Capisaan Cave System

Capisaan is the serious caving destination of northern Luzon. The system runs several kilometres through marble and limestone under the Kasibu hills, and it is usually done as a traverse: parties enter at one mouth - Lion, Alayan or Sky Light, depending on the route chosen - and come out at another hours later, having walked, crawled, waded and occasionally swum a river passage in between. What sets it apart is the decoration. Long stretches are lined with white calcite crystal, curtains and flowstone in unusually clean condition, along with chambers of columns and gour pools that guides light with headlamps rather than fixed installations. There are no walkways and no handrails; the caves are managed as a wild resource with mandatory local guides, helmets and lamps issued at the barangay. The trip is muddy, cold, physically demanding and, for anyone with the legs for it, among the best cave experiences in the Philippines.

The landscape

• The crystal passages - white calcite lining long sections.
• The traverse - entering one mouth and exiting another.
• The river sections - wading and swimming through the dark.
• The wild management - headlamps, guides and no walkways.

When to go

November to April; the caves flood in the rainy season and trips are cancelled outright when the river rises. Book with the tourism office ahead - guides are limited.

Before you go

This is not a walkthrough cave: expect crawls, squeezes, cold water and four to eight hours underground. Fitness and no fear of confined spaces are prerequisites. Bring a change of clothes and expect everything to be muddy.

Nearby

The Nueva Vizcaya highlands, Dupax's old church and the road toward Banaue's terraces make the wider circuit.