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| Tigayon Hill and Caves in Kalibo, Aklan |
After my kakanin shopping spree at Kalibo's public market, I hailed a tricycle that brought me to the next tourist spot in town. Norman, the cheerful driver I chanced upon as I exited the market's searing alleys, eventually became my reliable tour guide for the rest of the day. He even took me to places that I was not able to cover in my pre-trip research.
READ ALSO: Around Kalibo, In Search of Aklan's Delicacies
Around three kilometers from the town proper lies our first stop, Tigayon Hill, the highest elevation and the only hill in the coastal town of Kalibo.
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| Tigayon Hill Museum |
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At the foot of Tigayon Hill stands a mini-museum of archaeology. The limestone hill, believed to have formed a million years ago, has a cave system beneath its surface, which, in recent years, has yielded possibly pre-colonial artifacts including human and animal bone fragments and teeth, ceramic sherds, lithic materials, seashells, and beads made of glass, shells and carnelian.
Most of these archaeological finds are displayed at the small Tigayon Hill Museum. Other pieces that experts deemed a lot more significant like the carnelian beads, as explained in the galleries, are kept at the National Museum in Manila.
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| Cave 3 signage at Tigayon Hill |
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| Cave 2 of Tigayon Hill |
Tigayon Hill is also part of Kalibo’s folk culture and history. According to local records, Aklanons who fought for the liberation had sought sanctuary in the caves during the war.
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| Tigayon's forest trails |
It is also steeped in legends. Mystic creatures, according to Norman, are dwelling on the hill. Up to this day, those supernatural stories are still believed by locals, hence the strict rule for its visitors to keep their noises low while at the site.
In a verdant and quiet environs dotted with huge trees like balete, Norman narrated in detail the local myths that somehow gave me the creeps, as we huff and puff our way to the peak via the hill’s steep cemented stairs.
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| Station of the Cross along the trail |
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| Chapel at the peak of Tigayon Hill |
Tigayon Hill is apparently a place of pilgrimage. The Stations of the Cross line up the established footpath that winds to the top, where a small gated chapel that houses a life-sized image of a guardian angel and the Virgin Mary stands in the thick of a verdure.
Also at the top is a vista of the meandering Aklan River, the surrounding plains and forests, and a tiny view of the town center. Sitting at one of the cottages or benches of the lush and windy hilltop eases the pumped-up limbs and lungs brought about by the arduous hike. Tigayon Hill is both an adventure and a sure-fire way to commune with nature.
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| Garden at the peak of Tigayon Hill |
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| Tigayon Hill viewdeck |
Visit Tigayon Hill and Caves
Opens: Everyday, 6:00AM - 8:00PMEntrance Fee:
- Kalibo residents, students, senior citizens and PWDs - Php 30.00
- Tourists and residents outside Kalibo - Php 50.00
- Tigayon residents and children below 7 years old - FREE
Contact: Tigayon Hill (Facebook page)
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