Enchanted River, Hinatuan

The Enchanted River is barely a river at all - a few hundred metres of extraordinarily blue, deep water that surfaces from a spring-fed cave system and runs straight into the sea at Hinatuan. The colour is the draw: a saturated sapphire that comes from depth and clarity rather than any mineral, and the pool is far deeper than it appears, with divers having followed the underwater passages down beyond forty metres without reaching the end of the system. Local tradition holds that the river is enchanted and that the fish in it should not be caught, and at midday a bell rings, swimmers get out, and the fish are fed - a small piece of theatre that has become the fixed point of every visit. Facilities are decked areas, cottages and a viewing bridge. Swimming is allowed outside the feeding window, and life jackets are required because the water is deep from the edge.

What you actually see

• The sapphire pool - deep blue water from the spring caves.
• The feeding ritual - the midday bell and fish feeding.
• The viewing bridge - the span over the short river.
• The sea mouth - where the water meets the coast.

When to go

December to May for the clearest colour; heavy rain clouds the water. Weekdays are quieter, and the midday feeding is the busiest moment of any day.

Honest expectations

Swimming stops for the feeding window. The water is deep immediately and life jackets are mandatory. It is small and gets crowded, especially at weekends and holidays.

Nearby

Tinuy-an Falls at Bislig and the Britania islands are along the same coast.