Luyang Cave & Catanduanes Nature Circuit

Luyang Cave in San Andres, Catanduanes, is one of Bicol's most impressive limestone cavern systems — a massive natural tunnel approximately 300 metres long, wide enough to drive a truck through at its entrance, narrowing into dramatic stalactite galleries and an underground river at its heart. The cave contains pre-colonial rock art (petroglyphs and pictographs) on its walls — ancient drawings whose age and origin are still debated by archaeologists but are believed to predate Spanish arrival in the Philippines.

The cave is explored with a combination of walking, wading (through the shallow underground river), and some low-ceiling scrambling to reach the innermost chambers where the rock art is found. The ambient temperature inside drops to 20°C, and the sound of the underground river guides you deeper into the mountain. Torch-lit exploration of Luyang is genuinely adventurous — this is not a developed tourist cave with electric lighting and concrete paths.

After Luyang, the nature circuit continues to Maribina Falls, a two-tiered waterfall in the Catanduanes interior that plunges into a deep natural swimming pool of emerald green water. Lunch is prepared at the falls by the guide using supplies from the nearest village market, and you can swim in the pool under the waterfall spray. The return route passes through Catanduanes' scenic volcanic interior, showcasing the island's extraordinary rural character.