Hinagdanan Cave in Bingag, Dauis,
Bohol, Philippines is among the more popular tourist attractions in Panglao Island, Bohol. The limestone cavern is usually part of the package for most Panglao Island land tours. I had the opportunity to visit this natural tourist attraction on a recent trip to Bohol with my brother and some relatives.
Volunteer Guides
Volunteer guides hang around Hinagdanan Cave and will gladly accommodate tourists as they tour the Hinagdanan Cave. Most of the guides are locals who are college students moonlighting as tour guides. While there is no set fee for the volunteer guides, be kind enough to tip generously when visiting as this is their source of livelihood. The guides are funny too. The first time I went there, I had the impression that I signed up for a comedy show.
The Hinagdanan Cave
How did it get to be called Hinagdanan? It is because the person who discovered the cave used a ladder to explore it the first time he stumbled upon the cavern. Ladder translates to
hagdan in Cebuano, the local language spoken in Bohol.
Hinagdanan roughly translates to "with a ladder" or "with stairs" in English. It is also worth noting that concrete steps resembling stairs have been added to make entry into the cavern easier.
Cave Features
Being lit naturally by sunlight, Hinagdanan is not a suitable abode for bats. So don't worry, you won't have those bats flying all over you when they are disturbed in their natural habitat. There are a few birds that make this a nest though. But probably because of too much human activity, this bird population has dwindled over the years.
Stalactites and Stalagmites
As with most caves, one can also find stalactites and stalagmites here.
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| Stalactites |
Cave Lagoon
While it used to be a poular swimming spot, the lagoon in the cave is actually fed off ground runoff making it dirty. It is not advisable to swim here.
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