Hidden Gems of Iligan City: Boardwalks and Local Culture | Part 1

Hi there, wholesome reader!

Known as the City of Waterfalls, Iligan City is situated in the northern part of Mindanao, within the province of Lanao del Norte. It is home to more than 20 waterfalls and is a city where different cultures meet.

I got the chance to visit this fascinating city when I paid a short visit to my boyfriend’s hometown in Mindanao. Since Iligan is just an hour away from his home, we decided to take a day tour of the city.

We started our adventure early in the morning because we believed that the earlier we set off, the more places we could tick off our list! However, I’ll talk about our waterfall adventures in another post. For now, let’s focus on what else one can do in the heart of this city.

Since my boyfriend is also an adventure junkie, he naturally became my personal tour guide for the day. All the places we visited were ones he had already explored. For a change, let’s begin with how we capped off our day.

The Longest Boardwalk in Kauswagan

After enjoying the waterfalls, which I will share in my next post, we decided to drive to the neighboring town of Kauswagan to visit the longest boardwalk. When we arrived, it was still too hot to stroll along the boardwalk since it was around 2 PM. So, our first agenda was to find a café and get some drinks to cool down from the intense heat.

We found a little café near the boardwalk and settled inside. The café was empty, as it was a weekday and during non-peak hours. I ordered a melon yogurt smoothie, while my boyfriend ordered a chocolate milkshake. The café wasn’t anything special, but we were grateful to find a place to relax while we waited for the sun to go down.

At around 4 PM, when the sunlight no longer burned our skin, we left the café and strolled along the boardwalk. The signage at the entrance read “The Longest Boardwalk,” and there was a small amusement park at the end of the stretch. Along the boardwalk were food stalls where visitors could buy snacks to munch on while they walked the long path ahead.

Paseo de Santiago

Our next destination was Paseo de Santiago in Iligan City. We left Kauswagan at around 4:30 PM and arrived an hour and a half later at Paseo de Santiago. We were hoping to catch the sunset here, but unfortunately, we ran short of time. Nonetheless, the place had a relaxing ambiance.

At the gates, each visitor is required to pay an entrance fee of 30 PHP (~0.60 USD). There are plenty of tables and chairs inside the paseo, but outside food is not allowed. They have restaurants, but I didn’t see any that offered rice meals. Perhaps some were closed for the day since it was a weekday.

We walked around the paseo and found some picturesque spots. You can also find the Iligan City marker here, which I believe would look stunning with a sunset backdrop.

There is also a spot in the paseo that looked rustic and beautiful. This was actually the spot I saw online that convinced me to add this place to our itinerary. It is a mini garden with a glowing fountain that has a historical vibe.

I later discovered that this park was named after the Spanish explorer Santiago de la Cruz, who discovered Iligan Bay in the 16th century.

After exploring the paseo, we decided to have dinner outside the park since we didn’t find any restaurants offering rice meals. Additionally, we met up with my boyfriend’s sister, who is studying at one of the city’s medical schools. Unfortunately, I was not able to take a photo of us. I guess, we were all too hungry to mind a groufie at that time! 😅

That’s all for today. Be sure to stay tuned for my next post, where I’ll be sharing our waterfall adventures in Iligan City!

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Thank you for reading my post up to this point. I hope you have a great time ahead!

I'll take delight in writing for you again soon.

Love,
Sam ♡