Hoyop-Hoyopan Cave

Bicol

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Pottery dating from 200 BC to AD 900 has been found in this easily accessed limestone cave, set on a quiet hillside above a pretty rural valley. Guides are available at the entrance; tips are expected.

Hoyop-Hoyopan is about 25km southwest of Legazpi. Take any jeepney heading towards Camalig, Polangui, Guinobatan or Ligao and get off in Camalig (P20), then hitch a ride on a motorbike (around P150 one way). A tricycle from Daraga should cost P500 each way.

The name of the cave means ‘blow-blow’, a reference to the cool and somewhat eerie wind that blows through the cave. A tour takes around 30 minutes; ancient pottery aside, you'll see the dance floor where the local equivalents of raves were held in secret during the martial law era under Marcos, and many rock formations, including one that resembles either the Virgin Mary or the Devil, depending on how you squint at it.

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