Camarines Sur – Home of the Penafrancia and Wakeboarding Capital

Camarines Sur is known as the home of the Our Lady of Penafrancia. The whole Bicol Region as well as devotees all over the country visit the province September of every year to attend the fluvial festival. Their veneration to the Our Lady is proof of how religious the Bicolanos are.

Aside from this religious icon, CamSur has slowly developed economically. The state-of-the-art Camarines Sur Watersports Complex (CWC) has become the favored venue for water sports activities, especially wakeboarding. CWC has served as the venue of numerous local and international water sport events

Demographics

1.Population – 1,693,821 (as of 2007 Census)
2. Land Area – 5,380.8 sq. km
3. Capital – Pili
4. Language/Dialect – Bikol, English, and Filipino
5. Divisions

Cities (2)

• Iriga City
• Naga City

Municipalities (35)

• Baao
• Balatan
• Bato
• Bombon
• Buhi
• Bula
• Cabusao
• Calabanga
• Camaligan
• Canaman
• Caramoan
• Del Gallego
• Gainza
• Garchitorena
• Goa
• Lagonoy
• Libmanan
• Lupi
• Magarao
• Milaor
• Minalabac
• Nabua
• Ocampo
• Pamplona
• Pasacao
• Pili
• Presentacion (Parubcan)
• Ragay
• Sagñay
• San Fernando
• San Jose
• Sipocot
• Siruma
• Tigaon
• Tinambac

Our Lady of Penafrancia
The Nuestra Senora de Pena de Francia is one of the most highly venerated images of the Virgin Mary. Every September, the Bicolanos celebrates its festival through a special and colorful fluvial parade.

Water sport activities at Camarines Sur Watersports Complex
The Camarines Sur Watersports Complex (CWC) has served as one of the premier water sports complex in the Philippines and in Asia. It has been featured in local and international sports magazines and has served as the venue for numerous local and international water sports competitions.

Sea Kayaking at Caramoan
It provides a totally untouched environment for kayakers willing to bring their own boats. The tranquility and undisturbed environment of Caramoan will make a kayaker's experience unique.

Delectable Food
Bicolandia's most famous dishes usually uses two main ingredients: chili and coconut milk. Its distinct mix of ingredients and taste makes them unforgettable.

1. Gulay na Natong (Laing) – Taro leaves (natong) cooked in coconut milk and mixed with bangut or balao(fermented small shrimps) pork strips and chili.
2. Langkang Palusag – Mixed of jackfruit, bangut, garlic, and onion cooked in coconut milk
3. Bikol Express – pork with fermented shrimp paste (bagoong) and siling labuyo.
4. Pinangat – diced lobster meat mixed with young coconut meat, lemongrass, ground garlic and diced onion wrapped in taro leaves and boiled in coconut milk.
5. Ginuygoy – tender taro leaves cooked in little water and seasoned with lemon juice and dinaelan (a variety of balao)
6. Inon-on – Mackerel scad or any salt-water fish cooked with lemon juice or vinegar, garlic, onions, oil and little water.
7. Sinuman - rice cake with melted panutsa (sugar cane candy) and coconut milk.

Cultural

Philtranco Heritage Museum
Location: Brgy. San Nicolas, Iriga City, Camarines Sur
The museum houses artifacts and documents about the oldest transportation company in the Philippines,

University of Nueva Caceres Museum
Location: Brgy. Igualdad, Naga City, Camarines Sur
It is one of the oldest universities outside Manila. It houses historical artifacts about the Bicol region.

Historical

Philippine National Railroad Marker Park
Location: Del Gallego, Camarines Sur
Former President Manuel L. Quezon drove a golden nail at the site during the inauguration of the North and South Railroad tracks which connected Manila to Legazpi City.

Calvario Hill
Location: Brgy. San Francisco, Iriga City, Camarines Sur
The hill was said to be the habitat of witches. Durinng the American occupation, it was used as a base for the cavalry force. On the other hand, ti served as a garrison and watchtower of the Japanese forces during World War II.

