Calvary Hills Iguig Cagayan 2023 Travel Guide
Every time I travel to a province, I always see to it that I’ll be able to visit a religious site or a church. Since Cagayan is one of our destinations in our North Luzon loop road trip and backpacking, we decided to visit Calvary Hills Iguig Cagayan after traveling to Callao Cave.
Calvary Hills, Iguig, Cagayan – the History
Calvary Hills is a popular destination of Catholics most especially during the Lenten Season or the Holy Week. It is located in a sprawling eleven-hectare of rolling hills overlooking the Cagayan River which resembles the world-renowned Jordan River. It has a stairway at the back of the church leading to vast green rolling hills which offer the best view of the river.
The giant Calvary Hills sign at the back of the church
Rev. Fr. Rogelio Cortez initiated its construction in 1892. The people also calls this religious site as the Mount Calvary of the Far East which then made it as a major Pilgrimage Tourist Destination in Cagayan.
The Church of San Antonio de Galicia welcomes the visitors of the Calvary Hills. This church is said to be built around the Spanish colonial area, about late 1700’s, and is one of the few remaining Catholic Churches in the Philippines with a buttress.
The buttress are seen from the back
The Station of the Cross at Calvary Hills
Every Lenten Season or Holy Week, Christian Catholics would commemorate the pain and suffering of Christ who died for the forgiveness of everyone’s sin. The fourteen stations show these hardships. Catholic pilgrims would stop at each to pray. Every church has either a portrait or statues of these stations.
Catholics practice the so called Visita Iglesia or church visitation during the said season as they do the station of the cross. Calvary Hills features the 14 stations of the cross with concrete statues that are larger than life depicting the sufferings of Jesus Christ before his death at Mount Calvary including his resurrection.
The good thing about doing the station of the cross at Calvary Hills is that, each station is a little far from one another; thus peace and solemnity is somehow guaranteed. Though a lot of people would often visit it especially in this season, the whole place is wide enough to be crowded.
How to go to Calvary Hills from Tuguegarao City
Option A:
1. Go to to Don Domingo Terminal in Tuguegarao City. Fare is around Php 10.00 tp Php 12.00 per head.
2. Take a van bound for Iguig.
3. From the drop off point in Iguig, charter a habal-habal or a motorcycle going to Calvary Hills.
Option B:
1. Take a bus bound for Appari or Sta. Ana, Cagayan. Tell the driver/conductor that you are heading to Calvary Hills in Iguig.
2. From the drop off point in Iguig, charter a habal-habal or a motorcycle going to Calvary Hills.
Option C:
1. From Tuguegarao City, charter a habal-habal or tricycle that will take you to and from Calvary Hills. A round trip may cost Php 350.00 to Php 400.00 depending on your haggling skills.
Anne Elizabeth Gumiran
Anne Elizabeth Gumiran, also known as Queenie, is a 20-something, full-time public school teacher, a part-time travel blogger and a freediver. She started putting her stories of adventures and misadventures into words and pictures in 2017 and continues to do so as she shares her advocacy, Sustainable Traveling.
3 Comments
el toro bumingo
Is the Church of San Antonio de Galicia the old name of St James the Apostle Parish? Can you point me to the link for the history of the church?
Anne Elizabeth Gumiran
Hello, sir! I have read about that somewhere too but I’m not quite sure. The history and the information that I mainly included in this blog were from the historical marker that we found on the place upon our visit 🙂
Jolly anne Cortez
Hi the construction was not built in 1892 rather it was built in 1982 by my uncle father Rev. Rogelio Guibani Cortez including with his siblings,niece and nephews. Thank you so much for featuring the works of my uncle. It was indeed an amazing works with lots of sacrifices.My father usually tell me they did it out of love and fruits of amazing laughters while working.Godbless us. 🥰