Enchanted, a perfect adjective for this nature wonder. Hinatuan Sacred River is a 80-feet deep saltwater river around 290 meters long in Hinatuan, Surigao del Sur, Philippines.
The unusual clarity and extraordinary natural color of this spring river inspired local legends of fairies sprinkling colors of sapphire and jade, that engkantos , supernatural creatures dwell in this blue abyss, others narrate of a mysterious and elusive fish that lives here while some believe this river to be miraculous, hence its moniker, Enchanted River.
Underwater explorations were conducted by cave divers and researchers and they found a hidden cave opening at 30 meters and further cave expeditions revealed an intricate underground cave system which still leave many unexplored areas. The local government prohibited swimming in this deep pool in 2017 for its preservation and maintenance.
Getting there is the most challenging and adventurous part. There are limited tour companies offering group tour packages including hotel pick ups. Such tours are difficult to come by. Nevertheless, this didn't stop my best friend and I to personally see this magical place several years ago.
Day Trip: How to get there on your own?
From Davao City in Mindanao, southern most part of the Philippines, we took a night bus at Ecoland Terminal leaving at 2AM. The Bislig City-bound bus trip is equivalent to 6 hours. There are also public vans available, but we long for bigger leg room. Expect bumpy masssage chair-like ride. It could get really cold inside the air-conditioned bus. Sweaters, pashmina and blankets are badly required during this trip.
We arrived in Bislig City, Surigao del Sur at almost 8AM and we were approached by habal-habal drivers. Habal-habal is the main transport, a moped motorcycle with extended seats behind the driver that could sit two persons sans helmets. I can't imagine riding for hours behind a motorcycle on these rocky paths and rugged cliffs so we rented a private van for ourselves instead at Php 4K (USD 80) which is rather expensive, but worth it. This van transport covers a full day trip to Hinatuan Enchanted River, Britannia Islets and Tinuy-an Falls driven by a local/tour guide, including a drop off at the bus terminal in Bislig City after the tour.
It's still a 35 kilometer drive from Bislig City to Hinatuan. From Barangay Talisay town centre turn-off and highway junction heading towards the river, we drove another 12 kilometers through rough and deserted road.
It was so remote that my female friend, Zepy and I kept looking at each other and silently agreed that we were crazy to have pushed through with this adventure. There was no infrastructre nor facilities to buy food and medicine around. We went through isolated forests and coconut tree plantations. It was completely isolated with very few huts. We have basically blindly entrusted our lives to these drivers whom we just met and hired. My gut feeling to trust them turned out to be right when we spotted the entrance to the river.
The Entrance Fee for adult is Php 40 (USD 0.79) , Php 15 (USD 0.30) for children and an environmental fee of Php 10 (USD 0.20). Parking fee at Php 20 (USD 0.39).
It's better to get there in the morning. The park opens at 6am and closes at 5PM. If you're up for more adventure, there is a 530 meter forest hike to get here from Hinatuan.
There are lots of fish that heed the call of the bell daily for feeding at 3pm.
There are Island Hopping Enchanted boat rides to Hinatuan Bay at the far end of the river park. This estuary opens out to the Pacific Ocean. A trip to Sibadan fish cage and two quiet island resorts.
There is a hill that you can climb for a short hike up the mound at Margarett Peak Island Resort. We had limited time so I chose to get drunk with coconuts instead pretending we were cast aways.
We are glad we got to see this with our own eyes but we probably won't go back there again because of the long and tiring journey. Though if I were to re-visit, I would definitely love to dive it.
Does that blue water look enchanted to you?