Ateneo de Naga University
Location: Naga City, Camarines Sur
It was dubbed as the Fort Santiago of Bicol during World War II. The building was utilized as a concentration camp and torture chamber.

Holy Rosary Minor Seminary
Location: Naga Cathedral Grounds, Naga City, Camarines Sur
Founded in 1793, it became the second school established in the Philippines. Inside its compounds is the Museo del Seminario Conciliar de Nueva Caceres.

Man-Made

Camarines Sur Watersports Complex
Location:Brgy. Cadlan, Pili, Camarines Sur
This six (6)-hectare complex, with its 6-point cable ski system, is sure to draw guests, riders and spectators by the thousands. Because of good weather conditions, cable skiing in the park can be done all year round.

Bombon Leaning Bell Tower
Location: Bombon Church, Bombon, Camarines Sur
According to one legend, this leaning structure of the belfry made the townspeople want to destroy it. However, the parish priest insisted his parishioners to leave the tower as it is and continued working on it until it was finished.

Consocep Resthouse
Location: Tigaon, Camarines Sur
It has an elevation of 1,800 feet above sea level. The breeze at this point is hauntingly cool amid luxurious surroundings that abound in the place.

Nahulugang Kampana
Location: Brgy. Sta. Maria, Lagonoy, Camarines Sur
This belfry is the ruins of the first stone church in the province. The land where it is located has been converted for agricultural purposes.

Natural

Mt. Iriga /Mt. Asog
Location:Iriga, Camarines Sur
This dormant volcano has an elevation of about 4,823 feet. It is a very noticeable landmark. Its eruption in 1611 had caused the existence of Lake Buhi in the province. It is home to the Agta, a tribal people of Bicol.

Mt. Isarog
Location: Naga City, Camarines Sur
It is now the last Rainforest Mountain in Southern Luzon. Towering 1,976 meters above sea level and covering 10, 112 hectares, it is the haven of indigenous flora and fauna. Most of the rare exotic of orchids, medicinal and flowering plants, wild boars, deers, squirrels, monkeys and untamed rodents are found on the base of the slopes of the mountain.

Gota Beach
Location: Brgy. Paniman, Caramoan, Camarines Sur
Composed of two caves called Little Gota and Big Gota, which are the main attractions of the Caramoan National Park. One can enjoy a stretch of sugary fine white beach comparable to that of Boracay, a salt water lake, and wildlife

Lahuy Island
Location: Caramoan, Camarines Sur
A 10-kilometer long island about 3 kilometers at its widest point. The island has long stretches of uniquely white fine sand. At sitio Nipa, a spring 300 meters from the shore provides fresh water source not available elsewhere. A 40-hectare mangrove swamp near Barangay Oring offers a habitat for a marine wildlife

Caramoan Beach
Location: Caramoan, Camarines Sur
The one beach in the country that can match Miami Beach in Florida. It provides a totally untouched environment for kayakers willing to bring their own boats. The tranquility and undisturbed environment of Caramoan will make a kayaker's experience unique.

Adiangao Cave
Location: San Jose, Camarines Sur
Has three mouths and a 300-meter canopy stretching further up into the Calinigan Mountains. Stalactites, stalagmites, and huge columns and pillars adorn the ceiling and floors. Dripstone formed like icicles and suspended waterfalls can also be found.

Calapnitan Cave
Location: Libmanan, Camarines Sur
it contains innumerable stalactites and pillars ranging from massive to extremely delicate. Thousands of bats are housed in this cave, presenting a very extraordinary spectacle. Their presence provides a very good source of guano supply and phosphate.

Itbog Twin Falls
Location: Mt. Isarog, Naga CIty, Camarines Sur
The sixty foot Itbog Twin Falls is an awesome spectacle of gushing white waters from somewhere on top of Mt. Isarog.

