Resort, Layug-Bukal Road, Layug, ☏ +63 909 432 2370.
Connect
[edit | edit source]Go next
[edit | edit source]| Santa Cruz ← Pagsanjan ← | N .svg){kind=small} S | → Luisiana → Lucban |