With the scorching heat index in most parts of the country, one southern destination offers a refreshing respite where you can enjoy the sea and sun without being baked under the sun.

One hideaway, which won’t disappoint is Camiguin, an island province north of mainland Mindanao and a paradise in a nutshell because of its natural wonders. It is a virtual water world as it is surrounded by beaches and punctuated by refreshing bodies of freshwater inland.

With a low population density and a remarkable forest cover, the province’s actual temperature doesn’t breach the 30 degrees mark, which is way below the daily average nationwide.

Bintana sa Paraiso Binunsaran in Mambajao.An iconic spot is the 70-meter tall Katibawasan Falls, which is tucked in the interiors of Mambajao town at the bosom of Mt. Timpoong. Its stream emanates from the lush mountains and drops from a monolithic cliff-face and splashes into a huge and icy natural pool.

Water is gin-clear and the natural pool has a sandy base which has small fishes which feed on moss, the same species you find in fish spas which chip on the dead cells on your feet.

Tuasan Falls in Catarman is another tall and refreshing cascade worth dipping into. At 20 meters high, it is also tucked into the lush vegetation of the Mt. Timpoong-Hibok-Hibok Natural Monument, which was named an ASEAN Heritage Park because of its terrestrial biodiversity.

For a real ice-cold treat — to beat the summer heat — hie off to the nearby Sto Niño Cold Spring, a natural oasis that flows from Mount Mambajao. On-site are day use cottages, cooking facilities, a restaurant and souvenir stalls.

A lesser-known but swell spot is the Bura Soda Pool, whose claim to fame is its chlorine-free and potable water source. Located also in upland Catarman, Bura won’t leave any sticky or smelly feeling after coming out of the water. For a literally immersive experience, you can relish the naturally fresh drinking soda water coming out from its taps.

Alternatively, you can also dip at the warm natural pools of the Ardent Hibok-Hibok Spring Resort in Mambajao for a rejuvenating hydromassage under the canopy of hardwood trees. The water used to be hot, but has cooled into warm and lukewarm temperature over years.

Near Benoni Port, Camiguin’s sea gateway, is the Mahinog Crater Lake or popularly known as Taguines Lagoon, which used to be a cove before it became almost enclosed by roadworks. The area is a dotted with seafood restaurants and native-themed accommodation with a soothing seaview, and a center for watersports such as kayaking, stand-up paddle boarding and pedal boating.

If exposure under the sun isn’t an issue you can hie off to Mantigue Island Nature Park in Mahino, a marine sanctuary with a gleaming powdery coral sand, and rich marine biodiversity which has made it a scuba diving haven in northern Mindanao.

And don’t forget to frolic at the province’s poster image, the White Island Sandbar, which boasts of its talcum sand, crystaline water and a view of the towering Mt. Hibok-Hibok.

For an equally cool homebase, Bintana sa Paraiso is an ideal place to stay because of its highland location and tree cover. Situated in Barangay Binunsaran, Mambajao, this tropical-themed accommodation is a virtual window to paradise which overlooks the White Island Sandbar.