Caraga's rugged and diverse landscape offers a myriad of adventure acivities, many of which are yet to be recognized. The real excitement is the extraordinary potential of Caraga as a world class of surfing destination. Unspoiled white sand beaches, hot and cold springs, forest, mangrove, swamps, mystical wetland, the pristine beauty of its islets & islands, the sparkling coves of white sand, the outstanding rock formations, caves, cascading waterfalls, and hidden lagoons beckon tourists and adventurers.

Journalist claimed that caraga is a land of extremes and superlatives. The country's largest freshwater wetland, the largest mangrove swamp, and the widest waterfalls lie within its boundaries. The deepest waters in the country - the deepest in the world, where the greatest naval battle happened - lie just off its shores. Its borders encompass Agusan and Surigao, where the Philippine's largest gold deposit is found.

Caraga Region-XII is a region reborn. It is named after the historic Caraga - an old territory in Northern Mindanao of which surigao was once a part of. The term is derived from Kalagan, the name of the people believed of Visayan origin. They inhabited the territory during the early part of Spanish occupation. Kalagan is coined from the two Visayan words, "Kalag" & "an", which means soul or people and land, rspectively. Since Kalagans had long history of being treacherous and fierceless people, early chronicles called it is the "Land of the Brave and Fierce People".

Caraga offers varied attractions that can be be visited on specific time of the year depending on what you come for. If you are looking for island hopping, spelunking, mountain trekking, mountain biking, and other inland and island adventures, it is best to come during April, May and June. Although the official dry season occurs on these months, the region has heavy rainfall year-round. The wettest time is between November and January, which is the best for a marshland trip. Surfing is best during the months od September to October when the tube-like waves reach up to nine feet high. For history buff or heritage conscious visitors, the museums are open at any time of the year except on Sundays and non-working holidays.

Getting there...
Butuan City, the regional center of Caraga, can be reached by air, sea and land travel from Manila, the country's international gateway.

Air travel from Manila to Butuan is 90 minutes while Cebu to Butuan, Siargao, Surigao City, or Tandag is 30 minutes, with domestic route serviced by:

The cities of Butuan and Surigao can be reached by ship from Manila and Cebu. Travel time takes 32 hours from Manila or 8 hours from Cebu. The sea route is serviced by:

Passenger busses or jeepneys and vehicles fro hire serve commuters bound to other points of destination in Mindanao 24 hours a day. Tricycles and motorsikad (motorcycles or bicycles with sidecars) are popular in outlaying areas and in the suburbs. Although it takes 32 hours or three days to travel from Manila to Butuan passing through Surigao City, the Mindanao Gateway, this is the most scenic route that passes through the Maharlika Highway. The route is serviced by PHILTRANCO with Tel.No. (+632) 8331369.

Caraga lies in the Northeastern side of Mindanao. It is bounded by the Pacific Ocean on the east, the Bohol Sea and the Provinces of Misamis Oriental and Bukidnon on the West, and the Surigao Strait to the south. It embraces the four (4) provinces of Agusan del Norte, Agusan del Sur, Surigao del Norte, Surigao del Sur, and three (3) cities of Butuan, Bislig, and Surigao. Caraga comprises seven (7) congressional districts, 70 municipalities and 1,333 barangays.

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