Enchanted Cave Bolinao

The Bolinao peninsula sits on raised coral limestone, and the rock is riddled with small caves whose floors intersect the freshwater lens - which is why several of them hold swimming pools. The Enchanted Cave is the developed one: a short flight of steps drops from a garden into a low chamber where stalactites hang over a basin of water so clear that the bottom looks closer than it is, cold, faintly mineral and deep enough to swim a few strokes across. Lights pick out the formations, a walkway rings the pool, and the whole thing takes twenty minutes to enjoy and half an hour to leave. Above ground the site adds gardens, a restaurant, cottages and a small resort, which makes it a standard stop on the peninsula circuit rather than a wilderness experience. Nearby Cindy's and Wonderful caves offer the same idea with different degrees of polish.

What you actually see

• The underground pool - clear cold water in a lit chamber.
• The formations - stalactites low over the basin.
• The steps down - the short descent from the garden.
• The peninsula's other caves - Cindy's and Wonderful nearby.

When to go

Any dry-season day; mornings are quietest, and holiday weekends fill the pool. The water temperature does not change with season.

Honest expectations

It is small - a single chamber, not a cave system - and it is a commercial site with an entrance fee and a restaurant. Showering before swimming is required. Rocks around the pool are slick.

Nearby

Patar Beach, the Cape Bolinao lighthouse and Bolinao Falls complete the peninsula loop.