Wow Argao!: A ‘Biyahe ni Drew’ itinerary

The town of Argao may look simple and quiet but if you look more closely at what it has to offer then you may just surprise yourself with the experiences you’ll have in this place.

This town in Cebu may even teach you how to get over some of your fears while you’re discovering its beauty. How, you may ask? Let’s find out!

How to get there

From Manila, you may fly to the Mactan-Cebu International airport. From the airport, you can travel to Argao via bus, van or a taxi. Travel time will take around two hours depending on the traffic.

Where to stay

Mountain Coal Resort
 

They have here what they call the Mountain Resort room. It has a twin-sized bed, a flat screen TV and its own comfort room. This room doesn’t have an aircon unit but no reason to fret, Biyaheros, since this resort is located on a mountain where breezy air is guaranteed.

The resort’s pool is located outside this room which uses spring water.

And of course, the resort wouldn’t have its name if it doesn’t have a view of the panoramic mountains of Argao. You and your loved one can wait for the sunrise here and watch as the dark skies turn into a beautiful shade of orange.

And would you believe that there is also a mini-zoo in this resort? You may request for a day tour arrangement in this place if you don’t plan on staying overnight.

There are also a lot of lodging options located near the Mahayahay beach front of Argao such as:

Looc Garden Resort

Looc Garden Resort is known for being a clean and simple resort.

The price of their rooms ranges from P800 to P2500 a day. You may also request for an additional bed or TV prior to what you have originally booked.

You can also rent a motor boat or a kayaking boat from them if you want to discover more of the beach.

Where to go and what to do

Bugasok Falls

Brgy. Tulalom, Argao

Bugasok Falls is one of the most accessible natural tourist spots in Argao. It will take around 30-45 minutes to get here from the town proper via habal-habal. The ride costs P200 for a round trip.

To maintain the beauty of the place, tourists are asked to pay for an environmental fee of P20 per head. Locals also offer a guide package here for a group of 3 persons for P500.

The depth of the falls is around 20-meters deep while the depth of the water is around 50-meters.

You and your family and friends can go diving, swimming, rappelling and even canyoneering in Bugasok Falls! But if you’re not a fan of extreme activities, you can just relax and swim in the stream.

You may also rappel from the top of the falls going down but this is by special arrangement with your guide so make sure to plan ahead, Biyaheros!

Balay sa Agta Cave
 

The name of this cave means ‘Bahay ng Kapre’ because locals believe that this Philippine mythical creature dwells inside the chambers of the cave. But don’t let that spook you out, Biyaheros!

You will see a lot of insect bats here. It is said that the feces of these bats, also called as guano, may be used as an organic fertilizer.

There are also various stalactite and stalagmite formations that are found inside this cave.

One of the most visited spots in this cave is the “sky light” where the light outside the cave seeps in and serves as the main attraction for tourists who go here. From the entry point, it will take you ten minutes to reach the area.

To enter Agta Cave, you would have to pay P20 at the Conalum Barangay Hall if it’s not included in your tour package fees yet.

Riverstone Castle

Are you a fan of medieval-themed places or you’re just in the mood to feel like a prince or princess? Then, you'll surely enjoy Riverstone Castle as the establishment is built and designed in such a way that it resembles traditional castles in Europe.

San Miguel Arcangel Church

This is located beside the town plaza of Argao. It is said that the giant mural found on the ceiling of this church was painted back in the 1800’s.

Earthquakes have broken some parts of the church but the mural remains whole.

Argao Nature Park

For just an entrance fee of P5, you can have a picnic here either in one of their huts or in the park. You can also cruise in their mini-river on a boat.

They also house different kinds of animals here like rabbits and ostriches which are perfect for the kids!

The serene ambiance of this park also allows visitors to do some soul- searching.

Mahayahay Beach

One does not simply miss out on the beautiful beaches in Cebu!

Mahayahay Beach is a simple beach where visitors can swim and surf for free. Don’t forget to ready you selfie sticks for those photos, mga Biyahero!

Buy local products from Argao

Don’t forget to support Argao’s locally made products like their hablon fabric!

It was said that this fabric was only worn by the well-off during the Spanish occupation because of its expensive price.

Now, hablon-making is one of the main means of livelihood in Argao and it plays a huge role in their culture.

You may ask locals where or from whom you can directly buy the hablon instead of getting it for a higher price in Manila.

Where and what to eat

When in Argao, you can’t be diet conscious because of the wide array of specialties that they have!

Linuyang in Mountain Coal Resort

Aside for being known for their accommodations, they also have a specialty dessert in this place called linuyang. It has a very similar texture with nilupak or mashed cassava root with banana.

Linuyang is simply a mash of banana, coconut and sugar. Perfect with coffee!

Marbien Sutukil
 

Sutukil stands for sugba-tuwa-kilawin which are the different ways you can have your seafood dishes cooked.

Aside from this, they also have another specialty called sinangduloy. This is simply corn and sweet potato mixed together which can serve as rice for their different viands.

They also serve tuba here but mixed with softdrinks to give it a twist. Pure tuba comes from the extract of a coconut tree’s flower and one can get drunk from too much intake of it.

Boulevard Humba

The boulevard is located at the beach front of Brgy. Tulic, Argao. One thing you shouldn’t miss when you’re here is their humba which is slow cooked in low fire for six hours! This makes the pork tender and effortless to chew.

Argao’s hot chocolate

One thing you shouldn’t miss in Argao is their hot chocolate. They carefully choose dried cacao beans, roast it for 18 minutes then grind it until it melts and becomes gooey.

What makes the tablea of Argao different from the others is that it goes through the process of tempering where it hardens the chocolate and lengthens its shelf life.

If you’ve already tried Sikwate or Cebu’s pure hot chocolate then why not try the ripe cacao fruit itself? They say that the fruit doesn’t taste anything like chocolate yet at this stage.

Torta
 

Another must-try food item from Argao! Torta is composed of mixed flour, egg, sugar, butter, milk, lard and tuba, the key ingredient which gives it a unique flavor.

Some say that this has some similarities to the ensaymada pastry but the mixture of tuba in Argao’s torta takes it to a whole new level.---Via Gonzales/BMS, GMA Public Affairs

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