Santa Ana offers several ways to experience its landscapes, history and cuisine. The four-tiered Buwacag Falls is in Barangay Sta. Clara; on Palaui Island are Engano Cove and Siwangag Cove, as well as the Lagunzad Trail. Firefly watching starts in Barangay Casagan. Other highlights include rocky Manidad Island, the Cape Engaño Lighthouse and dishes prepared by the Kulinarya de Casagan group. When planning a stay, you can focus on waterfalls, the coast, trails, history or local food, depending on your interests.

Buwacag Falls

Buwacag Falls has four tiers, and its pool is at least 17 feet deep. This figure describes the depth of the pool and gives the waterfall a specific natural feature. You can use it to explore Santa Ana through its individual natural features, rather than seeing the area only as a starting point for a general coastal trip.

Activities at the Buwacag Eco-Tourism Site

Visitors can picnic, swim or hike at the Buwacag Eco-Tourism Site. Access conditions may change. If you’re planning a particular activity, check the current conditions before your visit.

Coves and a trail on Palaui Island

Engano Cove and Siwangag Cove are on Palaui Island in Santa Ana. Their white-sand shores and washed-up coral fragments give the two coves a distinctive coastal character. The seven-kilometer Lagunzad Trail is also on Palaui Island. Along it, you can enjoy views of the beach, mangroves, forested areas and grassland. If you’re looking for coastal coves, you can focus on the two named shores; the trail offers a different experience, with its stated length and varied landscape views.

Walking routes and wildlife watching

Firefly watching starts at the Barangay Hall in Barangay Casagan. From there, a 15- to 30-minute walk leads to the viewing site. This is the walking time to the site; the Lagunzad Trail, by contrast, is specified by its length of seven kilometers. The comparison helps distinguish two different planning considerations: the duration of a walk to a viewing site and the length of a trail route. Check locally in advance to confirm whether firefly watching is currently available.

Conditions on the Lagunzad Trail can also change. If you’re planning to hike it, check the conditions before setting out. This keeps the two details most useful for an initial choice distinct: the duration of the walk in Casagan and the length of the trail on Palaui Island.

Island formations and maritime history

Manidad Island is rocky; its shape is locally compared to a sleeping crocodile. The Cape Engaño Lighthouse was completed in 1892 and served as a guide for incoming ships. Together, these places offer two distinct points of interest: the striking shape of a rocky island and the maritime purpose of a historic structure. If you want to consider history alongside landscapes when choosing a destination, Santa Ana offers both.

Dishes from Santa Ana

Kulinarya de Casagan, a group of local women, prepares dishes including tinola made with native chicken, sautéed vegetables and diningdeng. Diningdeng is an Ilocano vegetable dish. These foods offer more than a single culinary point of reference: alongside tinola and sautéed vegetables is a dish with an explicit regional identity. For travelers who also choose destinations based on local food, cuisine can be a focus in its own right, alongside the coast, hiking trails and history.

Explore more destinations: Basco, Santiago City.

See the main travel overview: Cagayan Valley.