Quirino, the youngest province in Cagayan Valley, is consistently amassing tourists as more and more of its captivating natural wonders are made known to travel enthusiasts. One of the latest yet to get heavy foot traffic is the magnificent Diadyan Cave, a hidden gem in Quirino.
As of 2018, it was reported that a total of 266,623 local and foreign tourists visited the province (Bicarme, 2019). It was further mentioned that among the tourists sites in the province, the top five favorite are the Governor’s Rapids, Quirino Watersports Complex, Claredita Falls, Diamond cave and Aglipay Caves & Campsite. The debut of the Diadyan Cave maybe a game changer to this ranking.
Contents
Location
- Wasid, Nagtipunan, Quirino
DENR Cave Classification
Not yet assessed or result not yet published.
The Hidden Diadyan Cave
Diadyan Cave is a new spelunking destination in the landlocked province of Quirino and YET to debut as an organized tourist site.
According to Dr. Corado who posted the viral pictures of the cave in Facebook (2019a), the entrance is huge and that no tourists have set foot yet on the area, except for the locals (2019b). Further, he mentioned that the local government unit headed by Mayor Meneses is currently developing the trail to the area (Corado, 2019b).
The following are some pictures from the said Facebook album (consent from the owner was secured before embedding):
Geological layers can also be seen along the cave wall. This might have been exposed by soil erosion from the subterranean river and possibly aided by earthquakes other natural processes. Well, that is only my thought and not an educated guess.
Obviously, the Diadyan Cave has also a subterranean river as evident on the succeeding images. This is also seen in Aran Cave in Tuba, Capisaan Cave in Nueva Vizcaya, and San Carlos Cave in Cagayan.
Other Notable Spots In and Near Nagtipunan
- Diamond Cave
- Aglipay Caves
- Ganano Falls
- Susong Dalaga
- Nagbukel cave
- Bimmapor
- Mactor Falls
- Governor’s Rapids
Contacts/Related Pages in Nagtipunan
- Nagtipunan Tourism Facebook page
- Email: tourismnagtipunan2016@gmail.com
- Quirino Province official website
How to get to Nagtipunan, Quirino
Get to Quirino Province
- By air via Tuguegarao City + via land: There are flight bound to Tuguegarao City from Manila operated by Philippine Airlines and Cebu Pacific with approximately an hour travel time. Tuguegarao City Airport to Cabarroguis, the capital of Quirino, is 3 hours drive (Quirino Province website).
- By air via Cauayan City + via land: There are flight bound to Cauayan City from Manila operated by Cebu Pacific with approximately less than an hour travel time. Cauayan City Airport to Cabarroguis, the capital of Quirino, about an hour and 15 minutes drive (Quirino Province website).
- By land (Quirino Province website)
- Florida Bus Lines, Five Star Bus Lines and Northern Luzon Bus Lines ply the MANILA-QUIRINO route on a daily basis with night trips being the norm.
- Air conditioned vans, NA LINER and KMS Bus Lines’ aircon/ordinary buses also have daily trips from BAGUIO to Quirino Province and vice versa
- Mini bus going to Banaue Ifugao and vice versa is also available on a daily basis plying the Maddela-Banaue Route.
- Aircon buses (Victory Liner, Florida, Dangwa, Dagupan Bus, etc.) also ply the Manila-Santiago City (Isabela)/Tuguegarao (Cagayan/Aparri/Ilagan/Roxas) route.
Get to Nagtipunan
- From Santiago City terminal, take air conditioned vans or jeepneys to the different towns: Diffun, Cabarroguis, Aglipay and Madela, from where you can transfer to Nagtipunan.
- Public vans, jeepneys and tricycles ply the main road between Diffun and Nagtipunan.
Get to Diadyan Cave
- From the jump-off area along the highway, cross the river through a boat, hop to an off-road truck, disembark after 30 minutes and hike for about an hour (Corado, 2019b).
Take note that as of writing, the cave is not yet open to the public. Thus, before planning to visit the cave, please contact first the local government unit.
Where to Stay
There are several hotels/inns/lodges in Quirino Province. Check this page for the rates as released in the provincial site.
Reminders
- Get in touch with the local government unit before heading to the area.
- Be courteous to the locals, tourism and local guidelines, the culture, and of the place itself.
- Always practice leave-no-trace principle. I have to highlight to please not leave anything inside, do not vandalize, and do not take any physical memento from the cave. Whether it is under the protection of the DENR or not, treat nature with respect.
- Please empty your bowels before embarking. One of the most common sentiments of locals in developing and developed natural tourist areas is fecal dumping of visitors.
References
Bicarme, T. (2019 April 08). Quirino Province tourist arrivals up by 61%. Retrieved on 07 August 2019 from https://pia.gov.ph/news/articles/1020433.
Corado, A. (2019a). Diadyan cave. Retrieved on 07 August 2019 from https://www.facebook.com/pg/doctonytravelphoto/photos/?tab=album&album_id=2351421748457959&__xts__%5B0%5D=68.ARBsxlBd2EwOXH4KyMjZVmgSdAEWWOWEkbut5iwNgTt2Q-njaMiLNEo9HjQPLXvpny69TX3ryL6ppf0X-14b09QyzgHzvp9oGDpewxfhSgDpdO59slzBNxk11pXiPhLZF3zLhXPzmd4j4I-_eJIe6YiEwsUOwBJKFTb6GuLgmuExkvcT3Spr34rsFY5UR8AIQ-QPGcTc_YkfAoRi9cNOQBQP3E1pg_8qqydSgVUxVQPqX1lXJQ4lvEeOFJ0Gd5P2IPTC4LcooLuxLFxgvAvVX4URo-UlYV94o59txN0O6RB4112dR_w-hMQ&__tn__=-UCH-R
Corado, A. (2019b). Diadyan Cave,Wasid Nagtipunan Quirino. Retrieved on 07 August 2019 from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BWsKKdbbPAs&t=271s&fbclid=IwAR2itSIGApuF4AY2LV-wTHvk4Fec1D7UltXxMk7bRabnHIxJLGZwv7lz1-w.
n.d. Quirino Province webpage. How to get there. Retrieved on 07 August 2019 from http://www.quirinoprovince.org.ph/index.php/tourism/transportation.
