Old Guiob Church Ruins

The Old Guiob church at Bonbon was the parish church of Catarman before the 1870s eruption of Vulcan Daan, and what the volcano left is a roofless shell: coral-stone walls, a row of thick columns, the outline of the convent beside it, and the base of the bell tower, all now dark with moss and shaded by very large old trees that have grown up through and around the ruins. It is quieter and more atmospheric than the Sunken Cemetery a few minutes away, and it is usually visited in the same trip. There is a small area of stalls and a caretaker collecting a modest fee, and a marker explaining the eruption. Camiguin's whole western side is a record of that event - the sunken cemetery, these ruins, the walk up the Old Volcano stations of the cross and the town of Catarman rebuilt inland from where it stood.

What you actually see

• The roofless walls - coral-stone shell of the church.
• The stone columns - the row still standing in the nave.
• The old trees - large trees grown through the ruins.
• The convent outline - foundations beside the church.

When to go

March to June for dry weather. Mornings and late afternoon for light through the trees; the site is shaded and comfortable at most hours.

Honest expectations

It is a ruin with a marker and little interpretation - half an hour covers it. The ground is uneven and mossy. Fees are small and collected on site in cash.

Nearby

The Sunken Cemetery is minutes away; the Old Volcano stations, Katibawasan Falls and White Island are on the same circuit.