I’ve been hearing about this place for quite some time now. People who ask me if I’ve been here already are utterly surprised that I haven’t yet.
I know, I surf too much. Now that I’ve got the opportunity to go, I was so excited! I didn’t know what to expect. I intentionally did not google anything about Pusan Point because I wanted to have a pair of fresh unexpecting eyes when I arrive.
Being the most easternmost land point in the Philippines, you’ll be the first to see the sun rise here. It’s not official but they say the sun rises around 3 minutes earlier here than other areas in the Philippines. Of course, the exact number of minutes would depend on where you are in the country.
On our second day during the Visit Davao Fun Sale Davao Oriental Tour, we packed up and said goodbye to Dahican Beach and traveled for a little over an hour and a half up north from Mati City.
Passing by the provinces of Tarragona and Manay, we turned right just before Kuta Bridge in Brgy. Santiago in the municipality of Caraga, 82 kilometers away from Mati City.
It was quite a steep uphill drive passing through a barangay and finally reaching Pusan Point. The familiar fuschia and white theme welcomed me and I immediately noticed we were actually on a cliff overlooking the sea!
Running towards the 40-foot high rock formations that the Pacific Ocean waves were pounding on, I was ecstatic! This was amazing! I never imagined that I’d see something like this in the Davao region.
The last time I saw rock formations like this was in Laswitan in Cortes, Surigao del Sur way back in April 2015. Though in Laswitan, you couldn’t really climb up to the top of the rock formations because it was too dangerous.
In Pusan Point however, there is a viewing deck right beside the concrete Jubillee Cross which was built to add to the park’s attractions. Aside from the modern-looking white lighthouse that greets you as you enter the park’s premise, there’s also another lighthouse inside which was built way back in the early 1900s.
I found myself staring at the older lighthouse and wondered if it could speak, what stories would it tell? I imagined crazy storms and capsized boats or ships that have hoped to live another day at sea. Or maybe the strongest waves that have ever existed around in the Pacific Ocean?
Maybe on my next visit, I could ask the locals around here in Brgy. Santiago for stories about Pusan Point. Aside from the two lighthouses here, there are meditation kiosks are also strategically built around the area as well as an amphitheater that can seat 100 people.
Other facilities here include a 200-square-meter swimming pool, a sundial and a two-story building that holds the Science Discovery Center featuring a planetarium and other science-themed interactive sections.
I went crazy with the Science Discovery Center! I loved that this was intentionally made to educate tourists about the natural world. Every inch of the displays inside the center was thoughtfully curated.
Aside from having the breaktaking Pusan Point, Caraga, is also home to pristine beaches and waterfalls, as well as one of Mindanao’s oldest churches, the San Salvador del Mundo parish church at the town center, which was built by the Spaniards during the late 19th century.
Read more at www.millennialmermaid.com
