The second largest island in the Philippine archipelago is the picturesque Mindanao. This is the southernmost of the large islands, it differs markedly from the rest of the Philippine land in both natural conditions and culture. The influence of civilization here is much less than in other regions, and the population of the island is a large number of ethnic groups whose religion is Islam. According to populationmonster, Mindanao is one of the largest cities in Philippines.
The island has a complex configuration. Many bays, bays and peninsulas protruding far into the sea make the coastline picturesque and diverse. The island is washed by four seas at once: Mindanao in the north, Philippine in the east, Sulawesi in the south and Sulu in the west. Most of those objects that are of interest to tourists are located along the northern and eastern coast of the island.
How to get there
The presence in the city of Davao International Airport. Francisco Bangoya makes the way to this fantastically beautiful island, if not simple, then, in any case, not at all exotic, it is enough to choose the right duration of connections. Flight time from Manila to Davao is 1 hour 50 minutes.
Weather in Mindanao
Mostly on the island, the climate is subequatorial, monsoon, and in the south – equatorial. During the year, the temperature lies within 25-28 degrees, precipitation falls from 1000 to 2000 mm per year on the plains, and much more in the mountains, up to 4000 mm. The rainy season on the island takes place from December to February.
Safety
The unique tropical nature, combined with a developed tourist infrastructure, and many attractions make a vacation in Mindanao rich, interesting and enjoyable. However, there are areas on the island that tourists are not recommended to visit due to political instability and the possible intensification of the activities of the Moro Islamic Liberation Front militants. However, there are restrictions that are less illusory, but more prosaic: you can’t drink tap water, you can eat seafood only after heat treatment, and dairy dishes should only be prepared from pasteurized milk. In general, exotics are no joke.
Beaches
The main attraction of the island are its beaches covered with black volcanic sand. The best are located in the Davao city area, in the resort of Samai. The combination of almost black sand with bright blue colors of the sea makes the panorama of the beaches fantastic. It is impossible to find anything similar.
Entertainment and attractions in Mindanao
Not far from the capital of Davao is the highest mountain on the island, Apo, and at the foot of it is the National Park. Its area is about 77 thousand hectares, this is a significant part of the area of the whole country. The purpose of the park is to preserve the various landscapes of the Philippines and the Apo Volcanic Massif, which is listed as a World Heritage Site by the United Nations.
In addition, the forests of this park are home to an endangered species of birds – the Philippine eagle (its second name is simply terrifying: the monkey-eater harpy).
Often tourists are interested in visiting a farm where these same eagles are bred, and lovers of extreme tourism can join a group climbing this volcano. It usually lasts 4 days, for people in good physical shape it does not present any particular difficulty.
On the northern coast of Mindanao there is a city in which, despite the seismic activity of the region, there are practically no earthquakes. We are talking about Cagayan de Oro. In the city itself there are a lot of architectural and historical sights, and in the vicinity there are fashionable resorts. It is worth paying special attention to the island of Camiguin, known for its beautiful ivory beaches, a large number of healing springs and a high level of service in hotels.
Davao is the capital of the island.
The capital of the island, its gateway, is the city of Davao, one of the largest and, in addition, the fastest growing and dynamically developing cities in Asia.
Davao is famous for its huge vegetable and fruit market; it is not for nothing that it is called the “fruit capital” of the country. You should also try mangosteen, mango, pineapple, rambutan, and durian. There are 126 types of bananas sold here alone!
The infrastructure, including tourism, is well developed in the city, however, this does not save the pedestrian zones from hustle and bustle, and the roadway from traffic jams. This is Asia. The most famous attractions are St. Pedro’s Cathedral, a Taoist temple, an orchid farm, and the Aldevinco shopping center.
It is worth paying special attention to the island of Camiguin, known for its beautiful ivory beaches, a large number of healing springs and a high level of service in hotels.
Zamboanga
At the southern tip of the Zamboanga Peninsula is the city of the same name. Very beautiful, full of ancient mosques and churches, with beautiful parks and gardens, where you can walk among exotic plants for hours. For example, Pasonanka Park is famous for the fact that about 600 species of orchids grow on its territory, Kava-Kava Boulevard attracts lovers of walks by the sea and health jogging, in the garden of Maria Clara Lobregat there are many species of tropical butterflies of the most fantastic colors. The most famous are Bolong Beach and the beach on the island of Grande de Santa Cruz. There are 28 resorts in the immediate vicinity of the city, including the islands of Basilan and Santa Cruz.
