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R U G G E D E S C A P E S
On the northernmost tip of the Philippine
archipelago is Calayan Island — a small, barely
trodden retreat that holds some big surprises.
Edgar Alan Zeta-Yap gets almost lyrical
about the lush encounter
Northby
north-east
WHAT MAKES
traveling to this remote
island an incomparable adventure all in
itself? Well, we can point to the weather
— and the sometimes-tempestuous
waters of the Babuyan Channel.
For starters, clouds yielded to the
intense summer sun to aptly herald our
arrival — only to give way three days
later to enormous waves that made the
180-seat M/V Eagle Ferry bob like a
theme-park pirate ship and drenched the
entire deck. As we saw Calayan Island’s
silhouette dissolve in the humid haze,
we realized that our return to mainland
Luzon wasn’t going to be smooth sailing.
But such are the whims of these
waters, where the Pacific Ocean barrels
into the West Philippine Sea. Only we’re
getting ahead of ourselves, and our
intriguing island story.
The largest of the Babuyan Island
Group — roughly the size of Camiguin in
Mindanao — Calayan Island belongs to
the municipality of Calayan in Cagayan
province, together with the islands of
Dalupiri, Camiguin and Babuyan Claro.
Located some 60km north of mainland
Luzon along the typhoon-prone channel,
its geographical isolation makes it one
of the last frontiers of the country, where
spectacular coastlines, lush forests and
interesting wildlife reward travelers who
persevere through the arduous trip to
reach its shores.