Cagayan Valley
Cagayan Valley is a region of the Philippines, also administratively designated as Region II or Region 02. The regional center is Tuguegarao, and is composed of five provinces in administrative terms, namely: Batanes, Cagayan, Isabela, Nueva Vizcaya and Quirino. This guide only covers the mainland areas, with Batanes being treated as a separate region.
Most of the region lies in a large valley in northeastern Luzon, between the Cordilleras and the Sierra Madre mountain ranges. Cagayan River, the country's longest river runs through its center and flows out to Luzon Strait in the north, in the town of Aparri, Cagayan. The Babuyan and Batanes island groups that lie in the Luzon Strait also belong to the region.
Provinces
The Batanes islands is grouped as part of Cagayan Valley administratively, but Wikivoyage treats it as a separate region.
Cities
- 🌍 Cauayan City
- Ilagan City
- 🌍 Santiago City
- 🌍 Tuguegarao City
Other destinations
Understand
The region is largely fertile plains crisscrossed by rivers, but it is far from that. Parts of the region lie along the forested Sierra Madre, and the province of Nueva Vizcaya is mostly mountainous, lying between the Cordillera and Sierra Madre.
The region is historically inhabited by hunter-gatherer Ilongots and the lowland Ibanag, but they has since been displaced by Ilocano migration.
Get in
Most visitors will enter the region through Tuguegarao Airport (TUG IATA) and Cauayan Airport (CYZ IATA) , both served by daily domestic flights from Manila. Tuguegarao is the main point of entry by plane; Cebu Pacific (and its regional subsidiary, Cebgo) and PAL Express (regional subsidiary of flag carrier Philippine Airlines) offers flights from Manila's airport. A new airport, the Cagayan North International Airport. or Lal-lo International Airport (LLC IATA) is opened in rural Lal-lo, making the northeastern corner of the region accessible by plane, but is only served by flights by charter carrier Royal Air, and it remains uncertain it will be served by other carriers.
There are regular provincial bus trips from Manila to most points in the region; most ply the Cagayan Valley Road (Route 1) which is the main highway through the region. Most travellers enter by bus, although slower than taking a domestic flight.
Cagayan Valley is connected to nearby regions by highway, but most roads pass through mountain passes, most notably the Dalton Pass at the boundary with Central Luzon, and are full of hairpin curves.
Get around
See
Do
Eat
Drink
Stay safe
The region has a high risk for typhoons, and the climate is more close to a rainforest, that means, there is no dry season.