Calayan Island: Jaw-dropping Chasms of Nagudungan Hill

Nagudungan Hill, Calayan Island
Nagudungan Hill is one of the most spectacular seascapes in the country!

The white-sand coves along the southeast coastline of Calayan Island are fenced in by soaring precipices of volcanic rock. The most stunning cliffs are gouged out by wind and water from Nagudungan Hill stretching out to the sea at the southern end of Caniwara Cove.

Nagudungan Hill, Calayan Island
Casuarina trees sculpted by the harsh weather that frequently pummel the island


A narrow pathway leads to its grassy head, where windswept casuarina trees kowtow to the incessant winds that batter the Babuyan Channel. Also succumbing to the harsh weather that pummels the island most of the year, a white lighthouse lie fallen on one of the trees. As you ascend the hill, a spectacular panorama of Caniwara, Sibang and Cabaan Coves slowly reveals itself.

Nagudungan Hill, Calayan Island
Water buffalo and goats graze on the rolling pastures


At the end of this hill, the rolling pastures akin to Batanes’ famed landscape – where goats and water buffalo peacefully graze – suddenly drop into majestic 15-storey deep chasms, down to the jagged shoreline and some hidden beaches. Migratory birds nest high within the basalt fissures, occasionally gliding on the strong gusts of wind that sweep over the hill. The base of these jaw-dropping cliffs are marked by a number of shallow caverns, some of which house ancient burial jars unfortunately ransacked by treasure hunters. Nonetheless, Nagudungan Hill may very well be one of the most spectacular seascapes in the country.

Nagudungan Hill, Calayan Island
Look how small a person is!
Nagudungan Hill, Calayan Island
Harsh elements have gouged jaw-dropping chasms into Nagudungan Hill


HOW TO GET THERE: For transportation details to Calayan Island, check out my travel guide. Nagudungan Hill is found next to Caniwara Cove. For directions to the cove, see my entry on Calayan’s beach coves.

16 Replies to “Calayan Island: Jaw-dropping Chasms of Nagudungan Hill”

  1. Speechless! Simply perfect!

  2. Thanks Edmar! Yeah I was lost for words when I saw these formations. These are MUCH larger than they look in the photos =)

  3. baktin says:

    Hi Edgar, if I am not mistaken, think we were on the same bus to Manila last Monday. Thank you for the feature on Calayan. We’ll be headed there someday.

  4. nice view. unexplored island 🙂

  5. @baktin: Really? I took the bus from Sta Ana to Manila. Bus broke down in Nueva Ecija. Yes, do visit Calayan!
    @bisayang: thanks for dropping by!

  6. Jherson Jaya says:

    Speechless!!! I’ll have my own time strolling the place…

  7. Jerome says:

    ang lupit! pupuntahan ko rin yan!

  8. queen says:

    Whooaaa! The pics very much remind me of our trip in Batanes!
    I can’t wait to be in Calayan on the 25th!

  9. talagang jaw dropping nga..just wow!

  10. baktin says:

    Edgar, we were definitely on the same @#$% pink bus! 🙂
    Keep on exploring and I do hope that we could bump on you again someday.

  11. Thanks for sharing Jherson, Jerome, queen and killerfillers!

    @Baktin: Hahaha! See you around. Happy, and safe travels

  12. that 4th or 5th picture was all it needed to convince me to go there…
    thanks man.
    Sibang and Naggudungan are… uhmmm… the reasons why i still travel =)

  13. Thanks so much, pinoydaysleeper! Sibang and Nagudungan are really something else! =)

  14. lim says:

    I hope the weather’s calm enough this weekend. would really love to go there. Though sayang because I can’t take picture of myself on that magnificent cliff

  15. Anonymous says:

    wooooowwwww all i can say thats place was awesome love to go there its a paradise that you cant imagine that is existing…perfect thank you for the post love it guys….

  16. Ang ganda ng rock formations at view. I’m gonna add this in my bucket list!

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