Malasbay Falls
Location: Mt. Isarog, Brgy. Panicuason, Naga City, Camarines Sur
This 40-foot high scenic wonder features swimming areas beneath the waterfalls, concrete winding stairs, foot bridges and pathways, cottages and related facilities for use by swimmers and visitors, and a plant nursery and campaign ground.

Religious

Basilica Minore de Nuestra Senora de Pena de Francia (Basilica Minore of Our Lady of Penafrancia)
Location:Balatas Road, Naga City, Camarines Sur
Home to the miraculous image of the Patroness of Bicolandia, Nuestra Señora de Peñafrancia. Thousands of pilgrims flock to this site during the September celebration of the Penafrancia Fiesta just to visit and venerate the virgin.

Naga Metropolitan Cathedral
Constructed in 1816 to 1831, the Cathedral was for many years the seat of the Archdiocese of Caceres which encompassed the six Bicol provinces. It is the biggest church in Bicol.

Museo del Seminario Conciliar de Nueva Caceres
Location: Naga Metropolitan Cathedral Compound, Elias Angeles St., Naga City, Camarines Sur
This ecclesiastical museums displays artifacts and regalia concerning the spiritual history of Bicol region, also exhibited here are memorabilia of famous Bicolano bishops, old scholastic records and archival materials confirming the Bicolanos knowledge about religion.

Our Lady of Penafrancia Church
Location: Penafrancia Ave., Naga City, Camarines Sur
This is the original home of Our Lady of Peñafrancia, the patroness of Bicolandia. The Church's hand-painted ceilings and fine architecture has been preserved for the appreciation of the devotees and visitors.

Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception Church (Quipayo Church)
Location: Calabanga, Camarines Sur
The Church founded by the Franciscan missionaries who came to Camarines Sur in 1578. Its patron saint is the Our Lady of the Immaculate Concepcion.

Voyadores Festival
Place: Naga City, Camarines Sur
Date: Second Friday of September
The Voyadores Festival is considered to be part of the week-long Peñafrancia Festival.The festival is named after the male devotees (voyadores) who accompany and carry the Virgin's image in a procession called Traslacion for a Novena at the Metropolitan Cathedral.The image of the Lady of Peñafrancia is borne on the shoulders of her male devotees from her shrine, the Peñafrancia Basilica, to the Naga Cathedral where the image will stay for one week.

Penafrancia Festival
Place: Naga City, Camarines Sur
Date: Third week of September
The feast day is preceded by a novena, nine days of prayer, in honor of the Virgin. On the first day, the image of the Virgin is brought from its shrine to the Naga Cathedral (Voyadores Festival) where the novena is held. On the last day, the image is returned to her shrine following the Naga River route. The colorful evening procession is lit by thousands of candles from devotees in boats escorting the image. When the barge reaches its destination, the devotees shout "Viva la Virgen" (Long live the Virgin!) and the image is brought back in a procession to the cathedral.

Boa-Boahan Festival
Place: Nabua, Camarines Sur
Date: May 1
The Alinsangan 'Boa-Boahan' Festival was introduced in 1975. t is a festival showing fertility and thanksgiving. Fertility, because Boa was taken from the young embryo of the coconut and thanksgiving for it was their only source of food after the ravage of floodwaters. Highlight of the celebration is the street pageantry with the town's folks dressed in colorful costumes parading through the town proper.

Tumatarok Festival
Place: Minalabac, Camarines Sur
Date: May 11
It is considered as one of the most colorful and interesting fiestas in the Bikol region. This festival is a celebration of bountiful harvest the land has given to its people through the intercession of their Catholic patron saints, Apostles James and Philip.

Tinagba Festival
Place: Iriga City, Camarines Sur
Date: February 11
This is a colorful parade of the ball-cart laden with harvested crops that wind up at the foot of the Grotto of our Lady of Lourdes as a token of thanks for the year's bountiful harvest.