Cagayan de Oro is known as "The City of Golden Friendship". It is located along the northern coast of Mindanao, south of the Philippines. It is the provincial capital of Misamis Oriental. The city has an population of about 460,000 people as of 2000 Census.
Cagayan de Oro is a coastal city facing the Macajalar Bay. Several creeks and rivers run through the city. The southern portion of the city is dominated by hills, gorges, plateaus and mountain ranges of Bukidnon province. The city is known by many nicknames such as "Gateway to Northern Mindanao" because of its location and good transportation facilities, "City of Whitewater Rafting and River Trekking" it is a primary whitewater rafting destination in the country that has a whole year round of maneuverable rafting courses and is located within the city limit, "ICT Goldmine of the Philippines" and "A City in Bloom, in Blossom and in BOOM!" because of the great strides it has made by way of progress, notably in the last few years.
PLACE TO VISIT
San Agustin Cathedral - Gothic inspired church with centuries old stained glass windows.
Gardens of Malasag Eco-Tourism Village - located in a reforested area in Malasag Hill. This 7 hectare village has replicas of tribal houses in the region and a panoramic view of Macajalar Bay. It is owned by the government and managed by the Philippine Tourism Authority.
Vicente de Lara Park - Vicente de Lara Park, Cagayan de Oro City (formerly General Douglas MacArthur Park)Vicente de Lara was a former governor of Misamis Oriental Province.
Gaston Park - Gaston Park - named after the first Mayor of Cagayan de Oro, Segundo Gaston; It is located near the Saint Augustine Cathedral and Archbishop’s Palace.
Plaza Divisoria - built in the early 1900's as a town divider (divisoria) or fire breaker after a great fire that almost burned down the entire town. It is now a park dedicated to local and national heroes.
Macahambus Cave and Gorge - an underground cave with a 130-foot circular gorge. The ravine is thick with various species of plants and huge trees. It is the site of the historic battle between local and American soldiers during the Philippine-American War (1900).
Museo de Oro - inside the Xavier University campus, it exhibits artifacts dug from Huluga Cave and repertoire of Bukidnon and Maranao Cultures that have survived the ravages of time.
Cagayan de Oro Tourism Showhouse - in Bonifacio Park, it showcases products from Cagayan de Oro and the province.
WHAT TO DO
Whitewater Rafting - 14 rapids along Cagayan de Oro river. The rainy months of September and October are good for intermediate and professional levels (rapids range from class 3 to 4). The rest of the year especially during the dry season is good for novice or amateur rafters.
Whitewater Kayaking it's more fun and intense. You'll love it from put-in to take-out.
Macahambus Adventure Park - rappel and zip-line across trees a hundred feet above ground
Mapawa Nature Park - ideal for horseback riding, biking, zipline and nature trekking
HOW TO REACH
By plane - Cagayan de Oro is served by a domestic airport in Lumbia. It has daily flights to/from Manila and Cebu.
By boat - The Port of Cagayan de Oro is the busiest in the region. It has frequent boat trips to and from Manila, Cebu, Bacolod, Iloilo, Tagbilaran, Dumaguete and Iligan.
By bus - The city has two bus terminals. The West Bound terminal caters to trips going to Iligan, Ozamiz, Pagadian and Zamboanga while the Agora Terminal caters to trips going to Gingoog, Butuan, Malaybalay, Valencia, Wao, Kidapawan, Davao and Camiguin Island (via Balingoan Port).
