Earning the moniker “The Little Hong Kong of the South”, Pagadian, the capital of Zamboanga Del Sur offers tourists an impeccable blend of pastoral and metropolitan life. The lively commercial center is filled with artsy tricycles that are uniquely inclined up to 40 degrees to adapt to the hilly roads of Pagadian. Down the harbor, check out the market for fresh tasty fruits, it’s a sin not to buy and eat their tasty buying marang and sweet pineapples.
Dried fish also abounds in the area and you can even catch some fishermen carrying gigantic tunas at the port. Across the market there is a towering peach-painted castle akin to an abandoned theme park. From here, you can reach the craggy shorelines of Pagadian by foot that is pretty much dotted with stilt houses and fishing boats. At night, hang out in front of the CapitolPark and marvel at the multi-colored dancing fountain and grab a tasty barbecue for only Php1 at one of the eateries in the area.
Pagadian is also bursting with natural attractions such as placid springs, undiscovered caves, soaring peaks clad with dense jungles and pristine waterfalls. Test your endurance by chasing the falls of Manga, Pulacan, Lourdes, LisonValley, and Ditoray. For adventure travelers, try spelunking at the Kendis and MangaCave. And lastly, don’t go home without basking in the stunning beach of Pagadian, or rather in its majestic sandbar. Charter a boat from san pedro port to take you to Puting Balas (WhiteBeach), a gorgeous powdery white sand bar that can be reached less than 30 minutes from the mainland.
How to get to Pagadian:
There are direct flight to Pagadian from Manila served by Cebu Pacific and Air Phil Express.
The best way to get around the city is by riding Pagadian’s trademark – their tricycle. Hotels, shopping malls, banks and restaurants that cater to the tourists needs abound in the city center.
KendisCave can be reached via Brgy.Dagatan while you can hire a boat to take you to Isla Puting Balas at San Pedro.
