Callao cave
The fascinating cave is located in the barangays of magdalo and quibal in the municipality of peñablanca Cagayan. It is one of the 300 or more limestone caves in region 2. It is said and believed that the first inhabitants of the Philippines stayed in the said cave older than the ones found in Palawan. It is composed of seven chambers which were 9 but the earthquake in 1980 cut the other two with natural crevices which where light passes through and serves as illumination for the cave. Many incidents of ghost or paranormal activity witnessed by the tourist and locals were believed to be the soul of who they are close to. And unlike any other caves in the country this cave is very easy to navigate. While in the area, a must do is a wooden boat ride in the pinacanauan river and witness the scenic rock cliffs, bat caves and picturesque river banks but the main attraction of the cave is the second chamber called the “divine room” where an altar and benches is placed making it the most scenic church because of its natural look in the cave. Spacious, well-lit and holy.
The Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park
The Northern Sierra Madre Natural Park, also known as the Palanan complex or Wilderness Area, is in eastern Isabela Province, in the northern half of the Sierra Madre mountain range. It is bounded by the Dikatayan River to the north, the Disabungan River to the south, the Cagayan Valley to the west and the Philippine Sea to the east. The topography within the park ranges from relatively low hills with moderately steep slopes near the coast to higher mountains with very steep slopes, peaks and sharp ridges in the interior of the Sierra Madre Mountain Range.
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The park is unique on Luzon in the extent of undisturbed lowland dipterocarp rainforest, and because it includes areas where undisturbed forest extends from the coast to the mountain peaks. There are some extensive areas of montane forest around the higher peaks in the park, and forest over limestone, forest AND over ultramafic rocks.
The park is the largest protected area of the Philippines covering the northern range of the Sierra Madre mountains. The park is located in the eastern part of the province of Isabela in Cagayan Valley containing a total of 359,486 hectares. The NSMNP is habitat to many endemic and rare species of plants.
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Among the endemic plants in the park are the various species of the dipterocarp family such as:
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Shorea spp. and Hopea spp.
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various orchids such as Dendrobium aclinia
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the leguminous tree
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Milletia longipes and a member of the citrus family
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Swinglea glutinosa.