Reasons to Visit Butuan - Philippines

Places like Manila, Puerto Galera or Boracay are famous for its nightlife, nature spots and events and most of the other cities in the Philippines are usually overlooked by tourists and travel agencies alike. We will introduce you to a city in the Philippines that explodes with history and culture and the name of this city is Butuan City which is located in Mindanao. We created a list of the top 5 reasons to visit Butuan Philippines, to persuade you into travelling to this city on your next Philippines trip.

River Festival

Every city in the Philippines has numerous festivals where everybody can simply join in the games and fun, and it is no different with Butuan city where we have the Abayan Festival which is in the top 5 reasons to visit Butuan Philippines. The Abayan Festival in Butuan is celebrated on the last Sunday of the month of July and this festival honors the patroness of the Agusan River. The festivities include races along the river, fluvial procession, and several games. Where else do you see festivals to honor a river anywhere else in the world?

Mount Mayapay

The Mount Mayapay is a mountain that is situated in Butuan and that has made it onto the list of top 5 reasons to visit Butuan - Philippines. This mountain has a special history with the entire city and region, because the Mt. Mayapay was named by a Hindu empire in the early 12th century. The Mount Mayapay is 700 meters tall and is home to many archeological excavations and findings. The mountain also makes a good climb for those who like to go trekking and for those who want to find the archeologist in them.

Balangay Boats

If you are into naval vessels and special rare boats, then Butuan will have the right object for you. Another reason on the list of top 5 reasons to visit Butuan Philippines is the unique pre-historic boat called Balangay boat of Agusan and Butuan that can only be found in the Balangay Shrine Museum. A Balangay is a large boat that is built with wooden planks and is the oldest pre-European watercraft found in Southeast Asia dating back to 4th century and 13th century AD. This unique boat should give you a great memorabilia for pictures, souvenirs that you can get in the museum and for your personal memory.

The Golden Statue

The Golden Statue of Butuan in Agusan is definitely reason enough to visit a place and thus it landed on the top 5 reasons to visit Butuan Philippines. The golden statue is called the Golden Tara also known as the Golden Image of Agusan and it is a statue that weighs 4 pounds with 21 carats. This figurine depicts a female deity sitting cross legged. The Golden Image of Agusan was found in 1917 in the Agusan River and the statue is said to symbolize the culture of the ancient times in the Southeast Asian region.

The Mighty River

A river is seldom a good reason to visit a city such as Butuan, but let us tell you; this river is quite different. The Agusan River deserves a spot on the top 5 reasons to visit Butuan Philippines, because it is the longest, the widest and the deepest navigable river in Mindanao. The Agusan River has a special past and reveals things about Butuan and Agusan that no one would have dreamed in one river cruise. The Agusan River used to be a prime archeological spot where many archeologists and locals found treasures of immeasurable worth such as the Golden Image of Agusan. Find the inner archeologist in you and take the cruise down the river.