Sunday, May 07, 2006 
By Terrie B. Fucanan

AT 632 kilometers north of Manila, Santa Ana, Cagayan, is truly a lost paradise, being the farthest point in northeast Luzon, next to Pagudpud, Ilocos Norte, in the west. The 14-hour land travel to the province is not for the fainthearted but rest assured, all the trouble will be worth your while.

Even with the scorching weather, summer is the best time to make the trip. Without rain you will appreciate the roadside attractions, the boat trips, the beach, the dolphins that playfully show up at sea, and the province’s famous underwater sights.

Santa Ana is nature to the hilt—it is among the few provinces in the north that maintains virgin and growth forests, says Vice Mayor Constante C. Sapla. And its marine resources—once depleted by cyanide fishing—is now protected and being restored by the locals, the maritime police, the local government unit’s Bantay Kalikasan and the World Wildlife Fund. As the base of the Philippine Navy in the north, it is also relatively safe from communist rebels.

With only a few resorts and commercial areas backpackers and nature trippers will fall in love with Santa Ana’s tranquility. There are no five-star accommodations available yet, but who would want to stay indoors? To experience the place is to go trekking to the magnificent caves of Barangay Kapannikan, to go scuba diving in Palaui Island and to go swimming in the white-sand beach of Anguib.

Enjoy a nature trek to the waterfalls of Cape Engaño, watch the sunrise from Crocodile Island and hike up to the 18th-century Cape Engaño Lighthouse. First lighted in 1893, the lighthouse is still awaiting recognition from the Spanish cultural agency and the Unesco. And to this day it serves as a navigation point for ships sailing in the north. So don’t dare miss the hike—the view from atop is simply breathtaking.

With its tourism council under reorganization there are no available package tours to Santa Ana at the moment. But Mayor Norberto Vic Rodriguez and his staff are always ready to give their assistance and the resorts are offering very affordable rates. The mayor’s gracious wife, Pinky, will even regale visitors to her sumptuous recipes using the province’s abundant catch of lobsters, prawns and fishes.

So consider Santa Ana, Cagayan, on your next out of town getaway, especially if you’re planning one this month.

From May 26 to 30 Santa Ana is holding its second Viray Festival, complete with a fluvial parade, carabao parade and agri-fair, street dancing, traditional games and a beach party.

The town will also attempt to beat the Guinness World Records for the longest grill, as it will set up a 4-kilometer grill of the durado (or flying fish), the town’s most abundant catch at summertime. You may as well catch the Philippine Game Fishing Foundation’s international competition in Santa Ana on May 28. The record to beat: a 235-kilo blue marlin fish.

 By land, Santa Ana, Cagayan, can be reached by air-conditioned buses and Air Philippines and Asian Spirit flights bound for Tuguegarao. Service vans are available from Tuguegarao to Santa Ana. For information, call the Local Government Unit of Santa Ana at (078) 844-1078.